Saawaan on Soi Suan Phlu has a new summer menu and it is nothing short of delightful, price included.
Though no longer Michelin-starred, it shows the tenacity of chef de cuisine Saritwat “Earth” Wanvichitkun. The courage it took to completely change a menu, to put himself on a plate regardless of the outcome.
Chef Earth’s second menu is much like his first, insightful and a joy to eat. This is a chef who wants to please diners without chasing stars. All the dishes on the menu may not have changed, but it does keep the best of the old and rings in the new. The menu still follows the restaurant’s core concept of focusing on traditional Thai techniques.
The eight-course menu (B2,790++ for food and B1,990++ with wine pairing) begins with Gaeng som cha om kai (sour curry with acacia omelette), Polamai phrik klea (fruit with chilli salt), Som tam (papaya salad) and Gaeng keow wan (green curry), the usual four amuse bouches, all rather unusual.
As always, the "Raw" course is a French Utah Beach Jean-Paul oyster, however for the summer it also has Hokkaido scallop and Toyama Bay yellowtail. This is a dish inspired by the Northeast region of Thailand, known as Isan, where a fish salad called “pla” is made. The seafood is marinated with “pla” ingredients like lemongrass, shallots and chilli. The dish also has kaffir lime oil for aroma.
The “Dip” uses the nam phrik lochana from Songkhla as inspiration. The traditional dish uses local prawn, which is pound together with herbs and spices but at Saawaan langoustine is used with snake fruit and hairy fruited eggplant. Topped with langoustine smoked with tamarind root and Chiang Mai purslane.
“The ‘Steamed’ technique draws inferences from pla ning manao. I use line-caught squid from Ranong, which is steamed with som saa, calamansi, kaffir lime and lime peels. I made the sauce from the juices of the peels and mix it with squid ink,” says chef Earth. The dish is steamed tableside and fills the air with a citrus fragrance that will enhance the eating experience. A wonderful delicate balance of flavours.
the “Charcoal” course uses Monsieur Duplantier guinea fowl from France and is chef Earth’s version of Gai korlae from Thailand’s southern-most tip, close to the Malaysian border. The fowl is marinated in the korlae sauce, which is sweet and salty, and is slow cooked over charcoal. The breast and thigh are served with khao yum and torch ginger.
The “Curry” is a Gaeng hung lay using Ratchaburi pork jowl. The dish uses housemate masala and is served with two different sauces. The first is from the North and is called Chiang Saen hung lay uses pickled bamboo shoots and sesame seeds. The other one is the original Lanna recipe, which uses pickled garlic and ginger. It is served with Prachuap Khiri Khan pineapple and Chiang Mai’s Udoi rice, a variety similar to sticky rice.
Desserts are from pastry chef Arisara “Paper” Chongphanitkul and is a Som saa parfait with a shallot tuile and jasmine gelee.
While I was at Saawaan, a group of older Thai women complimenting chef Earth on his cooking of the rice. Is there any praise higher than that for a Thai chef in a Thai restaurant?
Call 02-679-3775 or visit saawaan.com.
