A wonderful little cooking course in a Thai-style outdoor kitchen

Thai food has become one of my favourite international cuisines. And unlike French or Italian where there are many competent executions in various cities around the world, I find Thai food a bit lackluster when not in Thailand. Don’t get me wrong, some places outside of Thailand do get it right, but they are few and far between. So we’ve decided to take matters into our own hands and make Thai food at home. I myself am a very comfortable and accomplished Western cook but I am unaccustomed to how to build the Thai flavour profiles. This is why whenever we go back to Thailand, I try to take a Thai cooking course to supplement my knowledge of Thai cooking. On our most recent trip, this was Baipai Cooking School in the Chongnonsee area of Bangkok.

The special thing about this cooking school is that they use a typical outdoor Thai style kitchen. Most Thais (and Asians in general) have very small and limited kitchens within the home and expansive outdoor kitchens adjacent to the home. This is because the high heat, resulting smoke and amount of oil required to stir fry makes it a near impossibility to do indoors. The Baipai kitchen is set in a charming little Thai house in a quiet part of town. As the chef leads you through recipes the wind whistles through the palm trees and geckos croak. It’s a special treat to enjoy the process of cooking and nature at the same time.

We made several dishes that day…preparing them as individual courses and sitting in between dishes to enjoy what we had just prepared. It ranged from the more simple things like Som Tum Thai (Green Papaya Salad) and Goong Ma-Kam (Prawn in Tamarind Sauce) to Chicken in Pandanus Leaf and Ganag Pehd Ped Yang (Roasted Duck in Red Curry). We learned everything from the basic practices of cleaning shrimp (a good refresher), how to properly use a pestle and mortar, how to tie pandan leaves, and even specific regional styles of preparation like separating coconut milk to extract the fullest fat cream part.

Between the new techniques we learned and the relaxed feel of the tropical, outdoor kitchen, it was a really lovely way to spend the day. Since some of you may be far from Thailand, we wanted to share some recipes with you and have picked a couple where we think you will be more likely to find the ingredients in most large city supermarkets. Enjoy!

Chicken in Pandanus Leaf
If there are no Pandanus leaves available where you live, you can also substitute a corn husk or simply put on BBQ skewers. Further, instead of chicken you can substitute shrimp or fish.

Ingredients:
70 grams chicken thigh cut into 5 bite sized pieces
5 Pandanus leaves
1 clove garlic
1 coriander root, roughly chopped
10 black pepper seeds
1 lemongrass, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
½ teaspoon white sesame seeds
2 cups vegetable oil for deep frying

Dipping sauce – 1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce sprinkled with white sesame seeds.

Directions:

1. Pound coriander root, garlic, black pepper seeds and lemongrass together. Ideally in with a mortar and pestle. If not then in a bowl with a heavy wooden spoon.
2. Transfer into a mixing bowl with chicken, sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, white sesame seeds and mix well. Leave to marinate 1 hour.
3. After 1 hour, wrap each piece of chicken in a pandanus leaf.
4. Submerge the bundle of chicken, completely wrapped in the leaf into hot oil. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
5. Serve with dipping sauce.

Prawn in Tamarind Sauce
To prepare the prawn, remove the sharp pointy part of the tail, then cut down the middle of the prawn. Pass the tail backwards through the hole in the middle. This results in a more evenly cooked and elegant presented prawn.

