We may only be a few months into the new year, but the restaurant world is as busy as ever. It’s not easy keeping up with MICHELIN Starred restaurants as they open up new locations across the country, welcome new chefs to their establishments, and debut new menus. All these developments create tasty temptations for foodies far and wide.
Here are the major developments in the world of food and drink that you won’t want to miss.
Blackitch Artisan Kitchen revealing renovations in May
If you were looking forward to dining at Blackitch Artisan Kitchen (recommended in MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2022), Chef Phanuphol “Black” Bulsuwan asks for your patience for a little while longer as the restaurant is undergoing a facelift. “We are going for a simple elegance that is still welcoming and homey,” he explains. The doors should open to show off the new look in May. In the meantime, the Chiang Mai chef will be popping up to serve up his signature flavours in restaurants across Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Hua Hin, and Samui.
Location: 27/1 Nimmanhaemin Soi 7 Road, Suthep, Chiang Mai. For reservations or more information, please call +66 8 1881 9144.
Chef Ton expands to the Andaman
Anyone who thinks that seven restaurants were enough for Chef Thitid “Ton” Tassanakajohn would be sorely mistaken. To his many eateries, including Le Du (one MICHELIN Star), Baan, and Nusara (recommended by MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2022), Chef Ton brings his innovative takes on Thai food culture to Phuket with Samut, his second restaurant outside of Bangkok (the first being Baan Taipei) that opened in February.
Chef Ton explained his time in the Phuket Sandbox inspired him to open this establishment. He saw that there were plenty of opportunities for fine dining entrepreneurs, particularly in Thai cuisine, as he found a limited choice available on the island. Add that to the urge to promote Thai products, especially in support of the local fishing communities and small producers with excellent Thai offerings to please every palate. But Samut is not a seafood restaurant. It is a fine dining showcase for ingredients from the Andaman Sea and local Phuket producers with a 16-course tasting menu (2,290 THB per person), including lobsters, razor clams, sea snails, murex, and more. If you’re in Phuket, stop by to try Thai food with a modern twist from Chef Ton.
Location: For reservations or more information, please call +66 6 1162 5269 or https://lin.ee/ETvjJwn.
Kinu by Takagi debuts spring menu inspired by Kyo-ryori cuisine
Kinu by Takagi, the omakase restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok recommended by MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2022, is now reopened and in full swing under Takaki Kazuo, chef and owner of Kyoto Cuisine Takagi in Ashiya, Japan, who specialises in Kyo-ryori cuisine. Kyo-ryori is considered an exceptional way to experience Japanese flavours and seasonal sensations. For this spring, Chef Kazuo features such ingredients from his homeland as Hamaguri clams, Hakata Wagyu (which won gold at the 2017 Wagyu Olympics), and Hakata Amaou strawberries, all from Fukuoka. Along with Chef de Cuisine Norihisa Maeda, he offers a five-course lunch for 4,000 THB++ and a ten-course dinner for 8,000 THB++.
P.S. In addition to a delightful meal, you may also learn some interesting insights into Japanese culture, such as how samurais spray the lid of their dishes to detect if someone has tampered with their food.
Location: Floor 1, Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Bangrak, Bangkok. For reservations or more information, please call +66 2659 9000.
Chef Chantrawan features Khao Yai ingredients at his new venture
Chef Thaninthorn “Noom” Chantrawan, the talent behind Chim by Siam Wisdom (one MICHELIN Star), has stretched his wings to The Gardener Khaoyai, a newly opened restaurant in Khao Yai, Nakhon Ratchasima. He drew inspiration from Chef Thomas Keller’s iconic three MICHELIN Starred The French Laundry, where diners could experience local ingredients in delicious ways. Then he saw how the fertile Khao Yai region produced exceptional Thai ingredients, from fruits and vegetables to livestock, while attracting local and international visitors as a popular tourist destination. He then further identified a gap between high-end steakhouses and bistros and local street food vendors and restaurants, and a concept was born.
The chef brought together local farmers and producers to help him bring the delicious flavours of Khorat to his restaurant dedicated to the region’s many products. While the chef and his team feature Thai cooking with a touch of Chinese influence, diners may encounter cuisines from around the world, with local ingredients starring front and centre, such as meats from the local Farm Chokchai, home-grown tomatoes, organic eggs, bolete mushrooms, and much more. Currently, the restaurant is for reservations only.
Location: Thanarat Road, Mu Si, Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima. For reservations or more information, please call +66 6 3957 1999.
Jeff Ramsey presents Kintsugi’s new menu
On the third floor of The Athenee Hotel Bangkok, you’ll find a hardworking team at the MICHELIN-listed Kintsugi by Jeff Ramsey led by the half American, half Japanese chef and seasoned veteran of MICHELIN-Starred Japanese restaurants, with a touch of Spanish tapas skill. Based in Malaysia, Chef Ramsey continues to lead his team here at Kintsugi as they present unique Southern European kaiseki offerings so appealing as to land them a spot in MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2022. The latest seasonal set menu features Japanese ingredients with their signature Spanish tapas flair in such dishes as Parmesan Cheese and Zuwai Crab Chawanmushi, Simmered Ankimo and Salmon, and Grilled and Marinated Padron Peppers, just for a start.
Location: Floor 3, Athenee Hotel Bangkok, Wireless Road, Pathum Wan, Bangkok. For reservations or more information, please call +66 2650 8800.
