The feast starts with delicious appetisers before moving on to succulent delights from oceans around the world, Benihana’s new premium set includes Canadian lobster, Japanese scallops, Norwegian salmon and giant prawns served with all the trimmings and fresh off the teppanyaki grill where they are sizzled to perfection by a private chef with the fiery flair for which Benihana is known.

The set is priced at Bt4,200-plus for two and available for both lunch and dinner. The promotion is available until the end of August. Book a table at ( 02) 476 0022 extension 1477

Phatchara “Pom” Pirapak, 29, honed her formidable skills in the kitchen with Thai cuisine maestro Chumphol Jangprai when she was just 21, working alongside him at Siam Wisdom restaurant. She rose to fame in 2017 while working as head chef at Saneh Jaan restaurant that was awarded a Michelin star.

Terrace Rim Naam/Nationphoto: Korbphuk Phromrekha

After working at Saneh Jaan for three years, she was forced to take a year out to recover from health problems. During her one-year absence, she travelled around the country to learn more about local ingredients and the unique recipes of different communities.

“Cooking is not just my passion, but my life. I love to go to the fresh morning markets to explore the distinctive seasonal ingredients indigenous to each area. Uthai Thani’s riverside market is one of the most charming venues and I like to get there every month. The eastern provinces of Rayong and Trat are best sources for dried shrimp and fish sauce and nowhere can beat the Southern provinces of Ranong, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Phuket for shrimp paste and tasty shrimp chilli paste,” says Pom, a graduate of Suan Dusit University’s School of Culinary Arts.

Phatchara “Pom” Pirapak

Now back to full physical strength, she joined the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok two months ago to develop a selection of 30 Thai dishes that while all reinterpretations of original recipes, still celebrate local wisdom and authentic flavours. The selection of her a la carte creations was introduced to the dinner menu early this month.

“I am so grateful to the older patrons of my former workplace for their love and kindness. Several of them invited me to their houses and even revealed to me their family’s recipes and gave me tips that helped broaden my cooking experience.

Crispy fried sago with minced pork and prawn in coconut cream dip

“I learned how to cook khao chae (rice chilled in jasmine-scented water) from a Mon community in Kanchanaburi’s Sangkhla Buri district, while a respected senior who was born in Krabi showed me how to make a truly flavourful sataw pad gapi goong (stir-fried stink bean with shrimp) in Krabi style by adding pickled garlic to tone down the saltiness of the shrimp paste and give the dish a slightly sweet taste. These opportunities helped me to develop the new dishes for Terrace Rim Naam,” she says.

One of her patrons is the food columnist Thorung Charungkitanan, widow of SEA Write laureate Vanich. She gave Pom the recipe for the traditional dessert called Khao Mao Rang Nam Kati (roasted unripe rice kernels served with coconut ice cream).

Khao Mao Rang Nam Kati

Creatively adapted for Terrace Rim Naam and priced at Bt180, the dessert is made by slowly roasting the unripe rice kernels while sprinkling them with water to make sure they don’t burn.

“I use my hands to thoroughly spread the rice while it’s roasting so that I can feel when it reaches the right crispiness. According to the traditional recipe, it’s served in coconut milk and taeng thai (Thai muskmelon), but I opt for coconut milk ice cream as well as avocado and two varieties of Japanese melons with orange and green flesh. The combination of melon and avocado gives a similar taste to the taeng thai, but is more refreshing and aromatic,” she adds.

Ped Khua Lao-Phuan

While living with Lao-Phuan ethnic community in Ratchaburi province, she also learnt how to cook Ped Khua Lao-Phuan (dry stir-fried duck in Lao-Phuan style). Instead of using pulled duck like the original version, her revised option comes with duck confit seasoned with ground chilli, garlic and lemongrass dry stir-fried with coconut cream. Shrimp paste is used as a substitute for pla ra (fermented fish). It goes for Bt600.

Lin Moo Khua Bai Jan

Developed from a family recipe in the Northern province of Phrae, Lin Moo Khua Bai Jan (Bt350) or pork tongue dry stir-fried with tree basil leaves has an interesting pungent taste. The pork tongue is slowly simmered until mushy and then dry stir-fried with ground Yod Son chilli from Si Sa Ket province that is known for its aromatic and strong taste, together with the pungent Northern makwan seeds and tree basil leaves. A slow-cooked egg yolk is added to tone down the spiciness.

