BK Magazine 821

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Kitchen Ink A closer look at the tattoos on Bangkok's top chefs Forever Flowers Retired friends find new life with flower arrangements Small Dinner Club Inside Bangkok’s most mysterious new fine dining experience Yes, Mother Charoenkrung eatery takes local ingredients to the next level

Booze blues.

NO. 821 APRIL 29, 2022. www.bkmagazine.com

BO OZE LAW

SU RVIVAL G UI D E

food & drink ADVERTORIAL

FEAST OF A DEAL

Thai regional excellence

Bangkok restaurants that showcase the best of regional Thai cuisine Ongtong Khaosoi The people behind Chiang Mai’s beloved Ongtong noodle shop have sprouted up in Bangkok with a restaurant devoted to khao soi (northern-style curry noodles). Ongtong Khaosoi brings northern recipes belonging to the owner’s grandmother to Ari in a warm, light-yellow setting. The highlight khao soi gai comes with a creamy yet spicy soup and a tender chicken drumstick, while the khao soi haenWg sai oua is a stir-fried version starring homemade Northern-style sausages and a slightly burnt aroma. Do also try the deliciously moist poo ong (a mash of grilled rice-field crab’s eggs and egg), prepared in Chiang Mai and flown down in ready-to-serve little shells.

31 Phahon Yothin Soi 7, 02-003-5254. Open daily 9.30am-9pm

Exclusively for Citi Credit Card members Get 10% discount on food only when spending THB 300 or more /sales slip 1 Jan ’22 – 30 Apr ’23

Lay Lao

This sleek and cosy Isaan joint has won a Michelin Bib Gourmand award for the last five consecutive years. The food menu is very much what you would expect, but done impeccably well—pork neck, whole roasted chicken, somtam, spicy and sour soup—and reasonably priced.

65 soi Ari 2, 062 453 5588. Open daily 10:30am-9:30pm; Other branch Lay Lao Convent, 36/4 Convent Rd., 082-168-6658. Open Thu-Tue 9am-9pm

Exclusively for Citi Credit Card members

Get 10% discount on food only when spending THB 2,000 or more /sales slip

The Local by Oam Thong Thai Cuisine Despite its striking setting—a 100-year-old house that pays homage to Thailand’s rich heritage with a faux-museum of antiques and old photos— The Local’s menu still manages to take the spotlight. Focusing on hard-to-find Thai court recipes and regional products, authentic Thai flavors burst from century-old recipes like beef in spicy herbal soup.

32-32/1 Sukhumvit Soi 23, 02-664-0664. Open daily 11:30am-2:30pm, 5:30-11pm

Exclusively for Citi Credit Card members Get 10% discount on food a la carte menu 1 Feb – 31 Dec ’22

Maan Muang The rustic charm of this wooden Lanna house won’t be lost on anyone who loves a good, homey Thai restaurant in the open breeze. The food, like the architecture, are authentically northern—a not-so-easy-find in Bangkok. Grab a bowl of good old khao soi gai or gaeng hanglay (a northern pork curry) and wash it all down with a glass of cha yen.

Ongtong Khaosoi

The Local by Oam Thong Thai Cuisine

112 Ramkhamhaeng Rd., 02-379-8226. Open daily 9am-9pm

Exclusively for Citi Credit Card members Get a complimentary Longan Juice valued THB 40 when spending via Citi Credit Card (limit 1 glass /card /table /sales slip) 1 Jan ’22 – 30 Apr ’23

1 Jan ’22 – 31 Mar ’23

Brought to you by Citi

Lay Lao

Maan Muang

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page 3 Who's in charge?

05

BK EDITORIAL Managing Editor Tyler Roney Deputy Editor Choltanutkun Tun-atiruj Senior Writer Porpor Leelasestaporn

cover story

GROVE: COCONUTS MEDIA BRAND STUDIO Business Director Dietrich Neu Head of Business Development Shernan Plameras

HOT SEASON 2022 PREP

Navigating the strange booze laws in Bangkok

Senior Brand Editor Julianne Greco Senior Content Strategist Andre Frois Branded Content Writer Moe Thet War Associate Thai Editor Ittipol Jungwatanawong Senior Thai Writer Witthawat Pukkhabut Senior Project Manager Sirinart Panyasricharoen Senior Account Manager Hafiz Rasid Digital Account Manager Nuttajuk Kittichailuk Project Manager Sawanya Chantarakana

08

Art Director Vatanya Bongkotkarn Production Supervisor Komkrit Klinkaeo

feature

Inside the mysterious fine dining experience at Small Dinner Club

Senior Graphic Designer Umporn Jiaranai Senior Business Development Manager Orajira Sukkasem Business Development Managers Chalida Anuwattanawong, Danial Heng, Joseph Toh, Stanley Yeo Business Development Executive Palita Nueangnit SOIMILK Editor Noranartta Chaikum Senior Writers Rujiyatorn Choksiriwan, Kristiya Chaisri Publisher, Printer, and Editor Tara Rattanaphas

11 food & drink

Charoenkrung eatery puts ingredients first

12

BK Magazine is a Coconuts Media publication.

