Michelin-starred R-HAAN wins diners over with the intricate flavours and detailed preparation of authentic Thai cuisine.
Nestled on a quiet street in Bangkok’s trendy Thanglor district, fine-dining Thai restaurant R-HAAN could be mistaken for any other modern building, until you pass through its glass doors and enter a world where modernity and tradition co-exist. A funnelled walkway, plastered with monochrome motifs, marks the grand entrance to the restaurant. Follow it and an imposing bust of the Bhirom Bhakdi family patriarch greets you with the simple dictum, “We are Thai. Chilli dip with an assortment of vegetables is an essential part of the dinner course.”
This, and a diorama depicting Thai farmers toiling in the fields, reveal that the restaurant champions Thai cuisine at heart. In fact, its name R-HAAN, meaning food, illustrates the old Thai proverb ‘Nai Nam Meece Pla, Nai Na Mee Khao (there are fish in the water and rice in the fields)’; there is nothing they take pride in more than showcasing Thailand’s produce in an intricate preparation of food known as royal Thai cuisine.
Glimpses of old and new converge again as we enter the restaurant proper. Reminiscent of an eclectically designed home, red, neon gold, teak and rattan accents run through the bar and dining room with a view of lush greenery outdoors. In the stately dining room, each table is accompanied by a side drawer outfitted for table-side service, while a sommelier stands ready to recommend wines that go well with the bold flavours of Thai cuisine, such as the biodynamic 2010 Remelluri Reserva from Rioja, Spain, or the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah, GranMonte Vineyard and Winery from the Asoke Valley, Thailand.
Denne historien er fra July - August 2019-utgaven av WINE&DINE.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July - August 2019-utgaven av WINE&DINE.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
New Blood
The next-generation is breathing new life into the forgotten art of spice-mixing, peppering the traditional trade with renewed ideas and fresh perspectives.
Sharing Is Caring
Compared to its flagship at Serene Centre, Fat Belly Social at Boon Tat Street is a classier and bolder affair, in more than one sense.
Nutmeg's Role In Singapore's History
From tales of it being used to ward off the plague in mid-1300s Europe to one of the ingredients in dessert, we have all known, tasted, or at least heard of nutmeg. But not many know of the spice’s role in Singapore’s history.
New And Improved
The ever-profound chef-owner Kenjiro ‘Hatch’ Hashida finds more room, three to be exact, to express a Ha Ri philosophy at Hashida Singapore’s new location at Amoy Street.
Pairing Spice-Driven Cuisines With Wine
Pairing spice-driven cuisines with wine has long been a challenge but with a little imagination, it doesn’t have to be.
Let Land Grow Wild
Niew Tai-Ran has worn many hats: aeronautical engineering major, investment banker, avid surfer, and, for the last 14 years, winemaker. Discover how this Malaysia-born, Singapore-native is championing the “do-nothing farming” philosophy at his vineyard in Oregon.
The South Asian Misnomer
Incredibly diverse and varied than most know, Indian food is far more intriguing than butter chicken or thosai. Here is a crash course on the extensive cuisine from region to region, recognisable for the seemingly infinite ways of using spices.
Keepers Of The Spice Trade
From its glory days along trade routes to pantry staples all over the world, spices have become so commonplace that we’ve taken them for granted. For these three trailblazers, however, spice is their livelihood and motivation: Langit Collective working with indigenous rural farming communities in Malaysia; IDH’s Sustainable Spice Initiative; and chef Nak’s one-woman mission to share forgotten Khmer cuisine.
Sugar, Spice And Everything Nice
Like food, spices bring vibrancy and variety to alcoholic beverages. Surfacing in unexpected ways on the palate, find everything from cumin to tamarind, cloves to cardamom enriching these drinks.
Building Blocks From The Archipelago
For the smorgasbord of dishes found in Indonesian cuisine, it is a little known secret that the modest bumbu, in all its variants, is the bedrock of such flavourful fare.