Nam Prik Goong Jone

The Southern-style favourite – Nam Prik Goong Jone or grilled river prawn in shrimp paste dip (Bt400) is another delicious option.

“I only use the shrimp paste made by villagers in Ranong province who produce just 100 kilograms a year. Their production process is truly hands-on and complicated. The paste is soft and clean and has no any unwanted sediments. I slowly roast it to give an aromatic flavour and then cook it with chopped red onion, chilli and shredded unripe nam dok mai mango for a tangy taste. The river prawn is grilled and pulled and the dip is served with seasonal vegetables.”

Gaeng Khua Poo Bai Cha Phu

Crab is her favourite ingredient and she cooks it to perfection in her Gaeng Khua Poo Bai Cha Phu or blue swimming crab yellow curry with wild betel leaves (Bt1,240). The chilli paste is slowly cooked with fresh coconut cream and crispy grilled fish flakes are added for bursts of flavor. The dense flesh of the entire blue swimming crab is used along with the roes.

And her steamed rice is cooked in an earthen pot the traditional way for the best soft and aromatic results.

The 100-seat Terrace Rim Naam overlooking the Chao Phra River is open daily for dinner from 5 to 10.30. Make a reservation at (02) 659 9000.

The new Detective Conan Cafe concept is inspired by both the television version of “Detective Conan” and the theme of the latest movie “Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire”, which is slated for release here on August 8. in Thailand.

This year, the Cafe is going local to celebrate the cultural and culinary richness of Thailand with a main visual featuring a characteristic Thai motif and a menu that includes a reinvented version of the distinctive Thai curry. Customers, locals and tourists alike will enjoy a unique mix of Japanese anime pop culture with several elements of local identity.

Original collectibles such as movie-scene cards and acrylic key chains will be available and fans can enjoy the Café’s Original Takeaway dessert at 13 Bake a Wish outlets. Detective Conan Café’s original menu provides six main courses, four desserts and four beverages. The original takeaway dessert features four cakes.

Visitors can also have fun at an original goods booth and a Mystery Walking Rally on the theme of Detective Conan.

The “Detective Conan Cafe Station” boasts a range of original limited goods, Detective Conan pre-order goods and movie memorabilia while “The Phantom Quest” is a Mystery Walking Rally where participants are invited to solve a mystery like Detective Conan while walking through Siam Center. The quest is available from August 1 to 18 and entrance fee is Bt150.

The cafe is open at 11 am and the last order at 9.30pm.

For more information, please visit Facebook.com/ConanCafeBKK

To mark the turning of the season, and to celebrate thanksgiving, family reunion, and togetherness, the hotel has released handcrafted mooncakes in four remastered flavors: creamy durian; sweet and silky lotus seed; fruity Chinese date; and a smooth yellow bean with coconut pandan.

The meaningful exchange of mooncakes is reflected in the extraordinary design of the mooncake box. The color of the circular, leatherette-covered box is inspired by the Pantone Color of the Year 2019 – Living Coral – a subtly vibrant hue which the color experts interpret as “sociable and spirited”, a fitting description for the Mid-Autumn festivities.

Once the mooncakes have been consumed, the custom-made box can be transformed into an exquisite picture frame to display on a shelf or wall.

The St. Regis Bangkok Mooncake 2019 early-bird offers 20-per-cent discount of the normal price of Bt1,288 per box of four mooncakes on orders placed and paid for prior to August 15.

Complimentary delivery is offered for minimum orders of 100 boxes to addresses within Bangkok Metropolitan Region.

The delicacies are available for purchase in person at The Lounge on level 1 of the hotel until  September 13.

For those who are not familiar with the area, a good starting point on a culinary journey of discovery is Iconsiam shopping mall. From there, it’s a quick 150-metre walk to Cream, a 38-year-old restaurant located in a century-old, white-painted two-storey house that stands out from neighbouring shophouses, the posh shopping malls and the five-star hotels.

Cream restaurant

Situated at the mouth of Charoen Nakhon Soi 9, Cream is delightfully down to earth. The plain wooden tables and chairs with floral upholstery might not shine out on Instagram but tummies are in for a real treat.

