Desserts for a special lady

Celebrate Mother’s Day with a delicious dining experience at Anantara Siam Bangkok and tuck into sweet treats that will make her day. She can enjoy cake at Mocha & Muffins from 7am to 8pm along with decadent chocolates and macaroons. Or indulge her in red velvet cheesecake or a special Mother’s Day Cupcake. Prices start from Bt135-plus per piece. Not free in the morning? Then book a seat for Tea Time with Mom and enjoy tasty pastries and fragrant teas decorated to a blue theme, accompanied by Mariage Freres teas.at The Lobby from 2 to 6pm. The afternoon tea set from August 5-9 is priced at Bt850-plus per set and Bt1,150-plus from August 10-12 including a glass of sparkling rose.

For more information, please call (02) 126 8866 Ext 1201.

Tapas with a twist

Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprosong Hotel is offering the latest in its series of Thai Tapas series featuring progressive Thai-inspired cuisine with a modern twist at R Bar. Multi-award-winning chef Prasertchai “Jack” Trongvanichnam presents his creative take on Thai food using molecular gastronomy approach, reinventing tapas by infusing them with bird’s chilli, tamarind, lemongrass, kaffir lime, mangosteen, fish sauce jelly and homemade hot chilli sauce.

The ‘R Thai Tapas’ event features 10 courses ranging  from Gaeng Daeng, Lobster, red curry ice cream, apple and mint yogurt, smoked lychee; Hoi shell – apple cured scallop, smoked lychee, tomato jam, squid ink, edamame, sorrel; Poo-Char,  King crab, coconut polenta, tomato chutney, fish sauce gel, coriander foam; Bai Tong Pao, Wagyu sirloin, cauliflower and galangal, banana, fish sauce gel, chilli sauce, banana leaves; and Sorbet Apple Sato, green apple, mint, Thai liquor and pickled pineapple jam

During the 10-course journey, Chef Jack will share the story behind each taste. It’s priced at Bt1,690-plus including a refreshing welcome drink. The R Thai Tapas is available in sit down dinner style for a maximum of 10 persons every Friday to Saturday from now until November 30. Advance reservation is required.

Welcome drink is served at 6.30pm and the first course served at 7pm. Book your table at (02) 125 5105.

Available as three, four or five courses, Chef Gaetano’s carefully crafted menu includes a choice of two outstanding antipasti – Hokkaido scallops with green apple, sweet peas coulis and late summer flowers, and tuna and sword fish with beetroot in basil seaweed essence oil, as well as white wine Manila clams and black mussel fregula with n’duja cherry tomatoes and herbs.

The menu features a choice of pasta and mains including homemade tortelli carbonara and risotto made with lemon carnaroli rice, Sicilian red prawns, capers, burrata cheese and cherry tomatoes. Other highlights are seared black cod with potato foam, San Daniele ham dust and olives, and premium quality Miyazaki wagyu sirloin with banana shallots and potato puree.

The 3-course set featuring appetiser or soup, main and dessert goes for Bt2,400, 4 courses, with the addition of past, cost Bt3,000 while 5 courses including both appetiser and group is Bt3,500. An outstanding wine list is also available.

The long-term study, which involved analyzing more than 4,500 Chinese adults age 55 and above over a 15-year period, concluded that those who regularly ate more than 50 grams of chili per day experienced faster cognitive decline. The decrease in memory and cognition is said to be particularly steeper for those who are slimmer.

According to the New York Post, among the tests included in the study published in the journal Nutrients were counting backward, recalling a 10-word list and subtracting simple equations.

Dr. Ming Li from the University of South Australia, which partnered with researchers at Qatar University for the study, said that consuming chili was especially popular among Asian people. In China, for example, it is consumed every day by most adults in regions like Hunan and Sichuan.

Among the type of chili examined by the researchers were dried and fresh chili peppers, both of which contain capsaicin, which has long been regarded as metabolism and vascular health boosters.

Globally, up to 50 million people suffer from dementia, according to World Health Organization data.

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.