Founder and CEO Byron Perry Coconuts TV Head of Content Vim Shanmugam

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BK Magazine is edited by Tara Rattanaphas and published 24 times a year, twice a month by Coconuts BK Limited. Copyright © 2020 Coconuts BK Limited.

The titles “BK Magazine” and their associated logos or devices, and the content of “BK Magazine” are the property of Coconuts BK Limited. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited. Article reprints are available for THB50 each. The magazine may not be distributed without the express written consent of Coconuts BK Limited. Contact the Advertising Department for ad rates and specifications. All advertising must comply with the Publisher’s terms of business,copies of which are available upon request.

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14

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feature

the last word

Shooting the tats on Bangkok’s top chefs

Forever flowers from retirees

Mask Yes, we’re still doing this. Don’t whine.

It could be tear gas.

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upfront

BY THE NUMBERS

SUP, GUV? BANGKOK WILL HOLD ITS FIRST ELECTION FOR GOVERNOR IN ALMOST A DECADE.

25%+

expected votes for frontrunner Chadchart Sittipunt as of April.

MAY 22 date of the governor election in Bangkok.

14

candidates are running.

4.3

MILLION

Bangkok residents are eligible to vote in the governor election.

Voters from 28 to 40 make up 23 percent of the electorate.

10

candidates are running as independents.

17%+

voters remain undecided.

MARCH 3, 2013 the last governor election in Bangkok.

Sources: Thai PBS World’s Political Desk. “Mind the gap: Bangkok’s generational divide shaping governor election.” Thai PBS World. April 3, 2022.

Thammasat University Research and Consultancy Institute (TU-RAC) poll, March 31 to April 2. April 04, 2022.

YOU SAID WHAT?

HOT OR NOT

“My official Twitter, please follow.”

Former Governor Aswin Kwanmuang upon recently joining Twitter after nine years of unelected rule.

“RIP for all those who’ll die waiting in traffic jams.”

Facebook user Vlurx Seigh on the effects of the new Ikea at Em Sphere.

“You really should do this.”

Facebook user Nick Day on BK Magazine’s April Fool’s gag of publishing a list of Bangkok’s worst restaurants.

ASIA’S 50 BEST Thailand isn’t just in San Pellegrino’s Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants this year, it’s dominating it: four in the top 10 and nine in the top 50. Sorn came in at the highest spot at number two, and Le Du, Suhring, and Nusara placed fourth, seventh, and tenth respectively. Both Blue

by Alain Ducasse and Sushi Masato made their very first appearance on the vaunted listing and 31st Samrub for Thai jumped up from 59th. Gaa clocked in at 33 and everyone’s favorite street food magician, Jay Fai, took 46th.

MEATBALLS

EVERYWHERE SIGNS Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or somewhere other than Bangkok), you know there’s a governor election that’s about to go down. Do you know how we know?

Because every street post and telephone pole is polluted with giant posters of human heads—and not in a good way. They’re not just unsightly. In a city already unwalkable in many places, these election posters are blocking pedestrians. In one viral video, an unidentified woman and a man pushing her in a wheelchair were forced to walk in the street to avoid the signage.

The Sukhumvit is about to get a whole lot more Swedish. It was announced last month that the mega project Em Sphere will be getting an Ikea.

Though there’s no completion date set, furniture buyers can look forward to a trip to BTS Phrom Phong rather than the sticks.

Ikea first opened at Mega Bang Na, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy Thailand’s appetite for affordable furniture with odd names. They then opened stores in Bang Yai and on Phuket.

VAPED CRUSADER Weed might become legal in the near future, but importing and selling e-smokes will remain illegal in Thailand following an announcement from the Health Ministry in April. This comes as a surprise to many people who, you know, vape every single day.

Permanent secretary to the Health Ministry Kiattipoom Wongrachit claims the move was necessary to protect both non-smokers and to deter younger users from taking up the habit.

cover | booze blues

BK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2022

5

BOOZE LAW SURVIVAL GUIDE Thailand is a miasma of wildly capricious alcohol laws.

Brewers are hamstrung. Entrepreneurs wrestle Escherian regulations. Even consumers face fines for social media posts. There are intransigent monopolies, Carrie Nation-like prohibitionists like the Alcohol Watch Network, and a right-wing government keen to blame booze for their own failures. BK Magazine has some advice on how to navigate the endless barrage of bad booze news.

Section 32

Trouble Brewing

WHAT? This is Thailand’s weirdest alcohol regulation. Under Section 32 of the Alcohol Beverage Control Act, alcohol bottles, logos, or marketing communication of any kind is banned. In fact, you can’t even say that you enjoy an alcoholic beverage or describe its taste positively. This year has already boasted some startling examples of overreach. In January, a craft beer fan was charged under the act for simply posting about beer on social media, facing a B100,000 fine.

WHAT? Brewers of Brewave

“How do we promote it?...It’s tough,” Canadian Mike Roberts tells BK Magazine after releasing his Outlaw Brewing beer in Bangkok 7-Elevens. “We have a situation now where we have a new product in a thousand new stores. How do we let consumers know? We can’t. They might want that product but how do we let them know?”