The restaurant is now run by the second-generation owner Sorapop Marneenate and its name Cream is a nod to its original incarnation as an ice cream parlour.

“We are near several schools so my parents started by selling ice cream to attract young clients. Customers later asked for food too and my parents began serving single Thai dishes, spaghetti and steaks. The menu gradually grew and the ice cream options were finally dropped,” says Sorapop.

 Fried Snakehead Fish Fillets

The 70-seat, air-conditioned eatery offers mainly Thai dishes made to family recipes and at pocket-friendly prices. The main cook has been with the eatery since it opened.

Snakehead Fish Fillets (Bt130) are fried and dressed with tamarind sauce and tossed with roasted peanuts and chopped red onion giving them a sweet and tangy taste and crunchy texture.

Fluffy-fried Catfish

For the Fluffy-fried Catfish (Bt150), the fish is first ground then stir-fried with chopped chilli and slightly seasoned with sugar.

Termite Mushroom Spicy Soup

For a strong taste, nothing can beat Hed Khon Tom Yum or termite mushroom spicy soup (Bt130). It’s normally cooked with shrimps but you can change to sea bass fillets if seafood is not your thing. Another  favourite is fried rice with shrimp fat served with stir-fried chopped duck with holy basil leaves (Bt90).

Stir-fried Chopped Duck with Holy Basil Leaves

Opposite the Cream restaurant is Wat Suwan and this area between Charoen Nakhon Sois 12 and 14 is lined with local eateries that have been in the area for more than a decade and offer irresistible savoury and sweet treats.

The streetside Saengcharoennakhon Chicken Rice has been doing a roaring trade since opening 33 years ago and serves tasty and reasonably priced Hainanese-style dishes.

Saengcharoennakhon Chicken Rice eatery

The rice is cooked in chicken stock to perfection and, thanks to the use of charcoal stoves, is both fragrant and soft. The chickens weigh about three kilograms each ensuring the meat is dense and flavourful.

    “We cook about 30 kilograms of rice a day during the week and double that at weekends. The chicken is also slowly charcoal steamed over alternating low and medium flame. About 20 chickens are used each day,” says the owner Nittaya Lekwongpron.

The light option 

The chicken rice goes for Bt40 a dish but the portion of rice is quite large compared to other eateries I have sampled. For those who prefer to eat less or are concerned about carbohydrate levels, a light option goes for just Bt25 a pop. Fried chicken is also available.

    The dipping sauce is a perfect combination of ground chilli, ginger and garlic paste, soy sauce, bean paste and chicken stock. Feel free to add chilli and ginger to taste.

Next door is Guay Jub Jay Ju serving guay jub (rolled rice noodle soup) with crispy fried pork belly, boiled offal and hard boiled eggs for Bt40 a bowl.

Guay Jub Jay Ju

“Jay” is a Chinese familiar term for older sister and the owner Nittaya Sae-Hua is known as Jay Ju to her customers. Her family started the guay jub business with a stall at Charoen Nakhon Soi 21 about 17 years ago and it quickly became a local favourite. That first outlet is now run by her elder sister and Jay Ju opened her own stall next to Charoen Nakhon Soi 12 eight years ago. She also offers brown broth in contrast to the original clear one.

The broth with Chinese herbal five spices is aromatic and peppery and the noodles are slowly boiled to get a texture that is neither too hard nor too soft. The pork belly is juicy and crispy.

“I select trimmed pork belly with less layers of fat so that the skin will crisp up well when fried. I cook it over high heat to cut down on the oiliness and boil the offal to order. To enhance the taste, I use only 100-per-cent ground white peppercorn,” says Nittaya.

A separated dish of crispy fried pork belly goes for Bt60 (100 gram) and is served with sweet soy sauce dip. Also available are fresh spring rolls stuffed with minced pork, Chinese sausage and tofu dressed with sweet tamarind sauce for Bt40.

Bua Loy Sam Noo

A dessert sanctuary for Khlong San locals for over two decades is a small stall at the mouth of an unnamed alley next to Wat Suwan. Called Bua Loy Sam Noo, its popular hot sweet treat is bua loy (tiny rice dumplings in sweetened coconut milk) for Bt20 a bowl.

