Bored of eating the same thing twice? Fear no more, here's a list of restaurants that have shuffled things up to make sure you're never bored or short of choices while dining out.(Text: Nianne Lynn Hendricks, except for Royal Osha)
Gaggan
When is dining at Gaggan never fun? Probably when he’s not holding fort, but luckily I’ve never experienced that.
Gaggan Anand’s 14-seat restaurant may be the same cost as VIP tickets to a concert, but that’s what it is all about. Welcome to the show — where chef Anand is mad scientist, cook, chef, artist, script writer, actor, performer, showman and everything in between!
Lights, sound and action galore, immersive story-telling, while throughout the 22-course meal, served over two hours, the chef’s bold personality shines. The format may have changed, the food has evolved, but the audience is still captivated and the entire night is still thoroughly entertaining.
This is dining in 2024, it’s theatrical, it’s bold, it’s imaginative, it’s unique… it keeps the magic of a chef’s table alive!
Igniv Bangkok
New chef, new autumn menu — Igniv Bangkok has got it going on. Paying homage to the harvest season are 18 dishes in a sharing experience from new head chef Arne Riehn, who was previously Igniv’s sous and pastry chef.
“When I started at Igniv Bangkok, I was already the sous chef and pastry chef. I took the double role because I get to learn a little bit about the restaurant opening. But I never quit savoury cooking, because my first apprenticeship was a chef back in the days. I did pastry in between and had a few positions in Germany as a pastry chef,” explains chef Riehn.
“Pastry is much more structured compared to creating savoury dishes. It’s a list of steps that one performs to achieve a certain texture and flavour,” says the chef.
“My inspiration for the autumn menu comes from my first Asian experience in November 2018. I remember the taste of local ingredients and vibrant flavours, which are completely different from the flavours in Europe. I drew inspiration from my culinary exploration and blend them with the flavour of European earthiness that celebrates the seasonal transitions. The moment of this discovery is always special for me, and I’d like to share it to our guests through my first seasonal menu as head chef of Igniv Bangkok,” adds the chef Riehn.
Being served until the end of November, the menu showcases root vegetables including truffle, white fungus and Brussels sprouts, along with locally-sourced produce from communities in Chiang Rai and Tak, such as mountain kombu, coffee blossom and heart of palm.
Some of the highlights include Truffle, duexelle, kataifi as a snack, Foie gras, salee, truffle for a starter, Venison, black garlic, Brussel sprouts, Gyoza, sauerkraut, chilli and Rainbow trout, butternut, mountain kombu for mains and Coffee blossom, rum and raisin, coconut for dessert.
Wanayook
I am a rice and curry person. I love it in all forms and in all cuisines that offer it, even when it is turned into fine dining at Wanayook.
“The new menu at Wanayook, which last until the end of the year, focuses on seafood and fruits. We want to target the fruits that are in season right now. So in almost every dish there will be some sort of fruit. Like in the canapés, we have the pomelo, which is coming into season now. We also have the longing with the beef; the Bengal currants, which are pickled and served with the fish. And then also the mangosteen in the squid and the grapes. We want to also have a play on all the fruits that are in Thai recipes, and also they're available at this time of the year,” says executive chef Chalee Kader.
The wok-fried rice is so good, I would probably go back just for that wok hei. “For that dish, we try to incorporate the betel leaf and also the stink beans or sator into the fried rice, as well. They are just in minuscule amounts to match the curry because the dehydrated curry powder has those things in it. The gaeng kua also has the fish and the betel leaf,” explains the chef.
The rice served is a northern rice from a hill tribe, which is shorter-grained and starchy. “This rice is starting to disappear because no one's using it, because the grains are not always beautiful as Japanese rice. So we want to import that into the menu and use it as a fried rice. It's not as glutenous or starchy as Japanese rice, but still holds together,” adds chef Chalee.
Also on the menu is a surprising ingredient, though often eaten in Thailand. “The menu before this, we served pigeon and most people asked not to be served that. This prompted me to find another ingredient that would be a challenge for diners and would appeal to the adventurous. Though, we have found that diners are okay with it,” says the chef.
The ingredient in question is frog legs that is cooked in a phad phrik-style, so it is a tad spicy. “The frog is from the North, is really big and hold together well in stir-frys. It also has a great texture,” adds the chef.
G.O.A.T. Bangkok
Goat Bangkok was founded in 2020 with the concept of "Offbeat Asian”, where the chef draws inspiration from his love for Sino-Portuguese architecture — even the building it is housed in, screams Sino-Portuguese. Talk about embracing it all! This style blends unique elements of Chinese and Western influences, aligning with chef Parkorn Koslyabong's culinary style and vision.
Serving a tasting menu, dishes feature horse crab from Surat Thani, delicately layered with sliced ginger, pickled purslane and cucumber. Topped with a pineapple ganache and finished with a savoury crab broth foam, this dish offers a symphony of flavours in every bite. Aged grouper from the Andaman Sea, steamed to perfection and topped with som saa zest and tomato oil. Served with coconut chilli paste, jackfruit chutney gel and coconut sambal, every bite bursts with vibrant flavour. Accompanied by Vesantara rice, pickled sator and grilled okra that we grown in our garden, all paired with a blue crab and dried scallop broth. I can’t stop eating the rice, though seconds are always a good thing!
With sustainability in mind, the restaurant turns food scraps like vegetable trimmings and fruit peels into organic fertiliser through fermentation. This sustainable process reduces waste and every three months, the bio-fermented water is distributed to local farmers to improve crop yields. Even the mushrooms come from an urban farm 15 minutes from the restaurant, in On Nut.
