With a focus on local ingredients, female chefs and a booming street food scene, Bangkok is becoming a true culinary hotspot. Photo / Supplied
Whether it’s the growing popularity of Thai chocolate, the laser-like focus on local ingredients or female chefs bagging top awards, Bangkok’s food scene has never looked — or tasted — better, writes Tamara Hinson
When in Bangkok, my guilty pleasure is a visit to the Asiatique night market where tourists flock to bulk buy elephant trousers and swig cheap bottles of Singha. But somewhat unexpectedly, it’s also become my go-to spot for tom yum soup — although I’m aware many residents would baulk at this statement, pointing out numerous more authentic destinations serving up Thai delicacies. But, like many visitors, I discovered Asiatique years ago during my first visit to Bangkok, lured here because it was easily accessible and filled with fellow backpackers, but still with some great spots for authentic Thai cuisine.
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After all, there will always be visitors weary of venturing off the beaten path, whether it’s because they simply don’t know the city, or they’re wary of the unknown in an era when much of our food is shrink-wrapped in packaging stamped with every available detail.
And this is precisely why I’m loving the growing number of hotels easing visitors into the world of authentic Thai cuisine with accessible offerings designed for those who’ll never experience the joy of eating fresh mangosteen at Trok Mor Market, or som tam (papaya salad) at a family-run restaurant next to one of Bangkok’s klongs (canals). The Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok’s afternoon tea is a great example. Here, finger sandwiches are replaced by items like goong sarong, prawn drenched in sweet and sour chilli sauce, and khao pod tord, deep-fried corn. Highlights for those with a sweet tooth include kanom babin, a coconut pancake and — my favourite — a pomelo sorbet.
Mixologists, too, are getting in on the act At the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok’s BKK Social Club, the cocktail list includes several made with local ingredients, including Thai cacao. “It works well with dark spirits, which often have cacao notes, but it also works well with citrus flavours,” says bar manager Philip Bischoff.
Philip Bischoff’s love of Thai cacao hints at another recent trend relating to home-grown produce — the growing popularity of Thai chocolate. Take Kad Kokoa. Thailand’s biggest craft chocolate brand ships its products around the world. When I visit its Sathorn cafe (one of three in Bangkok), it’s packed with customers feasting on truffles made from single original Thai chocolate and huddled around tester jars filled with samples of cacao from places such as Prachuab that, according to accompanying tasting notes, has coconut and citrus nuances.
The brand sells its chocolate to numerous Bangkok restaurants, including IGNIV, which specialises in modern European cuisine and opened at the St Regis Bangkok in 2020. Pastry chef Arne Riehn purchases 90%t of his chocolate from Kad Kakao. “Until now, everyone used chocolate from overseas,” says Riehn. “But they now realise they can get superior chocolate for much less. When you’ve got a better product right here, why wouldn’t you use it?” The powers that be certainly approve — IGNIV bagged its first Michelin star two years ago, five years after Michelin launched its inaugural Thailand guide.
Recently, several restaurants helmed by female chefs have also bagged coveted stars. These include Pichaya Soontornyanakij’s Potong, which specialises in Thai-Chinese cuisine. Pichaya Soontornyanakij is the first and youngest Thai female chef to receive a Michelin Star and Michelin’s Opening of the Year awards in the same year. There’s also Michelle Goh, head chef and co-founder of Michelin-starred Mia, known for its modern European cuisine. Malaysia-born Michelle, who founded the restaurant with her husband Chef Pongcharn “Top” Russell, believes the rise of female chefs here is down to shifts in working cultures. “There’s been a significant transformation regarding work-life balance and gender dynamics,” says Michelle. “I’ve noticed a shift towards more flexible hours and a more inclusive environment — an evolution which has empowered women to pursue careers in the kitchen, challenging stereotypes and ushering in female chefs who are inspiring the next generation of culinary talent.”
Interestingly, Michelle isn’t overly excited about the September opening of Thailand’s first NOBU, a brand now found worldwide and whose openings have an almost identikit formula that typically involves co-founder Robert De Niro being rolled out. Here, there’s a sense the openings that generate the most excitement are ones helmed by legendary chefs known for their hands-on approach. Michelle believes this is partly due to Michelin. Its first guide was released in 2017, and Bangkok’s stash of stars has subsequently put the city on the map as a culinary hotspot. “The fact that you can get a Michelin star makes it more appealing to chefs,” says Michelle. “There are many more fine-dining restaurants now, and some great chefs are opening restaurants here, whether it’s Alain Ducasse’s Blu (which bagged its first star in 2020) or Michelin-starred Cote by Mauro Colagreco, which opened at the Capella Bangkok in 2020.”
Guests at Mia feast on tasting menus, a format increasingly being embraced by Bangkok’s chefs. At Michelin-starred Nahm at the Como Metropolitan Bangkok, executive chef Pim Techamuanvivit’s tasting menu honours both local produce and beloved childhood dishes. My favourite course is a tom yum soup made with prawns and a chili jam inspired by one her grandmother made. Another fantastic tasting menu is the one I enjoy at the Lebua Hotel’s Mezzaluna restaurant where chef Ryuki Kawasaki, who’s secured two Michelin stars for the restaurant, serves up European-Japanese cuisine.
The best bit? While the city’s chefs — many of who are female —– haul in Michelin stars, there’s still a sense that some of the best food is found on Bangkok’s street corners. At Nahm, a waitress tells me her favourite foodie spot is Ban Tad Thong, a thoroughfare at the centre of a tangle of once-neglected lanes now filled with street food vendors serving up everything from congee to rarer delicacies such as yen ta fo (pink noodle soup).
My advice? Get there pronto, before the elephant trouser-wearing masses arrive ...
GETTING THERE
Fly from Auckland to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport with one stopover with Cathay Pacific and Qantas.
DETAILS
amazingthailand.com.au