     The rice dumplings come in three colours based on the ingredients used – yellow from pumpkin, green from pandan leaf mixed with taro, and purple from sweet potato. The dumplings are first boiled in pandan leaf stock then for a second time in coconut milk. The add-ons are an egg, double eggs and salted egg yolk and the prices go for Bt25, Bt34 and Bt28 a bowl respectively.

Bua Loy

“The rice dumplings are made from sticky rice flour and rolled into tiny balls so they cook quickly and easily. The dough is made daily and we use only coconut milk extracted from fresh coconuts. We regularly sell 300 cups a day,” says the owner Apipat Ronasiriratana.

Ruam Mit

Another favourite is ruam mit (Bt25) – a popular dessert of sweetened coconut milk with taro, corn, water chestnut, pumpkin, and sarim (sweet coloured rice threads) topped with shaved ice.

For a one-stop venue where you can try a selection of delectable main dishes and desserts and also buy some of Khlong San’s best products, the Thonburi Delight zone at Iconsiam has been designed to preserve the local wisdom of residents in neighbouring areas.

Charoen Nakhon Shop

If sweet sticky rice with mango is your favourite, Charoen Nakhon Shop will not disappoint with high-quality nam dok mai mango and sweet sticky rice that is cooked with perfection. A box of one mango and sticky rice goes for Bt100. Dried mango and mango smoothies are also on offer.

“I use sticky rice from Chiang Rai for its aromatic flavour and its long-grain shape. The mangoes are carefully selected from the orchards in Chachoengsao province and I also distribute them to many restaurants around Bangkok,” says the owner Ketsara Phulumlert who relocated her shop from Charoen Nakhon Soi 20 to Iconsiam.

Knitted products by Joobgeneral Group

In addition to food, you can shop for handicrafts and souvenirs, among them are knitted products ranging from bags, hats, scarves, to bag charms, bottle holders and socks produced by elderly people and teenage mums from Joobgeneral Group, as well as khon masks in different sizes from Baan Khon Thai, a group of mask makers of Soi Wat Suwan community, and miniature resin and epoxy accessories from Sanfan shop ranging from model sets of Thai food to earrings, pendants and key rings.

Miniature souvenirs by Sanfan shop

IF YOU GO

>>> Cream restaurant at the mouth of Charoen Nakhon Soi 9 is open daily from 11am to 9.30pm. Call (02) 437 2582.

>>> Saengcharoennakhon Chicken Rice situated between Charoen Nakhon Sois 12 and 14 is open daily from 7am to 3pm. Call (02) 861 3284.

>>> Guay Jub Jay Ju between Charoen Nakhon Sois 12 and 14 is open daily from 11am to 7pm. Call (089) 698 8666.

>>> Bua Loy Sam Noo situated next to Wat Suwan is open daily from 9 to 9. Call (084) 524 9161.

>>> Thonburi Delight zone on the ground floor of Iconsiam is open daily from 10 to 10.

However, the eatery is sticking to its Tokyo café style, offering a warm and relaxing atmosphere done up in light colours and DIY decorations. Except this time, it has an indoor terrace – complete with flowering plants – that is separated from the rest of the restaurant with a transparent partition.

Also, according to the Tokyo street café concept, On the Table offers USB slots for diners who want to work or charge their mobile devices, as well as a private zone.

Though its looks may have changed, On the Table, Tokyo Café still focuses on fresh ingredients and freshly cooked food, and still promises that no frozen product or MSG is used.

The restaurant has also adjusted itself to new trends, and is now offering vegetarian and even vegan dishes. In fact, it has gone an extra step by offering “jeh” dishes, which apart from not having any meat, milk or eggs, cannot have pungent vegetables like onions, garlic, ginger, chives and shallots either.

“We chose to give the Siam Centre branch a makeover first, before we move on to other branches. We want to make On the Table, Tokyo Café a place of refuge for people, so they can leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind and indulge in good food. Also, since people are getting into healthy food, we have created the new vegan menu to support the trend as well as offer our signature good taste,” said Suchanpa Balankura, general manager of Yakiniku and cafe’ business, Tokyo Concept ltd.

Priced at Bt1,490, the BBQ buffet features grilled cottage cheese, smoked pineapple with paprika, grilled baby carrots, Rosemary and Butter Lamb Rack, Peri-Peri Spiced Chicken, Fennel & Butter Lobster, Guntoor Chilli plus a range of vegetarian specials.