The beverage pairing isn’t left behind, either. Inspired by the classic and ever-popular Negroni, the Goat version is crafted with strawberry syrup from Chiang Mai, cashew nuts and a robust tea body, all smoked with applewood. It’s mixed with citrus fruit oil, including orange peel and quality rum. Before serving, the entire glass is smoked with applewood to add a fragrant aroma. Another drink features roasted purple sweet potatoes from Mae Wang, Chiang Mai, combined with sweet potatoes, dried garcinia, prickly ash and grapes from Khao Yai, soaked for two nights, resulting in a fragrant, smooth, and refined taste.
Alati
Alati at the Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok has launched a new “Global Fusion” menu, crafted by executive chef Phillip Taylor.
This menu blends bold flavours from the East and West, offering a dining experience focused on fine ingredients, expert grilling and Chef Taylor’s “food for life” philosophy. A passionate advocate for health and wellness, the chef culinary approach prioritises taste while considering the health benefits of every ingredient. Each dish is designed to excite the palate and nourish the body
Diners can begin their meal with a selection of two-bite raw courses, including Fine de Claire Oyster No. 2, Sea bream ceviche and Truffle beef tartare. The sharing concept continues with Charcoal-grilled skewers, such as Char siu Wagyu and Tikka-style jumbo prawns or chicken. The menu features a variety of appetisers and soups, including a Seafood-on-ice platter, Mezze board, Foie gras and French-style lobster bisque.
Steaks take centrestage with Kopa charcoal grill signatures, such as dry-aged, grain-fed prime rib and Black Opal F1 Wagyu ribeye from Australia. Meat lovers can also enjoy the Lamb Cutlet and Spicy Baby Chicken. No meal is complete without dessert and diners can indulge in Madagascar vanilla crème brûlée, Crêpe suzette prepared tableside, Alati tiramisu and Chocolate discovery.
Royal Osha (Text: Pornchai Sereemongkonpol)
Royal Osha Bangkok has introduced a new menu whose recipes are from Buntuek Nuek Aroi, a cookbook by Thanpuying Prasansuk Tantiwetchakul, the royal chef of Chitralada Palace who served King Rama IX and Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother.
Royal Osha is known for elevating Thai cuisine while maintaining its legacy, as well as its opulent setting and 10 special dishes from the cookbook have been recreated by executive chef Vichit Mukura. The menu isn't only about preserving treasured recipes fit for Thai royalty as, after deducting expenses, 10% of the proceeds from the 10 dishes will be donated to the Chaipattana Foundation.
Chef Vichit said, “Being one of the four chefs who created the menu from the book inspired me to do a project with the Chaipattana Foundation and to prove that the recipes from the book can actually be made."
Warning: T-E transliterations according to the Office Of The Royal Society incoming! The 10 dishes are Prathat lom (Deep-fried herbed minced pork, prawn and crabmeat with tofu skin), Yam hua pli kung sot (Herbed banana blossom salad with prawn), Yam takhrai kung sot (Lemongrass salad with prawns), Krathong kung krathong man (Herbed wing bean and pomelo salad on crisp potato cup with deep-fried prawn), Moo siap sapparot (Grilled pork shoulder skewered with pineapple), Kai sam-ang (Chicken roll cooked with coconut turmeric), Gaeng massaman sai som (Chicken and orange massaman), gaeng hang-le (Northern style pork curry with pickled garlic), Gaeng chuet mu met maeng lak (Clear minced pork with basil seed soup) and Varadis Palace's Nam phrik makrut (Kaffir lime and chilli dip with condiments).
He adds, "Each dish reflects the culture and creativity in combining Thai ingredients with foreign ingredients, including the fun of decoding the recipes and tasting the flavours since some of the recipes in the book do not specify the measurements because they are ancient Thai recipes passed down from generation to generation."
Prathat lom and Gaeng massaman sai som are fine examples of combining Thai with foreign ingredients. The former uses Chinese tofu skin as a wrap for the filling of minced pork and crabmeat which is seasoned with sam kloe (three friends; coriander root, garlic and pepper). The latter uses Sunkist oranges instead of tamarind juice, giving the curry a sour and sweet touch.
Moo siap sapparot uses quality antibiotic-free pork shoulder from pork matters, which is marinated in spices for extra flavour and pineapple juice to become tender. The savoury skewer is then grilled over low heat. Krathong kung krathong man has a spicy pomelo salad as its foundation with a melange of winged beans, roasted coconut, water chestnuts, crispiness of potato baskets and breaded shrimp.
Gen Alpha may not be familiar with Yam hua pli kung sot. This type of yam is usually low on the Scoville scale compared to other Thai spicy salads and combines all five basic tastes.
Varadis Palace's Nam phrik makrut, a rare lime-scented chilli paste with a similar flavour to shrimp chilli paste. The distinctive use of makrut (kaffir lime) gives the dish a strong citrusy aroma. It is topped with crispy pork rinds for an additional crunchy texture.
Gaeng hang-le has the four S's of a good curry; spicy, sweet, sour and salty. The aromatic and flavourful curry permeates sizeable pieces of pork belly which are stewed until they melt to your mouth. Thai dishes don't have to always be strong or spicy. Gaeng chuet mu met maeng lak is a simple yet savoury soup. Minced pork ball float in a soothing broth with additional pops of basil seeds.
