“I remember my family gathering around the table. At [my restaurant] Baan, everything is ordered for sharing and in generous portions… this is the flavour of home.”
- Ton Thitid Tassanakajohn, Chef and owner of Le Du and Baan.
When ordering family-style, the waiter takes his instructions from just one person, this is usually the most senior member of the family or the one who foots the bill. Others at the table can chime in with requests to the one ordering, especially if something on the menu looks especially appealing. In many Asian cultures, familial roles are determined right at the dining table and deeply tied to the element of respect. When rice is first presented, it is guests and the elderly that are served, even before breadwinners. Children are taught to wait and given the chance to begin their meal in order of age. Gathering around and sharing your food is a sure way to spur conversations and connection, so meals become just as important for nourishment as they are for social wellbeing.
The center of a meal is usually a whole protein such as fish, chicken or large cut of pork. Sides consist of salads, soups and stir-fry dishes. A Thai Chef is responsible for creating multi-plate combinations that work in harmony, and the concept of ‘krueng kieng’ or ‘krueng nam’ is applied. These are relishes and sometimes entire dishes that are selected for the sole purpose of flavour-balancing.
“In Thai food we balance spicy dishes with non-spicy dishes. Usually something sweet. For example, a fiery jungle curry will be offset by a shrimp pancake with sweet plum sauce,” says Chef Ton. “Thais eat everything together, so if you order a vegetable stir-fry, papaya salad and stir-fry fish, these all have the same texture. It’s boring. A good balance would be, crispy morning glory salad, stir fried vegetable, jungle curry and spicy five-spice egg. Every bite should give you different textures to make things more interesting.”
A balanced Thai meal must consider four elements. First, the amount of food. Excluding rice, there should be at least one dish per person, more if you're feeling generous. Next comes texture, vary your selections to provide crispiness, tenderness and include at least one soup or curry. The most complex element is flavour. Sweet, sour, salty and spicy dishes should each complement one another as well as the plain rice. Finally, the fourth element is the intangible social aspect. When the long-awaited plates come out… how much does it feel like home?
Michelin Guide Bangkok 2018 Restaurants that Are Best for Family-Style Ordering & Dining
- Baan
- 80/20
- Krua Apsorn
See what our inspectors said about Baan (Bib Gourmand)
This sister to Le Du is home to crowd-pleasing family recipes. The small interior is modern with concrete floors, marble tables, triangular mirrors and polished pendants hanging from the ceiling. The husbandry and provenance of the ingredients is paramount; beef used in the Massaman curry is from an Islamic farm in Pak Chong, and sustainable seafood is sourced from southern Thailand. The resulting dishes, like the pork and shrimp pancakes, are robust and eminently satisfying.
See what our inspectors said about 80/20 (Plate)
In the hotter-than-hot Charoenkrung neighbourhood, where everything buzz-worthy seems to be, 80/20 is ploughing its own furrow with a unique take on Thai cuisine. With 80 percent of the ingredients sourced locally and sustainably from the nearby Talat Noi market, the designed-toshare menu shines. Delicate seared tuna with daikon, frozen grapes, and butterfly pea is a standout, as is the artful charcoal-grilled squid with som-za emulsion. Save room for the beguiling puddings.
See what our inspectors said about Krua Apsorn (Bib Gourmand)
This two-decade-old, family-run shophouse has won favour with just about everyone who has eaten chef Chanchawee's cooking, including the Thai royal family. The raison d'être for making the pilgrimage here is the decadent stir-fried crab with yellow chilli and the famous fluffy crab omelette. Start there, and if hunger persists, order the renowned green curry with fish balls. Remember that crab is king, and the uber-popular dish can sell out before closing time.
