ON A serene patch off Sukhumvit 31 in Bangkok, the restaurant Haoma – a two-storey house with a backyard garden lush with edible greens – is named for a divine plant from Persian mythology.

This is indeed a green destination, where the zero-waste principle is pursued and all the ingredients have been raised free of pesticides and antibiotics. The owners have the big beautiful backyard as well as a four-rai farm in Chiang Mai.

Fruit and vegetables are served about 48 hours after harvest in the belief that that’s primetime for their component nutrients. They come from small, local producers whose methods are certified as environmentally and ethically responsible.

Haoma takes a sustainable approach to “progressive” cuisine with its farm-to-table meals.

A visit to Haoma typically begins with a short tour of the garden with the proprietor and executive chef, Deepanker “DK” Khosla from India, who proudly shows off his integrated “aquaponics” system where fish and plants grow together.

Wasabi mizuna, Indian borage and French roselle are among the herbs under cultivation in beds, while six large vats, each containing 500 litres of rainwater, hold pla nil – Nile tilapia fish.

Whatever food waste emanates from the kitchen ends up in the fish bellies and then the fish waste fertilises the plants, which in exchange filter the water in which the fish live.

In the backyard garden grow a variety of edible plants and herbs.

“It’s a carbon-neutral system,” Khosla explains. “Each tank can hold about 100 fish and the rainwater is constantly recycling. I got the idea while camping at Kaeng Krachan Dam in Phetchaburi, where the reservoir was full of pla nil initially raised by King Bhumibol. He encouraged people to breed this fish because it grows quickly and is rich in protein.”

By the end of next year, says Khosla, who also runs the restaurant Karma Kismet in New Delhi, Haoma will be zero-waste.

Pla nil, a fish highly recommended by King Bhumibol, is cultivated in constantly recycling rainwater. 

“We’ve already reduced about 80 per cent of the waste and the rest depends on our suppliers. We’ll stop using suppliers who use diesel trucks – they have to run on CNG [compressed natural gas]. And we give our vegetable suppliers cotton bags to use for deliveries so there’s no need for plastic. The meat we get in recyclable containers.”

The indoor dining area is predominantly wood and chock-full of decorative plants. There’s also an outdoor deck in the backyard with low tables.

For the cool season, Khosla has unveiled menus of nine courses (Bt1,990) and 13 courses (Bt2,590) that draw inspiration from the mountains of Chiang Mai, the Gulf of Thailand and the little urban “farm” on Sukhumvit 31.

Chef Deepanker “DK” Khosla gathers herbs for the evening serving.

He characterises the cuisine as “progressive”, with frequent spicy kicks in a nod to both the chef’s homeland and his adopted land.

“The dishes reflect my roots and my journey so far in Thailand,” he says. “I’ve been living here for five years and I travel regularly to experience different flavours. I want to bring all these elements to my food.

“The menu presented to the guests is like a map of Thailand and they can travel to different provinces in different courses. Sakon Nakhon is popular for its pon yang khambeef, for example, Buri Ram for its wagyu and Ayutthaya for its river prawns.”

Galauti Cornets 

Galauti Cornets are a spicy, slightly tangy opening pop to waken the taste buds. They’re tiny pastry cones served on a tree branch and they’re filled with wild mushrooms, 13 Indian spices, local hed tob (black mushroom) and citrus gel.

Oyster & Corn Tartar 

Oyster & Corn Tartar is a cracker holding slices of oyster and abalone from Phuket, cooked with cilantro and yuzu lemon. It’s topped with a “deconstruction” of corn soup that ends up looking like corn kernels.

Melon Terrine 

Khosla says his Melon Terrine combines what he loves most about green and red Thai curries, massaman and tom kha (coconut soup with galangal). It features three chunks of melon – red, green and yellow – capped with tom kha ice cream. On the side is foam that’s flavoured just like massaman, green curry and tom kha.

Cured Wheel 

Arriving in a wooden box is Cured Wheel, which Khosla says “represents Haoma in one bite”. Here you have 15 different herbs grown in the backyard and some of that pla niltoo. It’s a roll-up with a rice cracker at the centre, encircled with layers of dashi, the Haoma greens and fish, and raisin jam, all with a ginger-and-lemon dressing.