“Section 152 makes it clear that [the law] forbids anyone from having any illegally produced alcohol in their possession. This, however, doesn’t apply when you put other ingredients into the alcohol itself. If making your own plum juice is punishable, what would you say about pouring a mixer into your drinks then?” a lawyer wishing to remain anonymous tells BK Magazine regarding the plum wine debacle.

What’s worse is that enforcement of the law is arbitrary in the extreme and has ramped up over the last few years.

SURVIVAL: Have you tried being a gigantic monopoly? Thailand’s many booze laws come from the hardworking oligarchs behind Thai Beverage, Brewery Co., and Thai Asia Pacific Brewery Co. who produce Chang, Singha, and Leo. But there’s Chang, Leo, and Singha beer merchandise everywhere, right? Wrong. That’s their brand, silly—you know, Chang, the bottled water company. A hat with a Leo logo is fine; a hat with a Guinness logo can get you fined. So, the best way to beat this law is to have been born into the Sirivadhanabhakdi family—or be Lisa from Blackpink, who is Chivas Regal’s new brand ambassador.

Thailand’s craft beer scene is booming. From Brewave to Outlaw, the Kingdom is pulling out new and exciting brews for discerning consumers—all despite draconian brewing laws. Earlier this month Pasakorn “Thep” Sangraksakiat of PrumPlum in Sathorn was charged B10,000 for making a few jugs of plum wine for personal use.

Brewave brew pub vats

Current laws state brewers must have capital of B10 million and brewpubs need to produce at least 100,000 liters per year and can not distribute off the premises. Small brewers can’t use a machine greater than five horsepower, and factories must produce a minimum of 10 million liters a year. There's more—much, much more.

SURVIVAL: A bill by Taopiphop Limjittrakorn (himself a victim of the booze laws) to reform both the brewing laws and the excise taxes has been submitted, stalled, and somewhat shot down. The bill isn’t dead yet, but hope is fleeting. There are, however, still ways to beat the system. Three cousins and outlaw brewers created Brewave on Kanchanapisek Road west of the city, skirting the law by having the capacity to brew 100,000 liters—even though they only sell a couple hundred bottles a week.

“There is this one guy driving all the way from Ayutthaya because he saw our Facebook listing beers he’d never tried before,” Nathachai “Heng” Techavichien, one of the brewers, told BK Magazine partner Coconuts Bangkok.

Chivas brand ambassador Lalisa Manobal

cover | booze blues

Daywalkers WHAT? We’ve all been there. It’s midday and you need to prep for a party. Maybe you’re celebrating, maybe doing the big shop, maybe just happy. But it’s between the hours of 2pm and 5pm. This law originates 50 years ago in 1972 when the coup makers created an alcohol control law prohibiting sale times.

The law was dusted off in 2015 as a new/old group of power mad goons had recently taken power. Punishment for breaking the law is B10,000.

SURVIVAL: Annoying but probably the easiest to circumvent. In reality only large supermarkets and convenience stores abide by this rule.

If you have a small shop nearby, you can easily grab a bottle of Sangsom; though, you’re pretty limited to low quality brands.

On the bright side, there is a (little) movement to end these laws from the Thai Alcohol Beverage Business Association.

Drunk.com WHAT? In 2020, Thailand was suffering. We couldn’t drink in bars.

We couldn’t go to restaurants. So, the authorities thought to take away our last shred of hope: online booze. On December 7, 2020, ordering beer to your home became illegal, ending the hopes of entrepreneurs and small scale startups around the country. The reasons given were largely in aid of stopping underaged drinking and domestic abuse.

SURVIVAL: In truth, the law changed little and is rarely enforced. After a few months of initial problems, online booze sales went back to normal.

“Cops only look at Facebook, not Twitter or Instagram,” a marketing representative for a local online beer delivery service tells BK Magazine. “They know where our warehouse is. They know what we do. But then they just show up with a print out of our Facebook page and [threaten].”

The trick was for local distributors to remarket as wholesale private member clubs; some even charge subscription fees.

But this practice has somewhat subsided. For now, the online booze sales law enjoys lax enforcement, but that can change at any time.

DRINKING

BY THE NUMBERS

B10,000

1972

11pm

B260

B500,000

fine for selling alcohol between 2pm and 5pm

the year Thailand introduced alcohol control laws for drinking hours

the latest bars are open in Bangkok right now, midnight May 1

domestic alcohol market

maximum fine for violating Section 32 of the Alcohol Beverage Control Act

ALCOHOL

billion

BK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2022

4 WAYS TO POST A PICTURE OF YOUR DRINK WITHOUT GETTING CAUGHT Thailand’s alcohol laws are no joke.

The slightest mistake can end with a B100,000 fine for violating Section 32 or even jail time. As Thailand’s nightlife scene marches backward into prohibition, there are a few things Instagramming drinkers can do to protect themselves.

Forever Covid WHAT? Bangkok locals remember with terror the days of April 2020, when Thailand decided to ban all sales of alcohol for 10 days due to the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in panic shopping for vodka and beer. Back then, Thailand had less than a hundred cases a day. Now, with thousands of reported cases a day, alcohol remains one of the scapegoats.

“It feels like we’re children in an unnecessarily strict and spiteful school where the rules are both unclear and difficult to follow,” one Thonglor bar owner tells BK Magazine. “Covid laws have significantly affected our business—revenues since the beginning of the Delta lockdown average out to be around three times lower than previous.”

