An Amateur's Palate: 2014

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of food in Thailand? Truth be told, fine dining was not what popped into mind first. Thailand’s street food that has been celebrated for years. It’s even glorified in foodie shows like Bizarre Food and No Reservations. But fine dining? We reserve that category for restaurants in New York or Europe. Nose up. There's no room for Southeast Asian cuisine in that space.

Yet the one revelation I had from my trip to Thailand was that the country’s fine dining packs enough punch to compete with the rest of the world. Upscale restaurants in Thailand are bold. Their dining rooms are elegant. Their dishes are complex. Yet they stay true to the very flavors and ingredients that makes Thailand so unique.

Move over, New York. Get out of the way, Paris. Hang up your pans, Italy. Thailand’s fine dining scene is on the rise. Take notice.

Here are two of my favorite restaurants:

1) nahm (The Metropolitan Hotel, Bangkok)

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If you haven’t heard of this restaurant before, consider yourself aware now. nahm is repeatedly voted as the best restaurant in all of Asia and reached as high as the third best restaurant in the world. nahm serves ancient Thai cuisine. Expect dishes that play with and balance sharp flavors to develop a strong yet harmonious flavor. Interestingly, the dishes are cooked and prepared by an Australian, Chef David Thompson. Chef Thompson spent several years working and living in Thailand. Inspired by the country’s flavors and ingredients, he pledged to raise the profile of Thai cuisine and eventually earned the first Michelin Star for a Thai restaurant.

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I recommend ordering the set menu, since you can pick specific dishes from each category. The soft shell crab with chilies, holy basil and peppercorn was my favorite. Also try the coconut and turmeric crab curry and the grilled hiramasa kingfish salad.

2) Koh Thai Kitchen and Bar (Four Seasons, Samui)

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The Four Seasons Resort in Koh Samui opened a new restaurant, Koh Thai Kitchen and Bar. Like nahm, it serves traditional Thai food, though it focuses more on the flavors and ingredients found in Samui. With that, you’ll find many authentic Thai dishes that may not be familiar to you.

Executive Chef Alex Gares does not hold back. Dishes are on the spicier side, but they balance out the sourness of the fish sauce and the pungent aroma of the shrimp paste used in most of his dishes. Try the Plaa Goong (prawns with roasted chili paste dressing, lemongrass and lime leaf salad), the local oysters with tamarind leaves, crispy shallots, garlic, lime and seafood sauce, and the massaman nua (beef cooked in cardamom-scented southern curry). Lastly, Koh’s tom yum goong is perhaps the best I’ve had. Ever.

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I just got back from Thailand, a place filled with vibrant dishes that dance with complex layers of flavors. While I’m glad to be back home after a long trip, I find my amateur palate still craving the wonderful tastes that I experienced in the country--the sour fish sauce, spicy chili, minty herb, coconut based curries and crunch from peanuts.

I was so captivated by the tastes, that I visited the local grocery store before I left and flew home with my arms filled with dried Thai lemongrass, Vietnamese ginger, lime leaves, chili flakes, and as many curry and soup pastes that I can find.

Thailand’s food scene has a lot to offer, which is why this is the first of three posts that I plan on doing. As the first post, I decided to show you a sample of what I tried—whether it be from the street or from a Michelin star restaurant.