As the country continues to open up and relax restrictions, Thailand’s culinary world is moving at an ever faster pace. Some chefs are innovating with exciting new menus. Restaurants are expanding to new locations. Others are moving on from well-established spots to break new culinary ground.
But who is doing what and going where? Here are the latest happenings in Thailand to get excited about.
Chef Sujira “Aom” Pongmorn takes flavours South at Yoong Khao Hom
Thailand’s first recipient of the MICHELIN Guide Young Chef Award, Chef Sujira “Aom” Pongmorn is formerly of Saawaan (one MICHELIN Star, MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2022) Now, her culinary journey takes her to the traditional simplicity of Samui’s Southern Thai flavours at the 2022 MICHELIN-listed Yoong Khao Hom (I'm Park Chula) as head chef.
Chef Pongmorn explained that the secret to the restaurant’s original success began over two decades ago in 1998 with Aunt Lek. With her Samui flair, she created original recipes for traditional Southern Thai dishes, featuring the bold yet mellow flavours from local spices and seasonings. Now, Chef Pongmorn takes this regional cuisine blending of Thai, Chinese, and Muslim influences and adds her fine dining skills and creativity, enhancing the deliciousness of every ingredient for every bite.
“I wanted to add an individuality into the dishes that would be easily understood. All the curry pastes and seasonings are created in-house to ensure we get the right flavours, where the freshness and fragrance of every ingredient shine through. I also want to promote desserts popular in the South for everyone to try. They may have never tried Khanom Ta Yab (salted sweet coconut rolled in rice paper), but once they have, people will love them and want more,” explained Chef Pongmorn.
The chef recommends several dishes as must-tries. There’s the signature Yum Yoong Khao Hom, her take on spicy pomelo salad with crispy squid to enhance the seafood notes. Or the Southern-style fish crackers that locals eat with various appetising spicy salads. Other Southern favourites to try include herby Kagi Hong or spicy stir-fried pork belly with crunchy tree beans instead of bitter beans. The pomfret deep-fried in fish sauce is so crispy you can eat the whole fish. Or you can try the ink-fried squid, a speciality across the South. And, of course, there’s crab curry with betel leaves.
But don’t forget to save room for dessert, like banana roti with fresh coconut ice cream and topped with sweetened condensed milk. A street food delight made even better with the chef’s special touch. Then there’s Khanom Ta Yab, Khanom Kho Nam Kati (rice flour dumplings in coconut), and much more for a sweet ending to any meal.
P.S. Chef Pongmorn hinted that she is launching an innovative fine-dining Thai restaurant in the Chidlom area soon. We’ll keep you posted.
Location: Floor 1, I’m Park Chula Centre, Soi Chulalongkorn 9, Charoen Mueang Road, Wang Mai, Bangkok, 10330. For reservations or more information, please call +66 6 3465 6565.
Find a new twist to favourite Khao dishes at CentralWorld
Building on the flourishing fruits of its Ekamai branch, Khao (one MICHELIN Star, MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2022) is sharing its delicious Thai delights, filled with ingredients locally sourced from across Thailand at an inviting new location with a comfortable, laid-back atmosphere. Everyone in the family will find their faves with a twist at Khao Jaan Prod, Khao’s sister restaurant, where familiar dishes get a tasty makeover, unlike the traditional recipes at Khao. Stop by the 7th Floor of CentralWorld from 17 May 2022 to check out Khao Jaan Prod.
Location: Floor 7, Beacon Zone, CentralWorld Department Store, Rama 1 Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok. For reservations or more information, please call +66 9 7917 7777.
Biscotti gets a new look and a new chef
Biscotti, the Italian restaurant at Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel, has been a long-time local favourite and recognised in MICHELIN Guide Thailand for five years in a row. It recently reopened after a renovation that refreshed the warm, inviting trattoria atmosphere and with a new Chef de Cuisine, Kevin Montorfano. This Swiss-Italian chef comes to Biscotti with experience from such prestigious restaurants as two MICHELIN-Starred Dinner by Heston Bluementhal in England and three MICHELIN-Starred Quique Dacosta restaurant’s popup in Dubai. Chef Montorfano is looking forward to adding his skill and style to refreshing the menu, including the Wagyu A5 beef tenderloin “Biscotti Rossini Style” served with pan-seared foie gras and the Monkfish alla puttanesca with seafood cannelloni.
Location: Ground Floor, Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel, 155 Rajadamri Road, Lumpini, Patumwan, Bangkok. For reservations or more information, please call +66 2431 9494.