Thailand will have spent around two and a half years laboring under alcohol restrictions imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Bars were shut. Curfews imposed. And even now pubs need to reopen under the auspices of being a restaurant just to serve customers until 11pm, midnight May 1.

SURVIVAL: Get vaccinated. Get boosted. Grind your teeth.

Excise the Spirits WHAT? The excise laws contain many of the more prohibitive aspects of brewing beer and spirits in Thailand, and they also favor the domestic monopolies. Excise tax laws on spirits, beer, and other alcoholic products can be prohibitively expensive.

“Our industry involves thousands of jobs around the world,” an international alcohol distributor representative in Bangkok tells BK Magazine, bemoaning the excessive import restrictions.

“Import tax [can be] in excess of 400% on wine.”

SURVIVAL: Local producers become international producers just to avoid Thailand’s own prohibitive domestic rules. ASEAN countries receive preferential import policies, and some brewers choose to go next door to Cambodia or Vietnam and then ship into Thailand. Mike Roberts, who opened Outlaw Brewing in Loei in northern Thailand, produced his first legal beer in Cambodia in 2018 after brewing in Thailand, a cheaper option to have it shipped to Thailand than to brew it here.

“It always baffles me how clueless our government can be.

Instead of pushing Thai local farmers forward, [the government] chose to suspend everything. They can’t see the huge opportunities they wasted from maintaining such laws. Everyone in this country should have the right to enjoy their drinks and express their thoughts freely,” a brewer in Bangkok wishing to remain anonymous tells BK Magazine.

7

feature | into the unknown

SMALL DINNER CLUB IN CHAROENKRUNG CHALLENGES THAI FOOD PRECONCEPTIONS They won’t seat you until all your tablemates have arrived at 6pm and they have no menu.

And what they do, they do very, very well.

By Porpor Leelasestaporn

The entrance to this new fine dining experience on Charoenkrung Road is fairly typical of a two-storey shophouse: naked concrete walls, a simple entrance, and a doorbell. The only obvious indication that this isn’t just somebody’s home are the three golden letters S.D.C.—demarcating Small Dinner Club.

On the ground floor, Small Dinner Club sports a moody, dark setting with funky Isaan music in the background. Upon entering, you’re asked to wait for all 12 visitors to join for dinner at 6pm. Once everyone has gathered, the staff show diners to the second-floor dining club where you’ll be seated according to your nametags. The staff hand you a piece of paper filled with clues and inspirations for the dishes and encourage everyone to discuss as the meal progresses.

Like other fine dining establishments in Bangkok, it’s all about redefining concepts and creating a stage for something familiar to become something special. At the Small Dinner Club, owner Sareen Rojanametin takes this approach seriously.

“There are many local ingredients that people may overlook or even try to avoid,” Sareen of Small Dinner Club tells BK Magazine. “What I’m attempting to do here is to give them a proper stage where they can shine and to give you all the courage to try something new.”

Most of the dishes served in his 13-course dining experience only give diners a tiny hint of what they actually are, and even upon serving names and appearances can be deceiving. The Crying Tiger, for example, arrives in a charcoal tart-like dish with herbs. Too Many Italians, Only One Asian is recognizable as a pasta dish, but it’s not pasta.

BK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2022

9

Having worked for several years as a photographer and art director in an advertising agency in Melbourne, Sareen credits his boundless inspiration from his creative background.

“It’s just like how designers make a new font,” Sareen explains. “Normally they adjust the design of the existing letters to appear more sleek and modern. We are trying to compose brand-new letters to create our own food language and expand the boundaries of what we can create. Here, at the Small Dinner Club, we simply start with the question of ‘why’ and then ask…‘why not?’”

Dishes like Too Many Italians, Only One Asian, Sareen explains, draw references from when he opened his first cafe-slash-restaurant in Melbourne’s Italian district, Nora. “Our cafe was somewhat of a black sheep compared to other Italian places, so we wanted to do something outrageous, something extremely Thai, but still had a bit of nostalgic sense of comfort food that everyone can understand.”

Apart from its appearance—thinly sliced greenish ‘pasta’ and crunchy toppings—the dish is totally different from pasta we know, with a fresh but pungent tang and consistency of somtum.

“There is nothing Italian about that dish. In fact, what you’re tasting is a condensed combination of Thai ingredients. You might say it’s authentic Thai pasta,” Sareen explains. “It’s about digging deeper and taking a step back from our identity and asking ourselves what it means to be Thais. ” His other dishes follow similar concepts. The tom yum, for example, is divided into three theatrical parts, dubbed Looking at Tom yum Prawn from Far Away Part I-III. The first section sees the obvious flathead lobster shell with vegetables; the second and third parts barely relate to tom yum at first glance: an ice-cold orange cake, sour but with spicy kicks, and green nam kaeng sai (Thai shaved ice) with a grassy flavor and succulent egg yolk.

Equally fun is the Daft Punk is Playing in my Mouth dish. The plate arrives at your table covered in powdery white snow and a ruby red rectangular shape with what resembles Japanese tuna. The snow is unexpectedly fiery, and the the red substance underneath is sweet, a contrast of spice and ice.

