So I was pleasantly surprised to find out that a new one had opened up on Sukhumvit-- Charley Brown's. I read some write- ups about it a few weeks ago in one of the local magazines and it sounded interesting. They boasted a classic antique American decor and it was supposedly not a new restaurant but an existing restaurant that I had never heard of; one that had only recently relocated to Sukhumvit. The owners were British and Australian. This was cause for concern - how could a British and an Australian know anything about Mexican food?

Time passed and I never actually got around to going to the Charley Brown's. I did try once and ventured during lunch hour into Sukhumvit Soi 11 but I couldn’t find the darn place. Finally, out of the blue, I received an email from the owners, inviting me to their new location; apparently they had read my article, Italian Restaurants in Bangkok, which ends with a kind of plea for less Italian restaurants and more Mexican restaurants. So, my lawyer’s mind naturally figured out the best way to exploit the situation to a pecuniary benefit and I wrote back to them and asked for a free meal in exchange for a review. They agreed and the rest is history.

I had created a double bind for myself, as usual. Now I felt obligated to write a kind review for the free food. But on the other hand, my "Bangkok Joe" writings are known for their sincerity. Besides, based on my credentials as a tostada-munching former border delinquent, how could Charley Brown's ever meet my standards? I resolved that if the food was no good, I would write truthfully, but elliptically. I would not state that anything was bad, but I would state what was good, such as the interesting antiques on the wall, the music, or the way the silverware was artistically arranged. I just wouldn’t mention the food.

So my partner and I ventured out into the sois of Sukhumvit in my second attempt to find the elusive Charley Brown's. We went up and down Soi 11. After several attempts, we finally we found it; it is in a sub soi behind Soi 11. It’s in the same area as "Cheap Charley’s" and "Suk11 hostel", in a small soi a few hundred feet from the entrance of Soi 11 on Sukhumvit, and you need to turn left into the soi.

We entered the restaurant and we were treated like royalty (for a change). The restaurant has a laid-back but tasteful atmosphere. It has American nostalgic items like old beer cans and car paraphernalia from classic editions. The tables and seating are a heavy wood and the place feels like the kind of restaurant that you can hang out for several hours and feel comfortable shooting the breeze and eating sporadically. The lighting is soft and the music is good and not overwhelming. No elevator music, just contemporary Jazz and Latin music. These were good tunes in a nice atmosphere.