TAAN’s ‘UNCOMMON’ Menu
TAAN reimagines classics of Thai cuisine in the brand-new UNCOMMON menu
Available at 10 courses for THB 3,190 ++ from 18th October 2022 onwards
October 2022 – A new chapter has begun at TAAN innovative restaurant with the unveiling of its most playful menu yet. TAAN Head Chef Monthep “Thep” Kamolsilp’s’’ newly curated menu, dubbed UNCOMMON, offers a creative new perception of classic Thai cuisine across 10 fun tasting courses.
It all began one day when Chef Thep questioned himself, “How can I make Thai food that goes beyond the normal and everyday? How can I create a menu that smashes the narrow expectations people have about our cuisine? ”Seeking answers, he set his sights on popular Thai staples like ‘Yum Tua Phlu’, ‘Som Tum’ and ‘Tom Kha Soup’, deciding to redesign and reimagine these iconic dishes through innovative techniques drawn from the world of cooking. The result is a dining experience that’s at once familiar yet still full of surprises. This is very much Thai food, but not exactly as you know it.
“The dishes were selected for the reason that everyone knows about them and has a clear preconception of what they are,” Chef Thep says, “But expectations are made to be exceeded.”
With Chef Thep’s extensive travels around the country, he has been inspired by the wide array of food traditions and cultures. Each season, he sources high-quality ingredients from a very defined group of sustainable and small-scale artisanal farmers. While vowing to use only fresh and unique local ingredients, Chef Thep’s past experience cooking French cuisine gives him the confidence to push the boundaries of Thai food. For him, there’s no right or wrong. TAAN’s creative Thai cuisine celebrates the country’s food artisans and their unique ingredients.
As Chef Thep explains, “TAAN’s belief remains the same: we’re all about seeking out the finest local ingredients and using both new and age-old techniques. But this time we’re focused on reimagining the familiar to make the experience more fun and interesting. Therefore, we draw upon various techniques from the world of cooking to bring out more flavour from the raw ingredients. Whether it’s simmering, fermenting or burning, we’re all about creating a new dimension in dishes that are familiar.”
Chef Thep’s expertise is on display in a dish like ‘Tom Kha Yen’, which takes one of the most popular soups of all and turns it upside down. TAAN’s version adds a temperature twist, presenting the coconut soup yen (cold) – hence the name. Going cold masks the spiciness and enhances the freshness. The presentation has changed, too – guests may react like, “No way! This can’t be Tom Kha”.
The sour creamy white coconut milk soup has been reimagined as Tom Kha ice cream. Local sticky rice adds flavour and is used instead of normal ice cream stabilizers. It’s served with a tomato sauce chosen by Chef Thep that’s been blended with pacific razor clams from the Andaman coast of Thailand. Rather than the usual chicken, he uses clams so the dish is not quite as heavy. The result: umami like no other!
For Chef Thep, every course should offer guests a taste of the unexpected and surprising, which is evident in his creative new version of the all-time favorite ‘Pad Thai’, with its rice noodle emulsified into a sorbet. The philosophy also extends to the dessert, where 5 Ma-Muang (or ‘five mangoes’ in English) offers five textures of mango, including raw mango preserved in rum, mango parfait, fresh mango served with fresh cream, mango jelly and raw mango preserved with sugar.
Chef Thep can’t wait to share the menu and believe guests will be thrilled and taken aback to experience famous Thai dishes in a new light. As he says, “We have developed a way forward. The farmers have developed, we have developed! They have also made progress in growing their ingredients. This menu is all about twisting perceptions – showcasing well-known dishes in uncommon ways.”
Come and experience a bold new perspective on Thai local wisdom at TAAN with Chef Thep’s new seasonal menu, UNCOMMON, available as 10 courses at THB 3,190++ from October 18th onwards.
For reservations, please call 065 328 7374, contact LINE @taanbangkok or visit www.taanbangkok.com/main/reservations.