Another music reference is the Crying Tiger. “It’s actually the title of the song from a Thai band called Apartment KhunPa. Its lyrics capture the experience of how many Thai-Isaan people have to leave their hometown to settle their lives in Bangkok. Most of the ingredients I use for the dish are from Isaan: pork jowl and wild sweet herbs. I want to prove that something often overlooked has much more meaning than it appears.”

The aesthetic appeal here also lies with how diners get to share their thoughts about the food. Since different guests have their own unique references, the overall experience helps people understand one another.

When asked if a description of the food spoils the experience, Sareen says the surprise may be part of the fun, but the major appeal of Small Dinner Club is still the food.

“We don’t want to make food in the same way as design for design’s sake.

At the end of the day, the purpose of a restaurant is to serve delicious food that satisfies the belly.”

1109 Charoenkrung Rd, Si Phraya. Thu-Sun 6pm-11pm. 13 Course-dining (B4,500++).

For reservations: @sdc.bkk www.smalldinnerclub.com

food & drink | news

Chim Chim brings the heat with vinyl beats and summer eats BEATS AND BRUNCH

Just after announcing their a la carte DJ brunches featuring a new spinner every Saturday in April, Chim Chim put out their summer menu. Running throughout April, the Summer Senses: A Feast of Food, Drink & Music from Chim Chim will feature a limited edition menu featuring cool drinks, Thai fruit, and big eats. Sit back with a Hot Cuban—a mojito inspired rum and chili syrup mix—and order a Summer Sharing Plate, four massive skewers of octopus, chicken, beef, and tiger prawns, all with puffy pita bread, hummus, grilled vegetables, guac, and salsa.

865 Chim Chim Bangkok Wang Mai, Pathum Wan, 02 217 3000

IT’S TEA TIME SOMEWHERE

DO OR DONUT

BIG TIME MEDITERRANEAN

Tea shop turns after hours speakeasy in Thonglor

Nanglinchee’s decadent donut spot finds a new home in Ekkamai

Free-flow Riviera brunch is back at Alati

Geez, Thonglor sure has a lot of speakeasies these days. But this one comes with a twist: Tea shop Te Time brings some booze to their cha with After Te Time. Best known for quality teas, Te Time and Space have spun off new cha-inspired cocktails with Papphot “Por” Ratanakul mixing from their quality tea blends. Imagine French rose tea with organic hibiscus and mulberry leaves with gin and bitters—that’s the Midsummer Gimlet (B280). The Chamomile Ginfizz (B280) is gin, chamomile tea, chrysanthemum, marigold, licorice, and egg whites. Only open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, the tea magically transforms into booze from 6pm to 11pm.

After quietly closing its permanent spot on Soi Nanglinchee in August last year, Brassica is bringing its famous goo-filled donuts to Ekkamai Soi 12 by sharing kitchen space with fashion cafe One Ounce for Onion. Expect the same bulky, sugary kick from the donuts, with Singaporean chef Cong Wen and his partner still handling the whole operation. Eat your fill with peanut butter jam, vanilla custard, and strawberry jam (B90), all with 12-hour rested dough that makes for a dense, bouncy texture. Brassica first opened in 2018 as a fun, hip diner focusing on fried chicken and donuts. You can now order their donuts from 11am-5pm—or until they’re sold out.

50, 5 Thong Lo 25 Alley, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, 084 991 5792

19/12 Ekkamai Soi 12. Tel. 02-116-6076. Instagram: @brassicabkk

If you’re unlucky enough to find yourself lost in Siam Paragon on a Sunday, pop around to Alati in the plush Siam Kempinski for their Mediterranean brunch (B3,200++). First launching at the beginning of the year, this is a delicate, decadent a la carte menu of fresh seafood—and champagne if you’re feeling bubbly.

On the appetizers, don’t miss the tomato and burrata tart or the adorable lobster and prawn roll comes on a petite brioche bagel and avruga caviar. For a main, grab the beef rossini, a pan fried wagyu medallion under truffle and mushroom sauce. For dessert, it’s chocolate from chef Franck Istel, and if you’re in it for the Instagram, get the hot chocolate. Free-flowLouis Roederer Brut Premier Champagne goes for B2,600++.

Siam Kempinski Bangkok Hotel, 991/9 Rama I Rd, Pathum Wan, 02 162 9000

food & drink | open door

BK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2022

11

Casual fine dining in Charoenkrung takes local Thai ingredients seriously The buzz: Chefs Khun Apis and Koranat “Tle” Robkob have partnered for this casual fine dining restaurant in Charoenkrung for an intimate, straightforward celebration of local Thai ingredients.

The vibe: Located next to hip coffee shop La Cabra, Mother sports an earthy interior inspired by mother nature. Inside this two-storey shophouse, natural light slips through wooden ceilings, offering a fun play of light and shadow. Entering the large doorway, you’re greeted by light-wood furniture and an open plan kitchen where Tle works his magic.

However, climbing the wooden staircase, the second floor bar efuses a darker, more mysterious vibe.

The food: Fine dining aficionados expect a progressive presentation of dishes, but you won’t find that here.