Ingredients:
3 – 4 medium sized prawn
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup vegetable oil for deep frying

Tamarind sauce:
1 tablespon shallot, finely sliced
2 tablespoons tamarind paste or sauce
1 tablespoon palm sugar
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons water

Garnish:
3 small dried chillis flash deep fried in oil
Fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves

Directions:

1. Prepare prawns as indicated above and coat them with flour. Deep fry until golden brown (1 minute). Set aside and drain on paper towel.
2. Prepare tamarind sauce by stir frying sliced shallot in oil until crisp. Add palm sugar, tamarind paste, fish sauce and water. NOTE – palm sugar must be added 1^st! Stir until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat. (Sauce will actually keep for 1 month if you wish to prepare in a larger batch to save).
3. Serve by arranging prawns on the plate and drizzle with the tamarind sauce. Garnish with the fried chillis and some fresh coriander

Baipai Cooking School,
150 / 12 Soi Naksuwan, Nonsee Road
Chongnonsee, Yannawa
Bangkok, Thailand
Telephone: +66 22 94 9029

If you ever find yourself shopping for bootlegs computer accessories at Pantip Plaza in Bangkok, do yourself a favor and skip out on the foreigner friendly fast food chains and S&P (I’m not knocking S&P) found on the ground level. Instead walk across the street to Soi Som Prason 4. A short walk up the street is Mama’s. Mama’s is cheap, lacking any kind of ambiance (save for the orange chairs) but has surprisingly good food at an ever better value.

If you have Pantip Plaza at your back walk across the foot bridge to the other side of the road. You should see the following sign.

Head up this road and you’ll soon spot Mama’s on the right hand side of the road. The people who told me about the restaurant called it “orange chair restaurant” due to the chairs.

There’s no real sign up, just a menu posted on the wall. The real menu is much larger than what’s advertised here.

Don’t worry, if you don’t read or speak Thai, they have a picture menu with dishes listed in English. This is one of the cheapest meals you (and your bowels) will comfortably have in Bangkok. Seriously, any cheaper and dirtier than this place and you’re just asking for a world of hurt.

I love to come here for the Yam Plu Duk Fu (crispy fried catfish with mango chutney). It’s crispy, spicy and a touch sweet. This is my favorite Thai dish and Mama’s sells one of my favorite versions. Sure there’s fluffier catfish sold at other restaurants, but I kind of prefer this dish a bit more rustic… and cheap. At 50 THB (1.50 USD) it’s just good value.

The Pad Kra Pao (Gai – Chicken or Moo – Pork) with fried egg on top here is also good.

The Pak Boong Fai Dang (morning glory fried in oyster sauce) here is interestingly served with rice. Normally this comes out as a plain veggie side dish. Here they serve it up with some steamed rice which serves to catch all that great stir fry juices (usually the best part of the dish). A small touch that adds a lot of enjoyment to the meal.

Everything else is pretty much spot on as well. Mama’s might not be the cleanest restaurant in town and it doesn’t have the slickest presentation… but 9 times of 10 in Bangkok those are the places you want to find. Those out of the way dingy places are where you’re going to have your best meals in Thailand. It’s those super clean, expensive, foreigner friendly Thai places in Bangkok you’ve got to watch out for .

A modern oasis of calm on bustling Petchaburi Road

I have said it before, but will say it again….I believe spa treatments are not a luxury, but rather an integral part of taking care of oneself. Not only do they promote relaxation, but depending on the treatment one has it can stimulate circulation, release knotted muscles, condition and rejuvenate the skin, reduce local muscle and joint inflammation and more… To that end, there is no shortage of spas in Bangkok, but my experience is there are a lot of places in Bangkok where massage are spa treatments are offered where the aestheticians are not so skilled and perhaps not appropriately trained. This is why word of mouth counts for everything in Bangkok and why we would like to tell you about the Sivara Spa.

Sivara Spa is located in an unlikely place, the Amari Watergate Hotel on Petchaburi (right across from Platinum Fashion Mall). While the hotel itself is a bit dated, tucked away by the pool area, Sivara is a modern oasis repleat with elegant water features and a cool grey color palate that oozes relaxation.

When we visited both Paul and I enjoyed a scrub and 1 hour massage. Our aestheticians helped us select the best treatment for each of us. Paul chose the herbal salt scrub and Balinese massage while I chose the lotus scrub and Body Balancing Massage.

