Master chefs are hard to define but you know when you've met one. Take Vichit Mukura. Formerly 28 years in command of Sala Rim Naam, the illustrious Mandarin Oriental Hotel's Thai diner, he stands ramrod straight from hours slaving over hot woks. The twinkle in his eyes, easy smile, and humorous repartee similarly speak to a man at the top of the culinary tree. And indeed a proprietor, with partners, of KHAO i.e. rice. Tucked inside Ekamai Soi 10, it's a long, low free-standing log cabin with decent parking.
The reception area converges on a glass-fronted kitchen ahead and full-scale bar left, with swish loos right. The open dining room is large, light and smart-casual. Easy to keep spotless but homey with natural hues, simple wooden tables, silk cushions and wicker-backed chairs. There's a small terrace for sit-out evenings but KHAO is popular both lunch and dinner. Khun Vichit's reputation travels far what with his own cooking show, "Yort Chef Thai", on Thai Rath TV, Sundays at 8.00 a.m. and on YouTube. His passion for showing how it should be done also stretches to a pricey chef's table service with no shortage of takers.
Also keeping him busy is a just-completed 25% expansion of KHAO's original menu, the time and effort expended reflecting painstaking training and perfectionism.
There's nothing new wave about the approach. It's all about taking the greatest care to create the most palatable dishes.
"Thai cuisine is often complicated," he admits. "You have to instinctively know how to balance the sour, salty, sweet and spicy flavors all in one dish."
Case in point, "Saap Song Krung", a sort of spicy, salty, sour salad with northeastern sausage deep-fried with herbs, chilli, shallot, peanut and ginger which you wrap in waxy betel leaves miang-style.
But before that KHAO's complimentary of rectangular rice crackers gets the gastric juices flowing. The white ones are made with 3.5-month-old rice grains that are just beginning to yield milk. You steam it, dry it, and fry it with seeds and dried shrimp, before pressing with sugar cane. The red ones combine jasmine rice with black sesame.
The crab's phenomenal; great fluffy chunks, their crabbiness conserved to complement but not be smothered by an authentically firey red curry (540). Then there's Thai style fluffy prawn or crab omelette (240/520); three eggs whipped with a dash of fish sauce and lime juice, the crab version with a creamy filling.
Sir-fried crispy fluffy catfish with red curry paste (320) is almost all catfish with no unnecessary padding.
Among the new dishes are:
"Mee Krob", stuffed and crispy deep-fried noodles/sweet & sour dressing with Chinese bitter orange zest.
"Yum Som O", a special variety of pomelo tossed with coconut cream, minced prawns and chicken, citrus and "crispy bits".
"Tom Som Pla Krabok", grey mullet soup with a distinct sweet taste, followed by sour, salty and ginger aroma.
Lamb Shank Mussaman Curry, lamb tendons simmered in light coconut milk give a wonderful chewy texture to the naturally aromatic sauce.
Seasonal produce is stressed and highly appetizing Het Pok – button mushrooms that pop in the mouth sautéed with herbs – have recently been available.
Equally, desserts include black grass jelly presented as gooey pearls in syrup (160) with gingko for bland contrast and jackfruit for sweetness. More Instagram-ready is artfully plated yellow bean pockets with shredded coconut, ground nuts and seeds, and soft and milky coconut ice cream (180).
Even the smoothies, so often elsewhere watery, such as a robust pandan, ginger and aloe vera version (60), cannot be faulted.
KHAO. 15 Ekkamai 10 Alley. Tel. 02 381 2575.