The 10-course dining menu (B2,890) sports a straightforward, thoughtful look to squeeze the essence from each ingredient. The yum nuea (beef tartare) sees three bites in one course: caramelized khao mak (fermented sweet rice) and salted fish wrapped inside a confit kale leaf, a spoonful of Chiang Rai wild honey, and beef tartare and rice cracker topped with salmon fish roe. The Tapi river prawns are sourced from Surat Thani and no part is wasted; the fat from the head is squeezed and seared with kani miso for aioli sauce and the salt-like powder is made from dehydrated prawn shells for a natural saltiness.

For his duck umeshu, Tle opts for French barbary ducks from Rayong.

The duck is dry-aged and coldsmoked with Japanese plum liqueur

and served with fried lotus roots pickled with paprika and ma kwaen, which has a spicy profile similar to the numbing flavors of Chinese mala. Tle’s Thai crab curry is made from scratch, and rather than the curry paste, fingerroot is turned into sweet candies and the whole bowl is served with kani miso rice mixed with Chaiyaphum crab tomalley. The highlight, however, is the Nhong Khai wagyu, a 30-day dry aged beef accompanied by barley miso sauce and sweet roasted cauliflower marinated in sweet shoyu and chili jam.

Dessert is choux with slow-cooked banana cream mousse, a decadent treat with a hidden exotic specialty; the innocent crispy crumbles on the top of the mousse are actually rod duan (bamboo caterpillars). Equally thoughtful was toasted rice ice cream served with crispy smoked bacon and meringue made from fermented Thai sweet rice.

Why we’d come back: Though Thai ingredient-based fine dining concepts are not new to Bangkok’s food scene, we still want to take a moment to appreciate these thoughtful, passionate young chefs trying to churn out new things in the city that never stops. The way that Tle and Khun have committed to bringing Thai ingredients to the table is commendable. As they change their menu seasonally—and plan to open a full-fledged bar above—we won’t hesitate to return.

Porpor Leelasestaporn

811 Charoenkrung Rd. Talat Noi. Samphanthawong. Open Thu-Sun 6pm-11.30pm. Tel. 098-205-6383.

food & drink | new & noted

Montagne

TABLE TALK

PASTE 3/F, Gaysorn Village, Ploen Chit Rd., 02-656-1003.

Open daily noon-2pm, 6-11pm.

Bongkoch “Bee” Satongun and husband Jason Bailey have never dropped from the fine-dining radar. That is all thanks to the way they revive centuries-old Thai recipes with contemporary twists and careful, colorful presentation that’s so intricate you might feel bad about disturbing the beauty with your cutlery. The tasting menus, featuring unique dishes like steamed wild sea bass fillet with white turmeric, fennel & lemongrass ‘lon’ sauce, are journeys through time.

Exclusively for Citi Credit Card members Get a complimentary dessert valued THB 550 when spending via Citi Credit Card (limit 1 dish /card /table /sales slip)

1 Jan – 31 Oct ’22

NEW AND NOTED

An unassuming office building in Ruamrudee hides a serious chocolate cafe

New Ploen Chit spot serves up Mexican omakase-style

Rama III’s new dessert bar promises French artisan ice creams

Chocoholics and other cocoa-based addiction sufferers, this one’s for you.

Named after the technique used to achieve chocolate’s smooth, shiny finish, Tempered is a serious new contender on Bangkok’s cacao scene, all started from the humble beginnings of one passion-driven couple.

Recognizing that some customers may not be familiar with Thai chocolate, the couple also make an effort to introduce patrons to the Kingdom’s cacao culture.

Try their thick, rich, and dark single chocolate drink (B150) menu sources cacao beans from provinces across the country, or order Not PBJ (B215), a combination of peanut butter frosting, brownies, and jam.

Fans of La Monita and Billy’s Smokehouse know how passionate Billy Bautista is when it comes to cooking.

Over the past four years, he has joined hands with three other chefs to bring the taste of Mexico to their omakase-style restaurant Santiagabkk. Situated on top of La Monita, Santiagabkk promises flavor-packed dishes from popular and lesser known Mexican regions—some you may not have encountered before.

There’s Sopa Oferia (B175), chicken heart and cactus in a Fava bean broth, and Veg Manchamanteles (B290), a stew of charcoal roasted pumpkin and French green beans in a rich, intense mole served alongside tortillas fresh from their clay comals. For now, the venue is still in a soft-opening.

Bangkok is never in danger of running out of ice cream parlors, but the bites from chef Bhupar “Poon” Choonharas have caught our attention. After formal training with ice cream master Emmanuel Ryon—who received a Meilleur Ouvrier de France title for ice cream making in 2000—Poon has compressed his passion into dainty dessert bar Montagne in Rama III. Here, there is a mix of traditional and unusually interesting flavors (B80 to B120): Fleur de Benjamas (white chrysanthemum, honey, and yogurt sorbet), Ananas Shiso (pineapple and shiso sorbet), and Carrote Orange Gingembre (carrot, orange, and ginger sorbet).

59 Prim Raumrudee, Soi Ruamrudee 2, BTS Ploen Chit.

2/F La Monita 888/25-26 Ploen Chit Rd., BTS Ploen Chit

06/1 Charoenraj Rd., Bang Khlo.