There are a variety of scrubs available and your therapist will help you choose

Oftentimes, I find that massage therapists just kind of “do” the massage without really listening to the body…but this was not the case at Sivara. Our treatments were flawless with the massage therapists reading areas of tension in our bodies and focusing in on the tight areas to release them. The pressure was adjusted perfectly in both the scrub treatment and the massage to hone in on the areas that needed deep pressure while going lightly on areas that didn’t.

Our treatment room was generously sized for two with a shower and a whirlpool bath. After the treatment was over, we were left alone to further relax in the serene surroundings. We wished we had time to enjoy the whirlpool, but were has an appointment to get to (next time, we will definitely leave extra time for this). Upon departing, we realized we were as limp as jell-o, totally relaxed and blissed out, promising each other to come back as soon as possible.

While we enjoyed a scrub and massage (60 min massage 1800 THB, 60 min Scrub 1500 THB), Sivara Spa offers much more including body wraps, facials, Thai massage, foot massage / treatments and more… I cannot wait to try something new on our next visit.

Sivara Spa
Multiple locations throughout Thailand including Bangkok, Pattaya, Krabi, Phuket, Samui, Koh Chang
Bangkok location @ Amari Watergate Hotel
Petchaburi Road
Bangkok, Thailand 10400
Telephone: +66 (0) 2653 9045

Royal Thai Cuisine from the recipes of the Sukhothai Palace kitchen

Paul had been telling me about this place for ages…the former soap opera star owner and the recipes from the Sukhothai Palace. He raved about the pure and traditional preparation and presentation of Thai food, the gracious service and the elegant host. I really wanted to go, but it seemed every time we had it planned something would happen…rain, travel, stuck at work, etc. Finally the day came and miraculously nothing prevented our visit to Thanying. After such anticipation, would it live up to expectations?

Since 1986 Thanying has been presenting Royal Thai Cuisine in Bangkok… a long time for a restaurant in a city where the ‘flavour of the month’ is not just an expression but a reality.

We perused the menu and settled on our favourites. I was interested in making the comparison with the open-air place I normally ate at on Sukhumvit Soi 18, P Kitchen, where the dishes are approximately 85 baht. Would this be better than street food and / or different because it was “royal”?

We ordered (or shall I say over-ordered) 6 dishes. Starting with Som Tum Thai (100 THB / S$4.20 / $3 USD), a green papaya salad and Tom Kha Gai (120 THB / S$5 / $3.60 USD), a chicken soup with coconut milk broth scented with galangal, lemongrass and lime. Two of our all-time-favourite Thai dishes that were in fact absolutely perfect.

Next we moved on to the Yam Pla Dook Foo (150 THB / S$6.30 / $4.50 USD), crispy, fluffy catfish with a spicy and tangy salad of green mango. I will admit here, I have had better. This is a tough dish though and a lot of places get this wrong. The reason why is that frying the catfish only happens 1 day a week because the frying process is so smoky and overwhelming. The result is that if you don’t know what day the restaurant you are visiting actually makes Yam Pla Dook Foo, then you run the risk of getting a slighty soft, slightly stale catfish. I love this dish so much that stale isn’t bad….but to have it at its height of perfection? Well that is something else entirely.

We also tried the Gai Hor Bai Toey (140 THB / S$5.90 / $4.20 USD), deep fried chicken in pandan leaf as well as the Goong Narng Kra Prao Grob, (140 THB / S$5.90 / $4.20 USD), prawns with basil and chilies. Both dishes were flawless in both presentation and execution with the stunning Thai flavour profiles we adore. Definitely hits.

But the real test, and what I was looking most forward to, was my single most favourite dish…Kra Prao Moo (180 THB / S$7.54 / $5.40 USD), minced pork with whole basil leaves and chilies. OK – homerun. A total winner. This spicy dish is my version of comfort food and Thanying’s version succeeded in presenting me with a perfect bite in every spoonful.

