No matter your favourite food, you’ll love the flow of international culinary talent making their appearance in Thailand this season. From surprising pairings to star-studded line-ups, they join in this latest surge of new menus and openings that our skilled chefs have been cooking up.
Here are some highlights that you don't want to miss this September.
This coffee-inspired Italian menu should not be missed
This September, MICHELIN Guide joins hands with Nespresso and Chef Andrea Accordi of Riva del Fiume Ristorante, listed in MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2022, to create an exceptional menu to entice coffee lovers. This five-course lunch feast features dishes like Crudo di Gamberetti Blu, with a delicate coffee aroma emanating from the jelly beautifully cushioning a blue shrimp crudo. Then there is the Risotto alle Zucchini Trombetta e Ricci di Mare, which has flavours of Sicilian sea urchin and a uniquely Italian summer squash enhanced by an exquisite coffee foam. Another highlight is a delightful dessert from pastry expert Chef Andrea Bonaffini: Nocciola caffe' e Cioccolato, a crispy, buttery mille-feuille with layers of heavenly hazelnut gelato, rich cocoa pralines, and, of course, topped off with creamy espresso. Expert mixologist Philip Bischoff contributes with coffee-inspired cocktail and mocktail pairings, such as a bracing coffee martini or refreshing coffee tonic.
This amazing coffee lunch, priced at 2,500++ THB per person, is available from 15-29 September only.
Location: Floor G, Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, 300/1 Charoen Krung Road, Yannawa, Sathon, Bangkok. For more information or reservations, call: +66 2032 0888.
Stage embarks on a new journey with Menu 8.0
Along with highlighting local ingredients in her previous menu, Chef Sainisa “Jay” Sangsingkeaw reveals the charms of global ingredients in the new menu at MICHELIN-recommended Stage. The Stage Menu 8.0 features flavours from around the world as Chef Sangsingkaew showcases her traditional French culinary techniques. Her skills shine in such dishes as Cherry Gazpacho with foie gras ice cream and green tomato and basil. Then there’s Argentinian red shrimp served in shrimp shell jelly with pickled beetroot parmesan and caviar, a vision of holistic ingredient use creating deliciousness. And if you haven’t tried western-style shredded lamb, you must try the Lamb Floss served with the chef’s own sauce from lamb jus and whey.
There are many ways to experience Stage Menu 8.0: four courses for 1,900++ THB per person with a two-glass wine pairing for an added 900++ THB, with choices for starter, main course, and dessert; seven courses for 3,500++ THB per person with a four-glass wine pairing for an added 1,700++ THB; and the 10-course Stage Experience for 4,900++ THB with a six-glass wine pairing for an added 2,500++ THB.
Location: Ekamai Complex, 359/2 Sukhumvit 63 Road, Khlongtan Neua, Bangkok. For more information or reservations, call: +66 2002 5253
Lunch by the two Dutch chefs from PRU and Jampa
Chef Jimmy Ophorst of PRU (one MICHELIN Star and MICHELIN Green Star, MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2022) and Chef Rick Dingen of Jampa, recently added to the Guide in June, have been friends for years. Finally, these two Dutch buddies are cooking together, having fun in the kitchen collaborating on a delicious eight-course lunch. Twenty diners will get to taste the culinary creativity with ingredients sourced from the fields and waters at Pru Jampa Farms.
This duo will reveal their artistry on 24 September 2022 at 12 noon at Hideaway at Pru Jampa Farm. Prices are 5,000++ THB for food only and 7,000++ THB for food and beverage pairing.
Location: Pru Jampa 46/6 46 Mu 3, Thep Krasatti, Phuket. For more information or reservations, call: +66 7634 2122 or email reservations@jamparestaurant.com.
Yoong Khao Hom spreads Southern Thai flavours with two new branches
After being recognised as Thailand’s first recipient of the MICHELIN Guide Young Chef Award in 2021, Chef Sujira “Aom” Pongmorn struck out on her own with Yoong Khao Hom (I’m Park Chula), listed in the MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2022. This Southern Thai eatery featured flavours of her Samui home, blending three cultures: Thai-Buddhist, Thai-Muslim, and Thai-Chinese. Now, there are two new branches. First, in Athenee Tower, ideal for those bustling in the Ploenchit central business district, and then there’s a location in the Crystal Ekamai-Ramindra, perfect for the northern suburbs of Bangkok. But no matter which address, they will all feature the spicy yet mellow recipes of Chef Pongmorn’s Aunt Lek, who started it all in Samui in 1998. As her niece, this up-and-coming chef respectfully develops that spiciness and intensity with her fine-dining techniques, drawing out even more deliciously fragrant Southern flavours for all to enjoy.
Location: Athenee Tower, 63 Wireless Road, Lumphini, Pathumwan, Bangkok. For more information or reservations, call: +66 6 4959 4777. The Crystal Ekamai-Ramindra (opening soon).