084-114-6415

BK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2022

Keller

13

Nomada

TABLE TALK

R-HAAN Here’s what we know about Thailand’s first cocoa-centric bistro

Keller reopens with globe-trotting taste menu

Find authentic South American cuisine at Dusit Thani Hua Hin

Oh, you want more chocolate? If you’re tired of over-indulging in the same old chocolate menus, then this new bistro on Sukhumvit is for you. After several months of teasing their fresh spin on Thai cocoa beans, 31 Degrees by Kad Kokoa is now welcoming patrons to sample their cocoa creations made by the award-winning team from Bocuse d’Or Thailand. Try Devil May Cry, a ham and cheese muffin stuffed with softboiled eggs served with Chanthaburi chocolate barbecue sauce. Their new signature drinks include Cacao Cinema (B170), an espresso-blend featuring Chumphon cacao beans. We’re told that the spot will launch its full opening soon, so stay tuned.

After months of idleness, German chef Mirco Keller is back with a new seasonal tasting menu (B4,900) at his Suan Phlu contemporary European restaurant. Across nine courses, Keller weaves a continent-hopping menu with his childhood’s favorites, drawing heavily from Asian cuisine. The flavors here feature dishes like a plump cut of salmon swimming in Japanese dashi and yuzu dressing; piping hot duck dumplings alongside foie gras terrine tart; and vichyssoise served warm with a Berlin potato bun reminiscent of mantou. A wine pairing is available, priced at B2,150 for four glasses, or diners can opt for a four-glass mocktail pairing (B890).

If you’re searching for a place that serves up real South American food, look a bit further away from Bangkok to Dusit Thani Hua Hin. Recently, the venerated hotel chain welcomed Chilean chef Andre Josef Nweh Severino to its newly-opened Nomada. Severino has partnered with local Thai farmers and fishers to source season produce for his dishes. Plump squid is topped with house-made tartar sauce; sea bass and hefty river prawns are accompanied by Chilean yellow chili sauce and prebre condiments to lend a fiery flavor. The highlight, however, is his craft of live fire cooking, which sees 120-day grain fed slow-cooked picanha sizzling to perfection.

235 5 Soi Sukhumvit 31. 081-007-8828.

BTS Phrom Phong

31 Suanphlu Soi 2. 02-092-7196

Dusit Thani Hua Hin. 1349 Petchkasem Rd, Tambon Cha-am. 032-520-009

131 Sukhumvit Soi 53, 02-059-0433, Open daily 6-11pm Celebrity chef Chumphol Jangprai runs this two-Michelinstarred Thai fine dining restaurant, combining prime seasonal ingredients with a traditional setting reminiscent of the early Rattanakosin era. The rotating tasting menus— currently focused on sustainable produce—showcase ingredients from across Thailand. Items like sai ua amuse bouches, ant eggs salad with spicy caviar sauce, and wagyu hot and spicy soup, showcase the collision of local flavors and conventional fine-dining tactics.

Exclusively for Citi Credit Card members Get a complimentary dish valued THB 1,250 when spending via Citi Credit Card (limit 1 dish /card /table /sales slip)

1 Jan – 31 Dec ’22

feature | top tats

KITCHEN INK

Mattero “Matt” Cadeddu, OPM Bar

THE TATTOOS ON BANGKOK’S TOP CHEFS Alexsandrs “Alex” Nasikailovs, The White House

Photographer Sahil Rattanaphas shoots fine dining and master chefs— but also their body art.

You’ve probably seen the work of Sahil Rattanaphas—scrolling through Facebook for new restaurants, chef interviews, articles. If you’re into food porn in Bangkok, you’ve likely seen his work.

“I started a social media company about ten years ago but I couldn’t find any of the content I needed for my clients which was mostly F&B, so I picked a camera up and I just started shooting. Before I knew it, that became my main profession,” Sahil tells BK Magazine.

Through The Turquoise Truck Creative, Sahil has become a go-to food photographer for many of the city’s poshest dining dens, also working extensively in Europe and Asia. Sahil has shot everyone from Jay Fai to Matthew Geng working out of a studio on Sukhumvit Soi 12. But Sahil noticed another photogenic facet to Bangkok’s head chefs: their ink.

Álvaro Ramos, Vaso

“I shoot a lot of chefs from all around the world and it’s a profession where they have these symbols all over their arms, and I don’t know why but it’s just something I noticed,” Sahil tells BK Magazine. Sahil was born and raised in Bangkok but says he is from all over, having studied in Australia and the US. “Also, I have tattoos myself, so I thought shooting it would be a good way to learn more about them as well.”

Ricardo Nunes, Potong

The chefs make for one heck of a canvas. Madrid native Chef Álvaro Ramos, head chef at Vaso, is covered in tattoos. From the “Can’t Lose” tattoo on his head to his inked fingers, the chef claims the art reflects his eccentricity and flamboyant personality.

Chef Steve Doucakis over at Quince is a little more easy going, sporting a Pink Floyd tattoo on his upper arm. The fennel running down his forearm is a memento of a road trip along the California coast.