Tikka Masala 

Also presented cold is tikka masala, in which charbroiled chicken meets cottage cheese, makhani and pickled shallot. Khosla says he’s had success tackling the “challenge” of presenting chilled versions of dishes normally served hot – like green curry, tom khaand tikka masala.

Wagyu Short Ribs 

Wagyu Short Ribs tap into the Buri Ram supply for 100-gram servings presented with eggplant gel, buckwheat seeds and a foam of fermented buckwheat, plus home-made miso paste and mushrooms on the side.

Black and White

The delicious dessert is called Black and White, the “White” being ice cream made with fresh cream and milk and dehydrated yoghurt, and the “Black” charcoal ice cream with home-made cookie crumble.

SHOW THAT YOU CARE

Haoma on Sukhumvit Soi 31 is open Tuesday through Sunday, daily from 6pm to 11pm.

Call (02) 258 4744 or visit http://www.Haoma.dk.

 Having been mentored by such culinary luminaries as Yotam Ottolenghi, Clare Smyth and Heston Blumenthal, and being the co-founder of the ice-cream chain Ungermann Brothers, Ungermann is known as “the king of ice cream”.

Born to a Dutch mother and Dutch-Indonesian father, Ungermann transcends the borders between European and Asian cuisine. This makes his creations equally stunning on their own or juxtaposed with sophisticated modern French and perfectionist, traditional Thai cuisine.

He will share all his culinary concepts on his own and paired with two of the hotel’s top chefs in mouth-watering four-hand formats.

Moreover, he will present a cooking demonstration to which keen hobby-cooks are invited, followed by a “chef’s table” dining experience. Plus, his ice cream will crop up both on the menus and in his cooking demonstration.

On December 5, explore his special corner and live station at the Rain Tree Cafe’s Father’s Day brunch and dinner buffets (Bt2,400-plus).

On December 6 at Reflexions, Ungermann presents “All About Chef Ben” – a three-course set lunch (Bt1,800-plus) and seven-course degustation set dinner (Bt3,800-plus).

On December 7, “The Dutch Connection” prevails as he joins forces with fellow Netherlander Roxanne Lange, chef de duisine of the Reflexions, presenting together a four-hands, four-course set lunch – two courses each by Ungermann and Lange (Bt2,000-plus), and four-hands seven-course set dinner – four courses by Ungermann and three by Lange (Bt3,800-plus).

On December 8, explore “Thai, Dutch Indonesian Influence” with Ungermann this time in a cook-off with smooth curry Thai-food guru Montri.

Together they will present a four-hands, four-course set lunch – two courses each by Ungermann and Montri (Bt1,600-plus) and a four-hands, seven-course set dinner – four courses by Ungermann and three by Montri (Bt2,800-plus).

The season of Ungermann concludes on December 9 with “Chef’s Table with Ben”, beginning with a cooking demonstration before segueing into a six-course degustation dinner (Bt4,200-plus).

Reservations can be made at (02) 650 8800 or fb.theathenee@luxurycollection.com.

REMEMBER THE decommissioned Lockheed TriStar that Somchai Songwatana was rebuilding as a restaurant at his creative-retail property ChangChui in Thonburi? Well, diners are now boarding.

The 55-metre-long, 150-tonne former jet that’s been permanently parked at ChangChui for 17 months is finally whisking passengers off on culinary adventures, its cabin whimsically decorated with stuffed animals.

The one-time member of the Thai Sky Airlines fleet was about to be shredded for scrap when Somchai, the celebrated clothing designer and founder of fashion label FlyNow, flew to its rescue.

The Lockheed L1011 TriStar jet has been transformed into a restaurant with unusual decor to match its fine-dining concept.

He and his team hauled the plane in 20 massive chunks from Don Mueang Airport and painstakingly reassembled it on-site.

It originally had 450 seats, but there are only 90 in the taxidermy-stocked restaurant named Na-Oh, a pun on Noah of biblical ark fame.

Na-Oh was supposed to open last Valentine’s Day with Andy Yang in the kitchen. The Thai chef earned a Michelin star in 2009 for his New York eatery Rhong Tiam. Instead, 19-year-old self-taught Mo-na Teeratada is in charge of the restaurant, which Bondi Belly, led by Natee Laorungrueangdet, is operating.