80/20’s new menu inspired by the flavours of Bangkok
Canadian Chef Andrew Martin loves breaking boundaries with his recipes. Now, he invites you back to the one MICHELIN Starred 80/20 to revel in his new menu, inspired by Bangkok’s myriad eateries. His latest offering includes his signature Stormy Sea, with Chanthaburi squid in a purple mangosteen chilli sauce, and classic Suan Maprow (Coconut Garden) dessert. The new dishes include Tom Yum Yee-Poon (Japanese Tom Yum), inspired by Laab Lap Lap, a street food spot on Soi Pridi Banomyong that serves Japanese-Isan food. Here is a scallop tom yum with a clear soup made from a dashi of scallops. There’s Nakhon Sawan frog grilled in chilli and salt, developed from the frog fried in garlic at a Chinese eatery that’s a favourite late-night stop for him and his friends. Grilled to aromatic perfection with a tomato chilli relish and heart of palm. Then there is Ped Yim Yim (Smiling Duck), inspired by the mouth-watering duck at a Chinese restaurant with that smiling name in Chinatown.
Prices are 3,500++ per person, for a six-glass wine pairing add 2,500++ per person.
Location: 1052-1054 Charoen Krung 26, Maha Pruttaram, Bangkok. For more information or reservations, call: +66 9 9118 2200.
Kinu by Takagi reveals a new autumn menu
Don’t forget to try the autumn menu at Kinu by Takagi, the Kaiseki-style restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Hotel, recommended in MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2022. Chef Takaki Kazuo and his Chef de Cuisine Norihisa Maeda offer a five-course lunch and a ten-course dinner, brimming with the finest ingredients from across Japan. This includes homemade black truffle tofu served with Hokkaido sea urchin and charcoal-grilled Tottori wagyu beef served with Chef Maeda’s authentic Japanese sukiyaki sauce. Diners go home sated with Japanese food and culture, as tidbits are shared such as how samurais checked whether their food had been tampered with.
The autumn menu is now available, priced at 4,000++ THB for lunch and 8,000++ THB for dinner.
Location: Floor 1 Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Bangrak, Bangkok. For reservations or more information, call: +66 2659 9000.
Phuket’s Acqua is now in Bangkok
Chef Alessandro Frau had been telling us for a while that he would be bringing his MICHELIN-recommended Italian restaurant Acqua to Bangkok. Now, this favourite among locals and tourists alike in Phuket is finally in Bangkok. Acqua Restaurant Bangkok welcomes the capital’s foodies to discover Chef Frau’s upscale Italian creations. Renovating Jim Thompson’s garden home, he adds silver and white “water” accents throughout to reflect the restaurant’s name. As owner and head chef, Frau intends to bring the flavours of his hometown of Sardinia to Bangkok via Phuket, with creative, contemporary dishes that elevates fresh ingredients beyond the traditional rustic style found in other Italian spots.
P.S. The chef shared a secret – he’s preparing an immersive Chef’s Table for a new Italian dining experience here that will be launched soon.
Location: 16/18 Soi Somkid, Ploenchit Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok. For more information or reservations, call: +66 9 3612 7000 or click www.acquarestaurantbangkok.com.
Chef Bulsuwan turns a running joke into reality with Bangkok pop-ups
After hearing “you should host pop-ups with your chef friends in Bangkok” so often, Chef Phanuphol “Black” Bulsuwan of Blackitch Artisan Kitchen (recommended in MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2022) is making this ribbing a reality. He is hosting a three-month pop-up at his concept restaurant “Namo”, which he says means “respect”. Located in Sukhumvit Soi 49, fellow chef Chalermpon “Van” Rohitratana joins Bulsuwan in creating dishes that showcases the diversity of Thai ingredients, while promoting local flavours from the different regions of Thailand.
Their 12-course Chef’s Table is 3,600++ THB per person and is available until 30 November 2022.
Location: Piman 49, Sukhumvit 49, Khlong Tan Nua, Wattana, Bangkok. For more information or reservations, call: +66 6 5664 5391 or Line: @namo.bkk.
Chefs gather for Okura charity gala
This October, The Okura Prestige Bangkok is bringing chefs from its sister hotel in Amsterdam over to Thailand to collaborate on a special Japanese-inspired French menu for the “Stellar Charity Night at Okura”. This six-course gala dinner will see two chefs from Holland, Chef Arjan Speelman of Ciel Bleu (Two MICHELIN Stars, MICHELIN Guide Netherlands 2022) and Chef Masanori Tomikawa of Yamazato (One MICHELIN Star, MICHELIN Guide Netherlands 2022), cooking side-by-side with Bangkok chefs, including Chef Gerard Villaret Horcajo of Elements, Inspired by Ciel Bleu (One MICHELIN Star, MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2022), Chef Shigeru Hagiwara of MICHELIN-recommended Yamazato, and the hotel’s Executive Chef Sebastiaan Hoogewerf. Proceeds from this event will be donated to SOS Children's Villages Thailand.
The gala dinner will take place on 22 October 2022. Prices are 9,999++ THB per person or 75,999++ THB for a table of eight.
Location: The Okura Prestige Bangkok, Wireless Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok. For more information or reservations, call: +66 2687 9000.
Hero image: © Acqua Restaurant Bangkok
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