At Thanying, the food is thoroughly delicious and this combined with the ambiance of the old Thai house setting, plus the attentive wait staff who have worked here for generations make Thanying a real destination for a slightly more upscale Thai dining experience when in Bangkok. It’s truly a good value compared to a lot of so-called “fancy” Thai restaurants. Thanying is a must do for those looking for a special Thai restaurant experience.

Thanying
10 Thanon Pramuan (Pramuan St.), off Silom Rd.
between Silom 17 and 19
Bangkok, Thailand
Telephone: +66 (0) 2236 4361

This will be the last of my recipes from the Blue Elephant Cooking School in Bangkok, Thailand. This recipe blew me away, and completing this dish gave me new confidence in the kitchen. It seems difficult due to the number of steps and for some reason fish has always seemed harder to me… but the finished product is a complex fish that would wow any dinner party guest who ever visited your home.

This dish is suitable for grilling in the warmer months or baking indoors in the cooler. It’s full on flavor but actually light when eating. I believe they recommended it as an appetizer for a dinner party at the cooking school, but I don’t have anything in my repertoire that could top this… so would need it to be a main

Plaa Phaow Bai Tong (Grilled or Baked Fish in Banana Leaf)
Main Ingredients
100 G Sea Bass (or White Firm Fish like Red Snapper or Garupa)
1 Leaf Banana Leaf
1 Sheet Aluminum Foil

Ingredients for Paste Making
10 G Lemon Grass Finely Sliced
10 G Galangal
10 G Garlic
1 Stem Coriander Root

Ingredients for Seasoning
1 TS Oyster Sauce
1 TSP Light Soya Sauce
1/4 TSP White Pepper Powder
1/4 TSP White Sugar
5 G Butter

Herbs
5 G Sweet Basil Leaves (10-15 Leaves)
5G Dill (finely chopped)
1 Leaf Kaffir Lime Leaf (roll and finely slice)

Preparation

1. In the mortar: pound lemongrass, garlic, galangal & coriander root into a paste.
2. In mixing bowl: add pate, oyster sauce, light soya sauce, white pepper, sugar & butter. Add kaffir lime leaf last.
3. Then coat the fish with the paste, covering it well.
4. Add dill and then sweet basil leaves to the top of fish
5. Wrap the fish fillet with banana leaf and aluminum foil with the skin side of the fish down.
6. Grill on the range or bake in the oven (200 C) for 15 minutes.

Naam Jim (Chili Dipping Sauce for the Fish)
Ingredients
1 Stem Coriander Root
4 Cloves Garlic
3 G Bird’s Eyes Chilies (5 pieces or do 3 pieces for medium spicy)
1 Piece Big Red Chili
1 TB Fish Sauce
1/2 TB Palm Sugar
1 TB Tamarind Juice
1 TSP Lime Juice

Preparation

1. In a mortar pound garlic, coriander root, bird’s eyes chilies, & big red chili into paste.
2. In a saucepan simmer on low heat sugar, fish sauce & tamarind juice for about 1 minute.
3. Transfer into a mixing bowl. Add lime juice and the paste and mix well.
4. Serve alongside the fish.

Recipe courtesy of Blue Elephant Cooking School in Bangkok. Read about my experiences of a morning program class here.

Here’s another recipe from the Blue Elephant Cooking School. This is not a dish I was intimately familiar with by name. However, the flavors are instantly recognizable. This dish would be perfect accompanied by an ice-cold beer while sitting out on the beach at sunset . The dish is very simple to prepare and, while featuring a complex flavor profile, easy for those newer to Thai food to appreciate. You’d have no trouble serving this to anyone ranging from kids to picky adults.

The ingredients to this one are more straightforward than some of the other Blue Elephant recipes… not that those recipes are difficult, just that the ingredients can be a bit harder to source fresh outside of Thailand. I would say any large grocery store should have canned longan and if not most large cities have an Asian foods market. Since it’s a canned fruit you can prepare this dish year round.