Upon boarding for what’s billed as a “futuristic food journey”, guests have three set dinners to choose among – five courses for Bt1,500, eight for Bt2,500 and the “chef’s selection” for Bt5,500.

Diners board Na-Oh, a decommissioned and permanently grounded passenger jet at ChangChui, for daily “flights” of culinary fancy.

“The menu will change every three months, but we’re starting with the theme of ‘diaspora’ – using food to discuss the cultures of the different nationalities being evacuated post-doomsday on board Na-Oh,” says Natee.

“As a Thai, I’m proud of jasmine rice, just as Indians love their spices and Chinese their teas. We’ll try to blend all of these together to recall the memory of what we’re leaving behind in the old world as we travel to the new world.”

An antique cage elevator lifts guests from ground to fuselage, where a glass cabinet holding a mama and baby stuffed polar bear greets them.

The team has replaced the airline seats with vintage Art Deco sofas and chairs and added fancy chandeliers and framed prints of Noah and his menagerie riding the high seas. Old steamer trunks serve as tables.

A mother polar bear and her cub attest to the marvels of taxidermy.

It’s a bit disconcerting at first having stuffed animals staring at you while you eat, but the taxidermists have certainly done wonderful work. And the silent creatures are certified legal and ethical, meaning they died of natural causes. An eland and a baboon, looking quite life-like, peer calmly out from behind glass.

The animals, antique furniture and vintage decorative items came from Somchai’s personal collection. He owns 30,000 perfume bottles, and a bunch of them were turned into a counter bar on which stuffed birds perch.

The plane’s former baggage compartment is now a 10-seat lounge with stuffed beasts occupying a sizeable display cabinet.

The former baggage compartment is now a 10-seat lounge with high-backed maroon sofas and a large display cabinet of beasts escaping Noah’s flood – among them white lions, a black bear, a warthog, caribou and more birds.

The cockpit is a private dining room with a classic chesterfield. The tail end has been fitted with a large window affording views of the grounds.

The cockpit is a private dining area.

The five-course set was served at a preview day for the press last week, minus the amuse bouche “Adrift”, which we were told involves fermented black beans, rillettes and foie gras.

The lights dimmed and Mo-na strolled in carrying a lantern and wearing a Zorro-like mask – he bills himself as the Red-mask Chef. By way of an explanation: “He’s the person who drives Na-Oh, no matter who he is.”

To begin what proved to be a quite theatrical performance, he outlined the diaspora concept.

Amah – pickled cabbage in soy sauce

Then each dish arrived with a melancholy back-story. Amah, the staff said, was what your amah (granny) gave you to take on the journey – pickled cabbage in soy sauce. Thanks, Granny!

“We all are escaping Noah’s flood to a new world,” Mo-na intoned. “My fusion dishes represent non-linear storytelling, about the evacuation of peoples of many cultures who are yearning for something they’re missing. Amah represents the significant role that food preservation will play in the future, while the next dishes recall the past.”

Fake Fertile – Portobello mushroom, red snapper and prawn mash

“Fake Fertile” was Portobello mushroom, red snapper and prawn mash, hinting (we were informed) at the fertility of forests, mountains, rivers and seas in the world we’ve left behind. “Remain” was pork belly in caramel-soy sauce with riceberry, wrapped in banana leaves.

Remain – pork belly in caramel-soy sauce and riceberry

Dessert was “Not Just a Potato” – an accurate name since the baked sweet potato was filled with rum-raisin ice cream.

Mo-na returned home last year after being in Australia since age 11. He disliked the conventional education system there, though, and instead took on various jobs, including toiling in a fish market and a fast-food chain.

Not Just a Potato – baked sweet potato with rum-raisin ice cream

“I always cooked for my friends when we got together and they said my food was good, so I started to love cooking, and I liked to mix and match ingredients to create Asian fusion dishes,” he said.

“Then friends of friends heard about me and started hiring me to cook for them. I also worked at many restaurants in Sydney, but I refused to go to Le Cordon Bleu Sydney when my mum applied there for me.”

Mo-na Teeratada bills himself as “the Red-mask Chef”.