And the restaurant goes even wilder for Sunday Brunch, adding a variety of Asian twists and seafood on ice. Among the recommended dishes are pan-seared foie gras with lemon wild honey gel, coffee crumble, beetroot chips, tomahawk steak, grilled rack of lamb with coconut polenta, spicy cilantro chimichurri and beef tenderloin with Thai tomato chutney plus lobsters and oysters on ice, premium sushi and sashimi and lots of delicious desserts.

The Sunday brunch is available from noon to 3pm and costs Bt1,990. Reserve a table at (02) 125 5052.

The ice cream parlour opened its doors in Bangkok’s Tao Poon area in 1970 and has chosen to stay put. Today, under the new direction of the third-generation operators, the brand is enjoying a sophisticated facelift, introducing fresh ideas while still maintaining its traditional recipes.

Located in Bangkok-Nonthaburi Soi 2, next to Tao Poon market and a short walk from MRT’s Tao Poon station, the 40-seat ice cream sanctuary is housed in a renovated, simply decorated shophouse with a white tile floor, marble tables, and a wooden counter and panels.

Nationphoto/Korbphuk Phromrekha

Thipparot was one of the first to introduce such distinctive flavours as kati ruam mit (coconut milk mixed with jackfruit and lod chong or pandan flavoured rice flour droplets), durian, Thai tea, taro, corn, and lychee. Now it’s adding to these staples with 10 new fine-dining style dishes that merge its signature flavoured ice creams with Thai traditional desserts and snacks.

Coconut milk ice cream with mixed toppings/ Nationphoto:Korbphuk Phromrekha

You can enjoy coconut milk ice cream with hot thang taek (Thai-style pancake topped with shredded coconut, sugar and sesame) for Bt99 or the Thai dessert pla kim khai tao (salty and sweet rice flour strings in coconut milk) with taro ice cream and crispy fried taro chips for Bt89.

Thai traditional dessert thang taek goes with coconut mik ice cream./Photo courtesy of Thipparot

The coconut milk ice cream is also a perfect match for the Thai snack of mee krob (crispy vermicelli with tamarind sauce) for Bt109, while the home-made soy milk is served with black sesame ice cream, also Bt109.

Taro ice cream is served with Thai dessert pla kim khai tao./Photo courtesy of Thipparot

The mixed dessert of maeng luk (sweet basil seed), lod chong, kao tok (popped rice), and kao niew dum (black sticky rice) is presented with a scoop of coconut milk ice cream topped with foi thong (sweetened egg threads) for Bt119, while a scoop of fresh milk ice cream served with toasted and buttered bread together with maple syrup sauce costs you Bt109.

Coconut milk ice cream is served on a bed of mixed dessert./Nationphoto:Korbphuk Phromrekha

“My grandfather created the ice cream recipes 49 years ago, long before there were ice cream parlours on Bangkok’s streets. His first flavour and the one that has remained the best-seller is kati ruam mit, followed by other options such as coconut milk mixed with sweet basil seeds, durian, black sesame and coffee. We now have 18 original flavours on offer as well as seasonal options like longan and sugar-apple,” says Saowalak Sophonthanawat, 30, adding that some 1,000 kilograms of kati ruam mit ice cream alone are produced every week.

Home-made soy milk is served with black sesame ice cream./Photo courtesy of Thipparot

Last year, Saowalak and her partners decided to take things a step further and starting working with a pastry chef consultant to develop new ice cream-based dishes by merging them with Thai traditional desserts and snacks.

The coconut milk ice cream is paired with Thai snack of mee krob and a scoop of fresh milk ice cream goes well with toasted and buttered bread./ Photo courtesy of Thipparot

“Our coconut milk ice cream is made from coconut sourced from Thap Sakae district in the Southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan and has a creamy and aromatic flavour. The mon thong durian is used for our durian flavour while Thai tea is home-brewed from the leaves. Our ice cream doesn’t contain any additional flavoured powders, preservatives, emulsifiers or stabilisers,” adds Tritospol Wichitkul, one of Saowalak’s business partners, who works at an advertising agency.