Koong Saam Rod (Spicy, Sweet & Sour Stir Fried Prawns)
Ingredients (portion for 1 serving)
5 Pieces Prawns
40 G Canned Longan (5-6 pieces)
30 G Pineapple (cut into small pieces or diced pieces)
20 G Bell Pepper (cut into squares)
30 G Sweet Onion (bite size pieces)
5 G Ginger (julian)
1 Stem Spring Onion (cut 1cm long)
1 Stem Coriander (small pieces)

Ingredients for Paste Making
8 G Big Clove of Garlic
6 G Coriander Root (1 Stem)
1/4 TSP White Pepper

Ingredients for Cooking and Seasoning
1 1/2 TBS Vegetable Oil
1 TBS Fish Sauce
1 TBS Sugar
1 TBS Chilli Sauce
1 1/2 TBS Ketchup
1 TBS Tamarind Juice
1/2 TBS Rice (white) Vinegar
4 TBS Chicken Stock

In a mortar, pound the ingredients for paste making together. Heat up the wok and add Oil. Add the paste from the mortar. Add prawns, stir fry until the prawns are a bit cooked. Add the sweet onion, ginger, pineapple, & bell pepper. Add chicken stock and continue to stir fry. After a moment season with fish sauce, sugar, chilli sauce, ketchup, tamarind juice, & rice vinegar to taste. Add canned longan. Just before turning off the heat add spring onion and chopped coriander.

Recipe courtesy of Blue Elephant Cooking School in Bangkok. Read about my experiences of a morning program class here.

Paul

Bubble Tea Cart Side View

The bubbles are typically made of a combination of tapioca and carrageenan powder. The “pearls” are made early in the day in a large batch and kept in a jar of liquid to be scooped into a usually freshly made drink. Some shops sell it as an add on and others have specific drinks that utilize the gelatin balls. The balls themselves add little flavor to the drink and will take on the flavor of whatever they’re in. They’re mostly there for the texture and to give you something to chew on while drinking…. think of drinking bubble tea like having a tea or coffee and eating a packet of gummy bears.

The bubbles or pearls

My bubble tea guy is the one walking the street near emporium and the Queen Park along Sukhumvit road. He was my first. He walks a smart, foot-traffic-heavy street. You can find him in between Soi 24 – 26 normally just after lunchtime. He’ll hang around there for a couple hours if you’re lucky before cleverly moving down in front of the Queen Park… catching all the people who have just finished running in the park (“Yes, I think I will treat myself to a bubble tea after my hard run”). Three years of service later and I don’t have to say a word…he’ll spot me, I’ll nod ever so slightly, and with a swift set of motions I have my Chai Yen Ban Sai Khay Mook (Thai iced tea with bubbles / pearls). Almost as great as the taste is the price. 10 baht for a regular sized cup and 15 for a larger cup. If you smile and come regularly, for no extra charge, he’ll scoop an extra set of bubbles on top of the drink. Had bubble tea? What’s your favorite version? What drink does it work best in for you?

Paul’s Bonus Tip – If you’re at a tea or coffee shop in Asia look for unusually fat straws. This is one way to tell if the place serves bubble tea even if you can’t read a menu or speak the language. Simply gesture at the big straws and they’ll put 2 +2 together

Is investing in regular massage really worth it?

For me, massage has been part of my anti-stress and wellness routine for several years now. Rather than an indulgence, I treat it as another tool to take care of myself. After having some shoulder and neck problems for the last 15 years and seeing Chiropractors, Osteopaths, Physical Therapists and even being told I should have back surgery by a very well-known orthopedic surgeon in New York, I stumbled upon massage as a solution.