Once back in Thailand, he spent six months at one restaurant, but quit that to tackle the Na-Oh challenge. It’s an odd approach, he conceded from behind the red mask, but a bit of fun, the meal somehow suitably ending with a light-and-sound show.

I found plenty to “wow” about in the ambience and the concept, but thought the chef’s strolling and the pensive brooding over each dish a little too off-off-Broadway. As for the food itself, it wasn’t all that exciting or surprising.

Having said that – if you’re in search of an unusual new dining experience, prepare to take flight.

ZOO UP IN THE BLUE

Na-Oh is open daily except Wednesday from 6 to 11pm.

Book seats at (02) 007 7070 or http://www.Na-OhBangkok.com.

Guests can expect to be surprised and delighted with a chef’s table style seven-course Thai menu. Yang will be showcasing his unique Thai culinary excellence with a unique environment and creatively deconstructing and reimagining Thai eats exclusively for Decanter guests. The prices are Bt4,500-plus per person and Bt7,000-plus with optional wine pairing.

The chef compares the art of cooking to painting an artwork, or composing a musical masterpiece.

“You must interlace each note, colour or ingredient; all working masterfully together. Like any journey, it begins from the careful selection of local ingredients, all coming together, through careful preparation and presentation to stimulate the five senses,” he says.

With an incomparable perspective on Thai cuisine, he applies his extensive knowledge and understanding of the true complexities of an authentic Thai dining experience, together with his innate talent for culinary artistry and techniques acquired in New York kitchens. He delicately balances the spicy, sweet, salty and tart elements of Thai food, always remaining loyal to his traditions. Thai food is based on precious ancestral traditions symbolising patience, detail, integrity, dignity, self-respect and honesty.

In addition to the restaurants Rhong Tiam and Table 38, he also runs Pad Thai Fai Ta Lu. His Table 38 restaurant’s motto is “using today’s knowledge to tell yesterday’s story”.

“Growing up in Bangkok, a city with a big clash of different cultures, I am naturally influenced by things that were meticulously done in the past, the contrast of prestigious heritages, vernacular design languages and exotic street cultures. I believe every dish can be a tool for communication, not just a tasty dish. Updating these topics and introducing them to new audiences and younger generations gives me great satisfaction,” he says

Advanced reservation is recommended. For bookings, call (02) 207 7777 or email fb.bangkok@stregis.com.

With a sampling of cuisine from all over Asia as well as an Italian station, Amaya’s Father’s Day Brunch features premium seafood both on ice and on the grill. There are oysters, river prawns, rock lobsters, Alaskan crabs, blue crabs and New Zealand mussels prepared to the diners’ liking.

Diners can celebrate the street food of Asia and finish the meal with a selection of desserts at Amaya Treats, which offers a range of seasonal fruits, international cakes and traditional Thai treats, including the signature ice kacang with 40 varieties of toppings.

The Father’s Day Brunch is on December 5 from noon to 3.30pm and costs Bt1,750-plus, including freeflowing drinking water and soft drinks. Fathers eat for free with a family of three or more adults.

Make reservations at (02) 653 9000, extension 355, or email oramaya.watergate@amari.com.

Tulip’s triple choice

Meanwhile the Golden Tulip Sovereign Hotel Bangkok will be welcoming dads at Fook Yuan, its Chinese restaurant, for dim sum and other Cantonese delights, at Nishiki Japanese restaurant for an alacarte buffet (Bt650-net for lunch and Bt750 for dinner) and 92 Café for an international buffet (lunch Bt599, dinner Bt750).

Plus, Dad dines for free on December 5 if he’s got four other adults in tow, as well as a free family photo. For reservations, call (02) 641 4777.

Riverside picnic

Dim sum also tops the lunch buffet menu at the Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok’s Silver Waves Chinese restaurant, where a table of four pays only for three.

The price is Bt1,150-net (Bt575 for children). Set it up at (02) 307 8888, extension 1948-9 or silverwaves.chrb@chatrium.com.

All the favourites

The JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok is ready to treat the whole family with a Father’s Day feast at the Grand Brunch Buffet at JW Café on December 5 from noon to 3pm.