Lemongrass jelly, fried chilli and fresh milk ice cream is served to represent tom yum while traditional summer refreshing treat of tang mo pla haeng also goes with fresh milk ice cream and custard mousse./Photo courtesy of Thipparot

The original flavoured ice cream also gets a spicy makeover with a clear sphere of lemongrass jelly together with crispy fried red chilli to represent the Thai favourite tom yum. It’s priced at Bt119. The traditional summer refreshing treat of tang mo pla haeng (watermelon with dried fish flakes) is recreated and served with a scoop of fresh milk ice cream on a bed of custard mousse (Bt99).

Thai tea ice cream with flakes of yim sanae crispy snack and salted egg yolk sauce. /Nationphoto:Korbphuk Phromrekha

For a sweet and savoury taste, patrons can opt for a combination of Thai tea ice cream presented with flakes of Thai-Chinese snack yim sanae (fried white sesame cookie), salted egg yolk, taro chips and salted egg yolk sauce (Bt109).

The original flavoured ice creams /Photo courtesy of Thipparot

The 18 original flavoured ice creams go for Bt30 a scoop, except for durian which is priced at Bt40. The toppings, which include coconut sticky rice, nipa palm seeds, roasted peanuts, mango, lotus seed and star gooseberry in syrup, go for Bt5 a pop.

Sensational scoops

>>>Thipparot is located just 20 metres from the mouth of Bangkok-Nonthaburi Soi 2, next to Tao Poon market and a short walk from MRT’s Tao Poon station.

>>>It is open daily from 9am to 8pm.

>>>Call (02) 585 0415, (02) 585 0209 or visit Facebook/thipparoticecream.

The country’s bounty of exotic fruits is being showcased in traditional Thai dishes from July 10 to August 10, with treats such as Ma-Hor – caramelised palm sugar, minced chicken, sweet dried turnip, roasted peanut and pineapple, Yam Pla Salid Kab Apple Keaw – dried crispy fish salad with green apple and lemongrass, Yam Pollamai Kab Goong Sod – mixed fruit salad with cashew nut and shrimp, Chu Chee Lychee Talay Thord” – deep-fried seafood served with lychee and dried red curry, and Yam Pak Boong Krob Look Ngoh Sod Sai – morning glory and roasted chicken salad with rambutan stuffed with pineapple.

Prices start from Bt280 and the restaurant opens daily for lunch from 11.30am-2.30pm (Monday to Saturday) and from 6pm-10.30pm for dinner. For reservations telephone (02) 126 8866 ext 1232 or email spicemarket.asia@anantara.com. For more info, visit www.siam-bangkok.anantara.com.

Foodies will relish the exciting flavours and tantalising dishes, carefully prepared using the freshest and best seasonal ingredients.

Served in traditional pinto Thai food containers, each set for two persons is a must-try, with eternal Thai favourites such as soft-shell crab and mango sticky rice. The sets start at Bt1,200 net for two persons. Available every day for lunch and dinner, each set also serves the favourite summer time dessert — mango and sticky rice.

“Thantawan Pinto Set” (vegetarian), priced at Bt1,200 net, includes spicy mixed mushroom salad, green curry with mixed vegetables and basil leaves, stir-fried eggplant with fried bean curd and basil as well as steamed jasmine rice.

The “Leelawadee Pinto Set”, priced at Bt1,400 net, offers crispy soft-shell crab with green mango and chili salad, red curry beef with coconut milk and kaffir lime leaves wok-fried asparagus, mushroom and shrimps, steamed jasmine rice.

Lastly, “Mali Sorn Pinto Set” priced at Bt1,600 serves spicy roasted chicken and lemongrass salad, grilled pork neck in red curry with eggplant and basil, stir fried broccoli, mushroom and deep-fried salmon, steamed jasmine rice.

Along with the tasty new pinto set menus being introduced this month, a vast array of delicious local and international dining can be enjoyed by all at River Barge Restaurant, and there is certainly something to tempt everybody on the eclectic menu. Add in the absolutely perfect location right beside the beautiful Chao Phraya River, and everything is set for a memorable lunch or magical evening with friends or family.

Open every day at Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok from 6am to 10.30pm. Reservations telephone (02) 307 8888 ext 1923 or email riverbarge.chrb@chatrium.com.