It all happened on a business trip to the fairly rural Kauai, Hawaii – we were shooting a TV commercial on the cliffs of the garden island. After one long day of shooting, I woke up and could not turn my head or move my neck. This was not an uncommon occurrence for me….but what was uncommon is that my arsenal of medical specialists was back home in NYC. So I headed to the hotel spa in hopes they could somehow help – I honestly was not confident…I thought massage was more of an indulgent way to relax. But not only did they help…I was pain free for a whole week! This was unheard of for me in those days. I was shocked that something so simple was more effective than the elaborate and expensive medical treatments that I had been investing in. And today, with a combination of exercise and Myofascial Therapy massage, I am virtually pain free.

For sure in Asia, massage has always been a part of the culture and an essential element in remaining healthy. But for many years it was widely believed that the benefits of massage were more psychological than physical. However, today as a result of many medical studies quantifying the results, massage is increasingly recommended by physicians to treat minor aches and pains, depression, headaches, more serious injuries, sleep disorders, etc. The world renowned Mayo Clinic has proven that massage not only reduces the stress hormone cortisol, but also boosts the immune system.  CNN summarized it well in their piece, Massage: It is real medicine.

When I lived in Bangkok, I had a massage every week – my favorites being Palm Massage on Sukhumvit Soi 18 and Lavana on Sukhumvit Soi 12. This ritual cost me only 250 – 700 THB for an hour. ($7 – 20 USD / $10 – 30 SGD). So when I moved to Singapore, I must say I had sticker shock. At first, I was excited to see so many spa options on my street in Chinatown, until I saw the prices which were $130 SGD / hr ($87 USD) for massage.

So I decided to try Kenko Wellness and Reflexology Spa. I will say I was initially reluctant because my preferences are typically for non-franchise establishments….I wondered about the quality of services and I also prefer the idea of a singular, special place with its own distinct personality and environs. And to be fair while Kenko does not score overly high marks for ambiance, what it brings in spades is solid, expert aestheticians experienced in the art of reflexology and massage at surprisingly reasonable prices for Singapore.

On my first visit I tried a one-hour therapeutic massage $85 SGD ($57 USD) – the masseuse expertly kneaded with a perfect amount of pressure releasing those tell-tale knots in my upper back. On my second visit, I tried one-hour foot reflexology $60 SGD ($40USD). I was particularly impressed by my therapist strong hands…he managed to push it to the edge without being painful in some areas where I was blocked.

A note on prices…while value is not instantly apparent from the a la carte menu prices, do ask about the package prices. For example my $85 SGD ($57 USD) massage could have been $70 SGD ($47 USD) – if I bought a package of 10 sessions for $700SGD ($470 USD). And with any package, all manicures and pedicures are 50% off.

Is massage part of your personal care and wellness routine? If not, maybe it should be. Nothing is more restorative than taking an hour to take care of yourself – and if you  do have a real health concern, massage may also help provide the solution you have been seeking. There are 80 different types of massage therapy. If you wonder which one is right for you, then check out Web MD’s very thorough article on various types with helpful tips on selecting which is right for you.

Kenko Spa
13 locations in Singapore
2 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
1 in Penang, Malaysia.
Visit www.kenko.com.sg for locations.

top image from Back to Health Chiropractic

Imagine Jim Thompson house. Now strip away the legend, crappy silk (I’ll give you that it looks good, but Thai silk is the least comfy silk I’ve ever had the displeasure of touching), over inflated prices, and throngs of farangs decked out in sandals and fanny packs. Does such a place exist in Bangkok? Well… I don’t know if it’s considered Bangkok proper, but with a short drive you’ll be away from the masses and relaxing at Amantee.

I’ll be upfront with this review. I know the head chef. I met him at an early Christmas party before leaving Bangkok for Singapore… which was a shame because Jeremie is a fantastic guy and great chef. A couple weeks later, Joanna and I had no other plans for Christmas Eve and so joined Jeremie and Kitty and others for a meal I still dream about to this day. Since leaving we’ve made a point to hang out with Jeremie every time we’re back in Bangkok.