“We try to do something that’s a little bit different—not being afraid to do very high contrast and structure, and it’s all about movement and texture when it comes to our photography and video,” Sahil says. “My work is best when I’m doing something I love, so we started niching down to a very isolated direction to fine dining, high end hotels—very nice stuff.”

Latvian chef and co-owner of the new The White House Bangkok, Chef Alexsandrs “Alex” Nasikailovs sports his Latvian culture on his arms, and Potong Chef Ricardo Nunes is a little nautical at heart. Chef Matteo “Matt” Cadeddu at OPM Bar has tattoo-coated hands that zuzh up Sahil’s action shots.

Steve Doucakis, Quince

Sahil hasn’t shot any female chef tattoos yet, saying that he hasn’t worked with any women yet who have tattoo sleeves—but the Bangkok dining scene is growing every day.

the last word | late bloomer

These artistic retirees are devoting themselves to flower arrangements After retiring, Krittika “Yong” Sukpotarom, Daranee “Jeab” Puprasong, and Guthan “Boo” Suthiphongchai found themselves with a lot of free time. In February last year, they kicked off a flower-arranging business, Maleejeerang, and their herbarium crafts have garnered a lot of attention. BK Magazine speaks with them about their newfound passion for floral sculpture.

By Porpor Leelasestaporn

H

ow did you start Maleejeerang?

Yong: We used to work at a creative agency and then retired from our old jobs. We always hung out and traveled to different places together. Sometimes we hosted our own little parties to chat, dine, and reconnect with one another. But we didn’t want to make our hangout too typical, where we all just ate and then left. So, we came up with the idea that we wanted to do something together, something that would make us all happy, something that would help us feel fresh again.

Jeab: Since Yong was already keen on artisanal crafts—she owns another page called Rayangrawing craft workshop to teach people modern weaving techniques—we all wanted to do something for Valentine’s Day. So we started our own business to offer a service for flower arrangements.

We went to Pak Klong Talad, bought armfuls of flowers, and began experimenting with the craft. Ever since, whenever we found some flowers, we would stop and see if we could use them in our next project.

There are quite a few places in Bangkok that offer a similar service.

What makes Maleejeerang different?

Yong: Flower arrangements are not new, and the same goes for herbarium crafts; we do these flowers arranged in glass jars. Just like any other craft, you can’t just randomly put everything together.

It requires specific knowledge and practice to give these glasses of flowers transformative elements. Luckily, we all have art backgrounds.

I was a copywriter, Jeab a designer, and Bood an art director. Every piece is meticulously prepared and planned, and they all have their own specific stories. We also use natural flowers in our crafts and dry them to preserve their beauty, hence the name of our project malee and jeerang, which roughly translate to “flower” and “forever”.

Do you have your personal preferences when it comes to designing the herbariums?

Jeab: As a designer, I typically see my flower arrangements as graphic designs. Each piece has its own brief and requires different types of layouts, color palettes, and compositions.

Boo: I like something flashy and chic and draw heavy references from fashion, so my works can be somewhat artsy.

Yong: I usually start everything with a tree branch and extend my design from there. Sometimes, it looks fine on its own with or without flowers.

Where do you find inspiration for your herbariums?

Jeab: Surprisingly, the most creative ideas come from clients. Among the most memorable was a client who requested a pair of herbariums for his temple visits and ancestor memorials. We didn’t realize at the time that herbariums could be used like this, so we added these to our catalogs. The same goes for another client who wanted to order her herbarium to enhance her luck and prosperity according to Chinese feng shui, so we ended up kick starting our new line of good-luck products called maree mutelu (flowers and witchcraft).

What are your personal favorite customer requests so far?

Jeab: There was this one client who wanted to buy an herbarium for his girlfriend, which was not unusual. The surprising part was he sent a picture of his girlfriend: a woman standing among flowers turning her back to the camera. “Can you help me pick a design that matches with her?” he asked. We began micro-analyzing this woman’s personality from the picture: maybe she isn’t the type that wants to stand out, maybe she likes minimal stuff. So we used a minimalist color palette with a splash of green and one or two tiny flowers. He told us she was very satisfied with the result.

Boo: For me it’s the long-distance relationship one. A woman opened a restaurant abroad, while the man worked as a military officer at a remote post. They were each other’s first love but never revealed their feelings.

They went their separate ways and started their own families. But many years later they divorced and started contacting each other. Since her boyfriend had to go on patrol and rarely had free time, she ordered seven sets of our herbariums—each representing different days of the week—and had us mail them to the camp he was stationed at. I felt like I wasn’t just a flower artist.

I was cupid.

Yong: This client requested “not too colorful” and wanted something that reflected her inner darkness. I wanted to add a bit of life to her request, so I started off with this autumn-like herbarium, using auburn and beige as a base with a tiny bit of purple.

Any future plans for your project?

Yong: As media people, we often discuss the prospects for our project, whether we’d like to see it grow further from here. If we wanted to push it further, maybe we might have to attend more market fairs, open our own shop, or pour more of our energy into it. But we also don’t want to make it into something that exhausts us. Who knows? If the pandemic becomes less severe, we might get hyped up again. We’ve been wanting to explore more about local flowers with a little train trip where we plan to stop at every station to see if there are any interesting flowers to use.

through our trusted guide.

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