Traditional Thai Food with Contemporary Savviness in Baan Phraya

Chef Pom Phatchara has been the rising star in Bangkok’s dining scene. Seafood is the star of the show in Thai cuisine and it is certainly so at Chef Pom Phatchara’s kitchen. Chef Pom Phatchara greeted us thirteen times with her creative dishes. As far as fine dining goes, she has delivered each of these dishes with brilliance and perfection. She was brilliant with the way that she used traditional ingredients in creative new forms. Our dishes featured an incredible array of cooking techniques that brought forth the very best of the ingredients chosen. There were endless highlights throughout the meal. For seafood only, we had multiple kinds of fish, scallops, prawns, shrimps and they were from the seas of southern Thailand or a river catch. Be it presentation, texture or flavors, Chef Pom Phatchara exhibited a keen attention to details that lies front and center in her dishes. The thoroughness in matching the ingredients, herbs, and sauces was never lost on the appreciative diner. Her food inspired intrigue – I wondered often what gave the dish its aroma and taste. In this explosive repertoire of flavors I sensed the spirit of a young chef who has dedicated an unwavering commitment to Thailand. Her food bespoke the passion for a cuisine that bears limitless potential for fusing tradition with contemporary savviness. Each morsel represented the best of Thai cuisine in one aspect or another, bearing a mark of excellence that impressed the mind beyond the immediate gratification within the palate. The dining ambience was serene and classy at Baan Phraya. A building of the early 19th century, Baan Phraya’s original owner was Phraya Mahai Savanya, a high-ranking government official. The last office that he held was the Minister of Commerce. Baan Phraya was beloved as a venue that hosted top government officials and esteemed foreign guests. Phraya Mahai Savanya’s wife Khunying Loearn Mhai Savanya would set up simple tables with the best of cuisine for her guests. Phraya Mahai Savanya would play Thai music with his band, named “Noom Noi” (it means young men), by the treelined riverscape, celebrating a good ole merry time with the dignitaries. #foodie #thaifood #finedining #thaiheritage #thailand #southeastasia #gulfofthailand #seafood #mandarinoriental #baanphraya #chaoprayariver