How The 100-year-old Bunnag Family Home, Baan Suriyasai, Preserves Thai Heritage With Cuisine And Mekhong

The beginning
Baan Suriyasai welcomes visitors with large, shady trees and an expansive white building, immaculately preserved in every aspect to its original 100-year-old self. It is generally believed that the structure was designed by one of the Italian artisans brought to Thailand to build the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall. However, whether it was built at the same time Surawong Road was being laid down as a major thoroughfare through the city still remains to be confirmed The restaurant’s name revolves around a portmanteau of “suriya”, meaning “sun” and is the Bunnag family symbol, and “asai”, meaning dwelling or home, thereby paying homage to the Bunnag residence.

This legendary home on Surawong Road has been transformed into an elegant restaurant. Baan Suriyasai not only preserves its heritage by serving traditional Thai cuisine, but it also serves Mekhong, the spiced rum that has been known as “The Spirit of Thailand” for over 80 years.

A family of Thai cuisine
At Baan Suriyasai, rare and uncommon Thai dishes from generations past are centrepieces, prepared using traditional techniques and recipes. Here, the ever popular tom yam goes old school, with plain water and Thai herbs and seasonings, relying on the shrimp fat for its orange-red colouring.

Along with featuring vintage recipes for classic dishes from famed cooks of long ago, the restaurant also highlights Thai seasonal ingredients, prepared and served in traditional fashion. In the summer, khao chae is on offer, showcasing accompaniments from Phetchaburi-style khao chae and the more familiar royal version of this refreshing meal set. This includes Watermelon with Toasted Fish Flakes, a Thai equivalent of prosciutto-wrapped melon, served in a unique take on a banana leaf ramekin.

There are also signature dishes available all year round, no matter the season, such as Thai Crispy Pancakes. An interpretation of a recipe from the noble Phanom Wan family, these savoury crepes come with an inventive acar, where the pickled vegetables include ginger. There is also the Beef Shank Massaman Curry with Lotus Seeds, which uses blood orange juice and zest as well as fried lotus seeds to complement the beef shanks that have been braised for three to four hours, completing the flavour trifecta – sweet, sour, and spicy. Another dish from the past that you may not find elsewhere is the yam yai. Baan Suriyasai took inspiration from classic cookbook author, Lady Klip Mahithon, whose recipe does not call for chillies. But this doesn’t mean the yam yai isn’t spicy.

The legend that altered the course of Thai spirits
Baan Suriyasai serves more than traditional Thai food. It also serves the renowned Thai spiced rum, Mekhong. Distilled since 1941, its name evokes the great Mekhong River, the heart of Southeast Asia’s abundance, which inspired the folk song “Across the ‘Khong”, written by Major-General Luang Wichitwathakan. It was the song, with its call for national unity and love, that inspired the Excise Department to call the spirit from the Bangyikhan distillery “Mekhong”. The spirit soon replaced imported whisky, first in a green bottle before switching to its current iconic look 10 years later. It did not take long for this premium spiced rum to epitomise the nation’s spirit, taking on the moniker, the Spirit of Thailand.

A gorgeous bar with a historic spirit
What sets Baan Suriyasai apart from other constructions of the same period is not just the blend of Colonial design and intricate wood latticework and the integration of natural ventilation, prevalent in Thai homes. It is the L-shaped design that connects the restaurant to its other diversions – Tearoom, Cigar Bar, and Content Bar.

The Content Bar offers more than drinks. It also offers a slice of history as a mini-museum. Guests can peruse exhibits displaying the rise of the Spirit of Thailand, from its beginning as the first distillery in the Kingdom, located in Bangyikhan. There, the Mekhong brand was born in 1941 and has continued for over 80 years until today

And what better way to appreciate this historic legacy, of both Mekhong and Baan Suriyasai, than by enjoying one, or more, of the 15 cocktails featuring this famous Thai spiced rum, “The Spirit of Thailand”, at Content Bar.

“Koon Suek”, or Warrior, the award-winning signature cocktail recognised at the Mekhong Thai Spirit Cocktails 2017, stands out with its bold fragrance and spiciness. Classic Thai herbs such as cinnamon, cardamon, ginger, galangal, cloves, lemongrass, and basil complement Mekhong’s vanilla and caramel notes. It is served in a chilled brass mug and garnished with a lemongrass sword and jasmine garland, referencing the ancient Thai warriors who drank spirits to boost their morale and fervour before battle.

For those who prefer something a little more refreshing, there’s “Asadong”, or Sunset, where a traditional Thai ingredient, tamarind, provides a tartness that balances the Mekhong. Another must-try is “Manet”, or Lemonade, inspired by old-fashion-styled Thai lemonade and draws its tang from passionfruit, paired with the piquancy and sweetness of honey and aromatic Mekhong spiced rum. This blending of flavours is much like the fusion of the Spirit of Thailand’s legend and Baan Suriyasai’s legacy.

Baan Suriyasai is located at 174 Surawong Road, Si Phraya, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500. Tel: +666 5931 4338 or +662 237 8889. Website: www.baansuriyasai.com. The dining room is open from 11:00 to 15:00 and from 17:00 to 22:00. The Tearoom is open from 10:00 to 18:00, and the Content Bar is open from 18:00 to 01:00.