Elements, Inspired by Ciel Bleu introduces a new chef and a new menu
After changing its name from Elements to Elements, Inspired by Ciel Bleu to honour its two MICHELIN-Starred flagship Ciel Bleu at Hotel Okura Amsterdam in the Netherlands, this one MICHELIN-Starred restaurant in MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2022 welcomes Gerard Villaret Horcajo as its new Chef de Cuisine, taking over from Chef Hans Zahner, who has moved to Seoul, South Korea.
The 33-year-old Spanish chef has been honing his techniques while working closely with the talented Dutch Chef Arjan Speelman at Ciel Bleu. But Chef Horcajo has accumulated vast experience through his career, from Mexican and Spanish restaurants around Europe to such renowned locations as Dinner by Heston Blumenthal (two MICHELIN Stars), famed for gastronomic alchemy in London; Azurmendi (three MICHELIN Stars) in Basque Country, Spain, under Chef Eneko Atxa; Vendôme (three MICHELIN Stars) in Germany; and Daalder (one MICHELIN Star) and De Librije (three MICHELIN Stars) in Holland. He also spent time under famed chocolatier and pastry chef Pierre Marcolini.
This passionate chef brings all his experiences to transform the finest ingredients, inspired by Japanese and European styles, into fabulous French cuisine in the “Spring Guestronomic Set Journey”, embracing the “Nose to Tail” philosophy through every course. “I am really excited to be joining the team in Bangkok. I think I’m going to have a lot of fun in the kitchen with the great produce from this part of the world and the seasonal culinary influences of Japan. I love spending the day with my creative hat on, crafting new recipes that will indulge the sophisticated appetites of our patrons. I hope that what is to come will be epic.”
The Spring Guestronomic Set Journey is available as the Ku-Ki Experience (4 courses) for 3,800 THB++ per person, Chikyu Experience (6 courses) for 4,600 THB++ per person, and Mizu Experience (8 courses) for 5,900 THB++ per person.
Location: Floor 25, The Okura Prestige Bangkok, Wireless Road, Pathum Wan, Bangkok. For reservations or more information, please call +66 2687 9000.
Methavalai Sorndaeng launches “Baan Daeng”
At the end of 2020, Jirawut Sapkiree, chef and owner of the beloved traditional Thai restaurant Methavalai Sorndaeng (one MICHELIN Star), told us he wanted to pass his baton (and spatula) to his three children by having them take on more responsibilities and learn the business as he opened a new restaurant. Thus came Baan Daeng by Methavalai Sorndaeng, which marks a new chapter for this legendary classic Thai restaurant.
This offspring opened in February in Soi Chula 5, serving traditional Thai dishes following their ancestors’ steps, but in a more modern, contemporary style to attract a new generation of aficionados. The original Thainess shines through with flavourful flair in such dishes as Krathong Tong Baan Daeng, a beloved appetiser at Methavalai Sorndaeng presented with a bold new taste, or Watermelon Bites, an appetiser of watermelon cut with salted plums and orange juice for a tart tang. There is also Braised Beef (or Pork) in Turmeric Curry, among so many others. And they deliver.
Location: Block 28, Soi Chula 5, Pathum Wan, Bangkok. For reservations or more information, please call +66 6 3624 6652.
Experience three dining concepts at Yamazato
Yamazato, a Japanese restaurant recommended in MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2022, has been redesigned to showcase three different Japanese dining styles: a fine-dining Kaiseki, an intimately warm Kaiseki Omakase, and a refined yet exhilarating Teppanyaki. Every experience features the finest ingredients from across Japan served with Yamazato’s signature craftsmanship as Chef Shigeru Hagiwara leads the culinary team. All three concepts are ready to delight diners today.
Location: Floor 24, The Okura Prestige Bangkok, Wireless Road, Pathum Wan, Bangkok. For reservations or more information, please call +66 2687 9000.
Mia unveils its spring menu
Chefs Top Russell and Michelle Goh of Mia, selected for MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2022, have launched a seven-course tasting menu full of their renowned flavours featuring seasonal ingredients. Fans of Mia can still enjoy favourites like Ostra Regal Oyster and Duxelle Tartlet with Hollandaise and Truffle along with crispy Thyme & Cumin Cracker with Garden Peas, highlighting Thai beans at their peak tastiness and freshness accentuated with a fun crunch. Carb lovers can look forward to Chef Goh’s Sourdough Brioche with Shallot Butter and Onion Ash.
Chef Russell tempts palates with invitingly tasty trips to summer by the sea in his Grilled Ocean Trout with Fennel, Blood Orange, and Almonds. He also brings back a perennial favourite, Chonburi duck, aged in straw for 14 days and served with duck sausage stuffed with duck lardo and foie gras. And don’t forget Chef Goh’s signature Cereal Bowl dessert. This seven-course tasting menu is 4,250 THB++ per person, and there is a five-course option for 3,650 THB++ per person. Add 2,250 THB++ per person for a curated five-glass wine pairing.
Location: 30 Soi Attha Kawi 1, Rama 4 Road, Khlong Tan, Klong Toey, Bangkok. For reservations or more information, please call +66 2080 0080, +66 2258 6745.
Hero image: © Baan Daeng by Methavalai Sorndaeng
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