This time back to Bangkok we decided no excuses, if we don’t do anything else we’ll find a way to make it to Amantee – or more specifically Le Cafe at Amantee. Despite covering scores of restaurants and locations for various publications while in Bangkok I had honestly never heard of Amantee before this, which is a shame…or is it better that it’s not super popular yet? Hard to say…

Amantee is located in Chaeng Wattana. The sprawling house and garden areas give guests a sense of escape and vintage Thai… without going full bore into the typical tackiness that ensues from white people attemping “classic Thai”.

We were escorted around the main building which is a showroom for antique Oriental and Tibetan furniture. There’s much on offer and Joanna and I were kicking ourselves for not venturing out here before moving to Singapore to load up on furniture.

Through the showroom you step back into the housing area of the compound. There’s a single guest bed – perferct for a romantic getaway or place to come for a retreat.

Don’t get me wrong, this was all amazing… but I came for the food. We were escorted back to the small, intimate kitchen which was completely out of someone’s home and not a large commercial kitchen. We watched for a few minutes as the two helpers prepared the basics for the day’s lunch service.

The tables are outside overlooking the greenery… peaceful and relaxing, just a perfect place for brunching.

The small, well-chosen menu was delivered and I had trouble deciding. Thankfully we had Jeremie on hand to ask questions. This wasn’t just because we’re friends, he often comes out and advises customers on what’s fresh or special that day. The menu features a fusion of French and Thai cuisine… normally fusion can be a bit iffy in Bangkok, but is done tastefully here. Check out the menu here. He could show off with heavy French sauces or something similar, but shows restraint and presents a menu that is perfect for the environment, time of day, and clientele.

We started with a chilled cauliflower soup with crispy bacon (200 THB). The chilled soup was perfect for a Bangkok afternoon and was a great start to the meal. Plus, who doesn’t love bacon? I regularly witness vegetarians sneaking a piece or two when they think no one’s looking

At our Christmas Eve dinner Jeremie served a stunning Tuna Tartare that had bits of pistachio throughout to give it some competing textures. I’ve talked, probably too much, about this dish ever since. He had a version of it on the menu and I wrestled with going for what you know over experimenting. With a slight nudge from Jeremie I opted instead for the Scallop Carpaccio – consisting of Japanese Scallops, fennel, dill, and a refreshing pastis dressing. The fennel was raw and so gave more of a crispy, refreshing taste to the dish instead of a stronger liquorish flavor.

Joanna went for the Mushroom Quiche with Mesclun in Italian Balsamic (200 THB). The quiche pastry was perfectly cooked and not too heavy or filling.

We decided to share the Elba Salad – grilled zucchini, eggplant, yellow capsicum, fennel, and asparagus with Italian balsamic dressing (200 THB). This is a perfect summer lunch plate (and it’s always summer in Bangkok).

After the meal Joanna sipped on a nice glass of wine and I enjoyed an Iced Coffee and a chocolate mousse with raspberry coulis (140). Combined with our conversation with Jeremie it was a perfect end to the meal.

We didn’t just leave with our bellies full. Tempted by a special cash price, Joanna picked up an antique Chinese box that she’s converted into a jewelry box. The owner himself wrapped it up for us to ensure it would make the flight back to Singapore

I’m a tough critic. Even more so when it’s friends… ask anyone who knows me if I regularly pull punches or not. There wasn’t anything negative to say here, not because Jeremie is our friend, but because the place is exceptional. Prices are reasonable, food is fresh and appropriate to the venue/climate/time of day, and the entire compound is beautiful. I don’t want to oversell the place and leave you guessing that I’m a schill… but this place is a must visit.

If you need a quiet getaway, lunch spot, have friends in from out of town, first time visitors to Thailand… any excuse really, stop by Amantee (or try to get yourself invited to one of Jeremie’s house parties ). Chat with Jeremie, see what’s fresh today, and enjoy your refuge from gritty, noisy Bangkok.

Amantee
131/3 Chaeng Wattana 13, Laksi,
Bangkok 10210 Thailand