On offer are authentic Thai dishes, dim sum, sushi and sashimi, mac ’n’ cheese, fresh seafood, wagyu beef noodles, foie gras, cold cuts and prime rib, roast beef and lamb. That’s Bt2,040-plus.

Meanwhile the hotel’s Chinese restaurant, Man Ho, will have a Grand All You Can Eat Dim Sum Lunch for Bt1,500-net. There’ll be 60 types of dim sum available, plus other delicacies like roast duck Hong Kong style.

Book a table at (02) 656 7700.

And that makes it perfect for tourists who can just download the app and start ordering.

Bangkok: Pad Thai from Yord Pad Thai

With some of the friendliest people, Thailand is known as being the Land of Smiles, and in the capital city this couldn’t be more evident. Tourists can explore the markets, and soak up the sights, sounds and smells, with street food being a definite must-try. Fir a break from the overflowing markets, order the local delicacy Pad Thai from Yord Pad Thai, for some heart warming rice noodles stir fried with shrimps.

Hua Hin: Som Tam Pu Ma from Som Tam Mae Boon Chuay

A trip to one of the most picturesque coastal beach towns will see you deep diving into the clear blue waters and getting up close and personal with the marine life. With stunning huts right on the crisp sand, you might want to open all the doors and watch the waves roll in rather than head out into the heat of the night. Make it a peaceful night-in accompanied with the best delicacy of the region – Som Tam Pu Ma, the fresh blue crab of Hua Hin gives a satisfying bite to the zesty sauce.

Chiang Mai: Khao Soi from Khao Soi Nimman

The city of temples, will see you up at the light of dawn to explore every spiritual palace that Chiang Mai has to offer. Amongst the mountains and jungles, you’ll find the sacred shining religious grounds and be awed…after a full day of exploring and discovering the ancient part of the city, you will more than have worked up an appetite. Don’t worry we have the best dish of the region for you, a steaming bowl of the Khao Soi – rich in flavours of curry and coconut milk. Great for when you need to sit back and relax in your room after all the exploration.

Phuket: Oh-Aew from Kopi De Phuket

Get your fill of night markets, exotic shows and dancing in Phuket. The energy buzzing through the air will keep you enthralled with the island, amongst the throngs of people and exotic animal spotting, make sure to taste the local sweet treat Oh-Aew. Order for pick up from Kopi De Phuket to try the best in town, this signature dessert will definitely give you the sugar kick needed to fuel your adventures.

Through the foodpanda website or via the new iOS and Android apps, customers can enter their area and view a curated list of restaurants serving their neighbourhood. Once they have found their meal of choice, they can place an order in the comfort of their home or office, paying online through foodpanda’s secure platform. The order is then carefully prepared by the restaurant, picked up by the foodpanda rider and delivered straight to their doorstep.

Find out more at http://www.FoodPanda.co.th.

“THE WISDOM of Thai Cuisine”, the guiding concept at R.Haan, has won the Bangkok restaurant a place at the Michelin table, with a prestigious star newly awarded in the 2019 Michelin Guide Bangkok.

The applause belongs to celebrity chef Chumpol Jangprai, whose kitchen magic has drawn legions of admirers since the restaurant opened eight months ago.

Chumpol’s allegiance to authentic Thai cuisine and his fine-dining presentations are backed up by an unwavering policy of “no imported ingredients”.

He focuses firmly on the “heart” of Thai cookery, as strictly prescribed in traditional recipes, adding twists only to the final touches on starters and desserts to improve the presentation at table.

The private dining room

“My aim is to make my customers happy. They come here, enjoy the food and have a great experience,” says Chumpol, who takes inspiration from the famous Thai proverb “There is fish in the water and rice in the fields”, denoting to fertile waters and land to which the people have such a strong bond.

“That’s why we only cook with Thai ingredients. The menu changes seasonally so we can use the best ingredients and the herbs and spices that are in abundance. R.Haan’s goal is to signify the global popularity of Thai food. The restaurant’s name itself means ‘food’.”

Today esteemed as a master of Thai cuisine, Chumpol has spent his life since age six learning, experimenting and developing recipes, including researching the best ingredients and their sources.

The restaurant is a partnership with Piti Bhirombhakdi, heir to the Singha Corp business and a fellow devotee of the innate spirit and charm of the cuisine of their homeland.