Savour the last tastes of spring with Chef Kawasaki at Mezzaluna
Many restaurants are moving on from their spring menus, but Chef Ryuki Kawasaki at Lebua at State Tower’s two MICHELIN-Starred Mezzaluna is keeping the season fresh. You can enjoy his spring menu featuring the best Japanese ingredients transformed with his French flair until mid-June when he’ll reveal his summer selections. While spring is still springing, this year’s menu features exquisite seasonal produce such as Hokkaido kinki steamed to perfection paired with rockfish, white asparagus, and Sakura shrimp, all topped with a generous amount of caviar. Sweet tooths won’t want to miss Chef Kawasaki’s Forest Honey Parfait Glacé Matcha Citrus. The parfait glacé is made with forest honey from France, accented with a matcha ganache and citrus marmalade in the centre, topped with citrus jelly and honey crisp. The spring menu can be enjoyed for 7,000 THB, with optional wine pairing for 7,000 THB, per person.
Location: Floor 65 Tower Club at Lebua, 1055 Silom Road, Bangrak, Bangkok. For reservations or more information, please call +66 2624 9555.
Canvas reveals an innovative 22-course tasting menu
After gradually integrating his artistry into his dishes these past few months, the talented chef from Texas, Riley Sanders is ready to reveal a brand new journey of the senses at Canvas (one MICHELIN Star, MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2022). For 6,000 THB++ per person, diners can please their palates while delighting in the masterful visions of his 22-course tasting menu. Chef Sanders and his team enjoyed collaborating on this new endeavour. “I'm most excited about sharing our unique perspective and approach to Thai ingredients. We are all about giving our guests something amazing, something special, and this menu provides us the opportunity to do that. We chose to expand the menu to offer our guests something more - more special, more top-quality and seasonal ingredients, and more textures and flavours overall in a larger menu.”
Chef Sanders wants Canvas to showcase the best Thai ingredients, especially those that people may not know, by using innovative, creative techniques to produce dishes delicious to taste and look at. This inventive chef also plans on introducing four or five new dishes a month to keep things new and interesting.
For May, he is featuring red ant egg, cowslip creeper, lychee, catfish roe, longan, begonia, green mangosteen, and much more, as he does what he’s best known for, artistry on a plate. “As the seasons shift from hot to rainy, I'm looking forward to ingredients like Santol, Thai Chestnut, Thai Porcini, Mao Berries, and many more.”
Location: 113/9-10 Soi Sukhumvit 55, Khlong Tan Nuea, Wattana, Bangkok. For reservations or more information, please call +66 9 9614 1158.
Taan opens with a refreshed look and new “favourite” menu
Executive Chef Monthep “Thep” Kamolsilp leads the culinary team at Taan, recognised in MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2022, as the restaurant welcomes diners, revealing a new look and a new menu. The new nine-course set menu, Prode (“favourite” in Thai), is a selection of beloved dishes. Through Prode, Chef Kamolsilp takes diners on a journey, telling tasty tales through ingredients from across Thailand. Every dish features techniques highlighting Thai wisdom and heritage as well as sustainable practices, as he and his team show off the fun they had transforming traditional Thai cuisine into creativity on a plate.
Such creativity can be seen in Run Juan, a clear soup he elevates with his French consomme know-how and deep-fried brined pork tendon. Then there’s Pla Bu, bursting with umami from roasted bamboo, Yala province goby fish, and Isaan-style “ya-nang leaves” mushroom sauce. Or Golae Talay, a twist on a Southern Thai grilled chicken, replacing the fowl with Surat Thani seafood and Northern sweet longan. Chef Kamolsilp’s signature Black Chicken Rice Congee also makes an appearance with its unique Northern crab paste flavours. And some may finally find out what ko son leaves, normally seen as garden trees, taste like in the Kua Ham, made with frog legs and Northern Thai herbs like those ko son leaves.
“We are proud to play a small part in helping to make our local food scene a better place. Over the years we’ve seen our artisans develop their products and skills in ways previously unimaginable. For example, there are fishermen who are now using the Japanese ikejime technique with Thai fish, which brings a new level of flavour and texture. Our guests can rest assured that when they dine at TAAN they are helping these artisans in their quest for sustainability,” Chef Kamolsilp said.
You can enjoy the chef’s creations with a panoramic view of Bangkok’s skyline overlooking the National Stadium. The Prode nine-course set menu is available for 2,890 THB++ per person.
Location: Floor 25, Siam@Siam Design Hotel Bangkok, 865 Rama 1 Road, Wang Mai, Pathumwan, Bangkok. For reservations or more information, please call +66 6 5328 7374.
Hero image: © Canvas
