Bangkok Bold is a new sanctuary of authentic Thai cuisine and keen connoisseurs of Thai food should book themselves a meal here at least once.
Well, that is unless they fear the long waiting list or eye-to-eye interaction with the chefs.
The cooking studio-cum-dining establishment, which occupies a diminutive, ground floor space of a century-old shophouse in Bangkok's old quarter, opened in August last year. It is one of the very few chef's table eateries in the city.
The gastronomic experience, which centres around the rusticity of home-grown cuisine while celebrating the nostalgic charm of the place, is conducted by the passionate, sensual and talented chef Ann Kanarak, a Chiang Mai native and former head chef of Four Seasons Bangkok's Spice Market Thai restaurant.
Meals here cost 1,200 baht per person for an approximate six sumptuous courses to be enjoyed in family sharing style. And it is required that you come in a group of six to 10 guests.
Despite Chef Ann's packed schedule, over the past couple of months I've been lucky enough to enjoy a lunch and dinner at her cooking paradise.
Both meals were truly memorable, deliciously showcasing an astonishing variety of seasonal vegetables and age-old recipes -- also due to the chef's informative demonstrations (more of the last step in cooking and mise en place) at the tableside.
Mieng kham, featuring morsels of lime, shallots, ginger, roasted peanuts, caramelised toasted coconut and its special gooey sauce all wrapped in fresh betel leaf, proved a munchy lunch starter. Where as gai kholae, or Southern-style grilled marinated chicken, accompanied by candle-smoked peanut curry sauce, was praised by my dinner company for its extraordinary aroma and succulence.
When it comes to concocting different flavours that still retain their distinctiveness while also coming together, Chef Ann proves a real master.
Her à la minute creation of yum bai bua bok, or sour and spicy Pennywort salad, is the brilliant evidence. The flash-tossed jumble of backyard vegetables, with slightly cooked prawns, bracing cubes of fresh lotus stems and other common household ingredients -- namely deep-fried shallots, crispy garlic slices, toasted sesame seeds and fresh lime juice -- proved refreshing in taste and exciting in texture.
Equally exotic but offering a bit more substantial bite was yum gai yang bai chamuang, or the spicy salad of house-grilled chicken and fresh garcenia leaves. House-made roasted chilli oil and fresh-squeezed coconut cream lent the tangy chicken salad a sweet, creamy and fiery balance. Bangkok Bold is the place where you can find some of the best chilli paste dips in the country.
Among the exceptional choices is northern-style nam prik kai kaem goong sa-er.
The chilli paste was meticulously made with lime-fermented shrimp, salted egg yolk, Thai eggplant and chillies. The addictive savoury mixture was complemented by portions of fluffy deep-fried minced meat of gourami fish and a hefty assortment of seasonal greens, including phak nam (unicorn plant), phak chee lom (dill), pakkad hin (leaf mustard), phak kood (swamp fern) and fresh lotus steams.
Usually I am always intimidated by the typical fishiness of gaeng tai pla. But over the meal here, I converted into a fan of this southern-style thick curry of fish kidney for chef Ann's rendition excellently prepared with freshly squeezed coconut cream, grilled mackerel meat, kaffir lime leaves and sataw beans.
You'll be super lucky if, on your visit, lod chong look tan, or toddy palm noodles in chilled coconut cream, happens to be dessert of the day. That's not just because this aromatic and sweet orange-hued delicacy can't be found anywhere else, but also because it tasted so heavenly.
Menu can be discussed and adjusted to the guest's preferences, but I highly urge you to leave it totally to the chef.