2FOCUS
2Focus fashion
dining
property
driving
dining
travel
HOME COMFORTS Lush green surroundingS, chic décor and Ian Kittichai’s wholesome food make 99 Rest Backyard Café a homely escape from the urban chaos. Gavin Nazareth
WIN! Two lucky readers will be getting a dinner voucher for a three-course set menu of signature dishes at 99 Rest Backyard Café to enjoy with their partners (food only). To enter the lucky draw, email us at editor@2-mag.com and tell us which of the dishes mentioned in the article sounds the yummiest.
It’s a humid night and Nature’s symphony orchestra is in full chorus, providing a wonderful aural backdrop to 99 Rest Backyard Café’s setting. Dense foliage surrounds the modern wooden dining room that offers both indoor and outdoor dining experiences. Tables on one side look over an ornamental pond, while the other side offers a well-manicured lawn bordered by tropical plants. The interior is all dark wood, high ceilings, sleek furniture and cobalt blue accents. Located out in Phattanakarn at the entrance to the 99 Residence (a luxurious residential
Rock Corn Shrimps
148 2magazine
development by the Premier Group, also behind Rayavadee Resort in Krabi and the Tamarind Village Chiang Mai, among other things), 99 Rest is an unpretentious, relaxed retreat designed as an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city’s urban chaos. And so far it’s living up to its lofty ambitions. Ian Kittichai was roped in as guest chef to ensure that “high-quality wholesome food” was on the menu to match the tranquil surroundings. He fashioned a comprehensive menu of “simple comfort food” that drew from the Thai, Italian and Japanese culinary
Organic New Season’s Greens Salad
lexicons. “I wanted you to feel at home,” the energetic chef tells me. “It’s like eating in your own backyard; casual, with no dress code.” He says he uses few imported foods and prefers to exploit the local ingredients, as demonstrated in his recommended signature Organic New Season’s Greens Salad (220 baht) made with fresh hydroponics vegetables from Kirk’s Farm in Chiang Mai. Served French-style, it is topped with a perfectly poached egg and drizzled with homemade balsamic dressing, and is a nice style guide to the restaurant’s direction.
Pan-seared Atlantic Salmon
The menu is peppered with food quotations from well-known people like Virginia Woolf advising, “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well” – something to keep in mind when ordering. With such captivating environs, it would be a crime not to kick back and enjoy a drink or two. The drink list is ample, bloated with the usual standards, but punctuated with signature ‘Creativ-a-tinis’ like ‘99 Jungles’ that infuses a mix of pineapple and lime juice with vodka and crème de menthe; or ‘99 Sunsets’ that marries to perfection vodka, Grand Marnier, Cointreau, orange and pineapple juices. The health-conscious are not ignored either with the freshly made ‘Drink to your Health’ concoctions; the novel ‘Salad in a Glass’ (100 baht) stands out with its refreshing blend of pineapple, orange, lime, rocket, tomato and grapes. Wine is offered both by the glass and the bottle and there are some interesting options to select from. The Sauvignon Blanc, Solde from Chile is crisply chilled with a nice amount of fruit, the perfect foil for the selection of small plates brought to the table. The Crispy Calamari (230 baht) is a crusty delight served in a paper bag so that “you can walk around the garden and eat,” Ian says. Dusted in semolina, it is accompanied by zucchini, capers and a silky garlic aioli. The finger food parade continues with Rock Corn Shrimps (240 baht) and Tamarind Baby Back Ribs (210 baht); the first crunchy morsels of shrimp, crushed cornflakes and a spicy yuzu cream sauce, the other soft, buttery
ribs covered with a smooth tangy tamarind glaze that is a reminder of the chef’s Asian roots. The ‘Feast’ section is a call to sample Ian’s experiments with pasta, noodles and rice. ‘Kao Pad Moo Hong’ (180 baht) is wok-fried rice, slightly al dente, with caramelised pork belly delicately flavoured with five-spice, and rounded off with a piquant cucumber relish. It’s hard not to request another serving. In what seems to be a Thai retort to spaghetti Bolognese, red-hot chilli peppers, minced pork and coriander leaves come together in the intense Spaghetti ‘Num Phrik Aung’ (220 baht), an absolute firecracker sure to satisfy cravings for heat. For more substantial main courses, the ‘Dine’ segment lists Duck Confit (250 baht), Imported Jumbo Scallops (630 baht) and Pan-seared Atlantic Salmon (395 baht) among others, but the standout is certainly the Australian Lamb Shank (890 baht). It’s a nice sized shank bone that is good enough for two. After being braised for 24 hours, the meat falls off the bone, but retains a good texture without being mushy; velvety celeriac mash, winter vegetables and a savoury garlic-thyme sauce complete the dish. Dessert should be an essential end to any meal and Chef Ian’s artful creations don’t allow for a refusal. Highly recommended: Guava & Apple Crumble (110 baht) that comes with a nice crispy golden brown crust that conceals the piping hot core filled with succulent chunks of fruit. The accompanying sumptuous vanilla
Ian Kittichai
sauce balances the experience. In at number two is a sublime creamy confection: Crepe Cake (110 baht). Paperthin crepes are layered with diplomat cream in between, topped with orange segments, and then drizzled with Narm Dok Mai mango sauce for a match that is out of this world. After the meal, it is easy to kick back with a drink and forget that this isn’t really your own backyard, and that the journey home still beckons. 2
IN A NUTSHELL What: 99 Rest Backyard Café (www.99-rest.com) Where: Rama 9, soi 41 Type of cuisine: Eclectic comfort food Our verdict: Chef Ian does it again! Price: Affordable Hours: Weekdays: 15:00 – 23:00 Weekends: 11:00 – 23:00 Dress Code: Casual Reservations: +66 (0)2 300 4339
149 www.2-mag.com