“When I was young I liked to do three things – pound chillies into paste, knead fish cakes into shape and spin the ingredients to make ice cream. All of it was good exercise and I got to eat free ice cream! So at this restaurant, you don’t skip the ice cream. I’m the expert!”

Every diner is given three different menus, each menu listing a nine-course meal of dishes in small portions. You can’t mix and match from one menu to another, so it’s a good idea to go with at least two friends. That way everyone gets to sample the different courses, just like Thai family-style sharing.

Regardless of the menu, accompanying the dishes are either steamed Hom Mali rice from Chiang Rai or Ubon Ratchathani or steamed brown rice of five types.

Dessert choices come with Thai fruit, petit fours and tea or coffee.

The first menu, Thai Samrub Eak (Bt2,612), boasts such rare treats and begins with Coconut-smoked homemade pork sausage, Spicy Thai salad with termite mushrooms from Sakhon Nakhon, and Asparagus and organic chicken liver.

Steamed Thai dumplings with banana shrimp

The Steamed dumpling with banana shrimp is lovely, as is Crispy rice vermicelli with sweet and sour sauce made from somsa (sour orange). This arrives in chive-and-coriander pastry shells.

The main courses are equally savoury, including the traditional rainy-season Free-range chicken in a sour turmeric consomee with fresh madan (the herb garcinia).

King river prawn is cooked according to a venerable curry recipe for gang run juan and perfectly blends three different shrimp pastes. Both the Salted sun-dried beef in fresh coconut curry and Stir-fried pork belly with red curry crispy pork are wonderful as well.

Each of the menus features a different type of nam prik (chilli dip) and they’re all great.

Naam Prik Lhong Rau

“Nam prik represents our food culture,” says Chumpol. “It has it’s own charms, but it’s characteristically served with steamed and fresh vegetables and meat. I recommend the Nam Prik Lhong Rau on the Royal Cuisine menu because it comes from a recipe from Suan Sunandha Palace.

“For Classic Cuisine, I highlight spicy crab-roe sauce with a dip of bird’s-eye chillies. And northern-style Nam Prik Aong is chopped kurobuta and tomato.”

The next Thai Samrub Tho menu (Bt2,412) opens with Sriracha pineapple topped with minced pork and Doi Kham (Royal Project) macadamia.

The appetisers include a spicy salad of Wild banana flower and charcoal-grilled frog, a Satay chicken curry puff and a Deep-fried river prawn cake.

Wild banana flower salad with grilled frog

The main courses are Tom Yam Kung and Masaman made with Kam Pang San beef and nine spices.

“No matter what the season, these two dishes are always on the menu,” Chumpol says. “To me, savoury-tangy massaman in particular represents true Thai taste because it’s difficult to make just right since it has seven different tastes blended together.

“And for dessert we will always have Pakdee mango with sticky rice and Coconut-milk ice cream. It’s the best!”

Pakdee mango with sticky rice and ice cream

The Thai Samrub Tri menu (Bt2,212) includes a fantastic Deep-fried fish cake with orchid ginger from Ko Kret district. Then there’s Isaan-style prawn salad with young tamarind leaves, Black chicken from Chiang Mai grilled in the southern manner after marinating in golae, and Deep-fried dill fish soup with puffball mushrooms.

Korat Wagyu beef spicy consomme

Highly recommend is Korat wagyu beef spicy consomme and Catfish curry with cumin leaves, as well as Steamed crab curry, which is interestingly served in a bamboo tube.

R.Haan is meanwhile contributing to a revival in interest in fine traditional Thai ceramics. Every dish is presented on handcrafted traditional tableware that was used in the palace during the Rattannakosin Period.

As winter arrives, Chumpol hints that there will be pla tu – short mackerel – swimming onto the menus from the Gulf of Thailand.

As for earning that Michelin star in such a short time, Chumpol calls it the result of a team effort but points out that they spent two years getting ready to open with the right “authentic Thai” concept.

“I’m proud of the Michelin star, and R.Haan will maintain the same high quality and keep our customers happy.”

DELICIOUS IT TRULY IS

R.Haan is at 131 Soi Sukhumvit 53 (Paidee-Madee) Klongtun Nua Wattana in Bangkok.

It’s open daily from 6 to 11pm.

A private room able to accommodate up to 20 guests is available.

Make reservation at (02) 059 0433-4 or (095) 141 5524.

 “My aspiration is to inspire with my modern three-dimensional aromatic cuisine,” says the chef. “The first dimension constitutes each individual product’s natural flavour. The second dimension describes how dishes are prepared. The third dimension represents the extensive range of the cuisine.”

In the first dimension, chef Buhner believes there is no flavour more intense or authentic than the pure flavour of each individual ingredient. This is highlighted in his venison dish as his “taste bomb”, where the jus is developed using the unadulterated juices of the meat, boiled down and vacuum-evaporated for its essence.

In the second dimension, the chef has a penchant for slow and low-temperature cooking, such as braising or sous-vide methods, rather than pan-searing, such as for fish fillets. He feels the relaxed approach in the kitchen allows for brilliance on each plate and brings out different aromas in the food.

His third dimension ensures his menu experience is like the composition of a finished symphony, rather than disparate courses playing contrasting tunes. He playfully arranges his plates to evoke emotions and create a dramatic sensuous experience. His resulting vibrant plated works of art stimulate the senses, with beauty, mouth-watering scent and mind-blowing taste.

At Jojo, he will begin with yoghurt foam, beetroot and apple, complemented by imperial caviar. Otoro tuna is then paired with wild cod, consomme and saffron. Next up, a mango gazpacho is topped with deep-sea cardinal prawns and venus shell abalone. A potato foam is served with savoruy curry ice cream, followed by etouffee pigeon and foie gras, which is married with the flavours of caramelised pumpkin juice, wild mustard and dandelion tips. In a rich exotic stock, tender venison is matched with red cabbage cream and a celery cream. To end on a sweet chocolate note, a liquid savarin of guanja lactee is served with cherries, mulled wine and puffed quinoa.

The four-course set lunch costs Bt2,900-plus and the seven-course set dinner goes for Bt4,900-plus.

The Sunday brunch is priced Bt2,850-plus.

For reservations, call (02) 207 7777 or visit http://www.StRegisBangkok.com.

 Montara Hospitality’s farm-to-table restaurant Pru at Trisara Phuket has earned a Michelin star the second Michelin Guide Bangkok, becoming the first and only restaurant in Phuket to do so.

The guide has expanded this year to cover the best dining venues in southern Phuket and Phang Nga provinces and in Bangkok’s neighbouring cities of Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon and Samut Prakan.

Pru chef de cuisine Jim Ophorst is touted as an inspiring voice of change for elevating the farm-to-table movement in Thailand.

Ophorst, 29, is originally from the Netherlands and renowned for his imaginative cooking style and innovative techniques. In 2016 he joined Montara’s Trisara, where his raw talent and conviction inspired the conception of Pru. He was also twice a semi-finalist for S Pellegrino’s annual Young Chefs Award, in 2016 and 2017.

Pru’s culinary concept, “Plant, Raise, Understand”, stems from Ophorst and his team’s close relationship with local suppliers and farmers, as well as the opportunities to forage and discover new ingredients from the restaurant’s own farm, Pru Jampa.

The farm sits among beautiful lakes on whose banks herbs, organic vegetable gardens, free-range chickens and ducks are raised.

“I’m excited to discover new ingredients all the time because it pushes my creative boundaries,” says the chef. “We also want to strengthen the local farm community. This will yield better ingredients for better dishes at Pru. At the end, it’s all about the happiness in every angle – from the farmers to the restaurant team to the guests at our tables.”

In addition to Pru, Seafood at Trisara, which serves authentic southern Thai dishes based on treasured family heirloom recipes, was awarded a Michelin plate, the little red guide’s guarantee to a good meal.

Executive chef Kla Prakobkit presents a menu featuring local favourites made from scratch and showcasing produce that’s sustainably sourced.

“At Trisara, we see many guests return year after year, so we want to ensure that, with every visit, they have the opportunity to enjoy new dining experiences,” says Kla.

Pru is open for dinner from 6.30pm Monday through Saturday. Visit http://www.PruRestaurant.com.

Seafood is open daily from 6pm. Visit https://Trisara.com/dining-experiences-2-2.