As we inch closer to 2023, let's focus on the food and beverages in store for next year.
BANGKOK
Nusara 2.0
Since Nusara opened its doors in June 2020, it has seen a steady flow of diners and fans. Named after the grandmother of chef Thitid "Ton" Tassanakajohn and his brother Chaisiri "Tam" Tassanakajohn, Nusara serves modern Thai cuisine, with a balcony view of Wat Pho. "It's been two and a half years and we have seen a few restrictions in terms of food and service. We are restricted by the building restrictions due to it being in a royal area and are unable to conduct the level of cuisine and service we want to provide diners," says chef Ton. "This is why we are relocating Nusara.”
Fear not though, it is literally moving three doors down to the top of the alley it's on, offering a full view of Wat Pho in all its splendour. "We shall be the only restaurant in the Ta Tien area with a dining room that offers views of Wat Pho, as most restaurants face the river," explains chef Ton. Nusara 2.0, as the chef calls it, is a four-storeyed building with 24 seats in a much bigger space compared to the current, which seats 14 (16 during peak season). "We are keeping it smaller so we are able to control the quality of food and service being offered. We shall have a private room that seats four people," explains the chef. The decor will take inspiration from the old Nusara and will house a bar, as well.
Much-loved signature dishes will still be on the menu, with a few upgraded "due to a bigger and proper kitchen". The tasting menu will be 14 courses and will retain the Crab curry on betel leaf, but other dishes will change. The price, chef Ton, insists will remain the same as Nusara (B3,900++). With the building still under construction, the plan is to push for a Q2 opening.
With the relocation of Nusara, the old place may or may not house the first proper home of the boat noodle shop, ThepNakorn from chef Ton, which is currently only at the food court in King Power Rangnam. Baan, his casual Thai restaurant on Wireless Road, will also undergo a renovation in Q3 or Q4 next year.
The chef-on-the-go hasn't stopped there with his plans. Also, opening on Sathu Pradit will be a 40-50 seater casual Thai restaurant (the cuisine of which has yet to be determined) in Q3 of 2023. It will also house a private chef's table by chef Dimitrios Moudios.
Òre
Chef Dimitrios Moudios is no stranger to Bangkok. In fact, I briefly wrote about him coming from Boragó in Chile (the restaurant by chef Rodolfo Guzman, famous for cooking with indigenous Chilean ingredients and ranked No.43 on the World’s 50 Best 2022 list) to do the fermentation bar for the Plus Six Six group in 2020. When that plan didn’t work out, chef Moudios did a stint at The Alchemist (ranked No.18 on the World’s 50 Best 2022 list) in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Chef Moudios is finally on his way to Bangkok and will be opening an eight-seater chef’s table that will be all about live fire cooking and will be housed within chef Ton’s casual Thai restaurant on Sathu Pradit.
“It is going to be based on Thai ingredients, which I will be researching and sourcing when I move to Bangkok in January,” says chef Moudios. I will be the only one cooking with three or four cooks helping me. The restaurant will be grilled-based but the grilling will be different to what is commonly seen in Thailand or elsewhere. I will make it more Japanese in terms of being minimal and extracting the best from the produce, not in taste though.
“I am most comfortable in a live fire kitchen, which is why I will be doing all the cooking. I want to show people the difference between grilled and burnt. This will also means that the restaurant will be closed when I am not around. The concept of the food is pretty open right now till I get to Thailand. It will be around 25-30 courses, with the price yet to be determined. I will be hiring only Thai people for the kitchen, with me being the only foreign person in the restaurant,” explains the chef.
“The restaurant will be called Òre, which is a word my family uses to describe something delicious. The word does exist in Greek, but not everyone uses it,” he explains. Opa, I say!
Kyo Roll En and Kyo Bar
The extremely popular Kyo Roll En will be rebranded and refreshed in 2023, after having been operational for 10 years. “It needs a new look,” says pastry chef-patron Dej Kewkacha, who set up Kacha Bros with his brothers.
The newest addition, and part of the rebranding and new look, is the collaboration with Hands and Heart Coffee Roasters. “Hands and Heart are known for their Nordic-style coffee and at Kyo Roll En, we have joined forces to create our own brand, with Hands and Heart supplying their coffee and expertise. The new brand isn’t limited to coffee. It is an entire new range of beverages and desserts in the contemporary Japanese style that Kyo Roll En is known for. The brand has already been launched in Kyo Roll En’s CentralWorld and Central Embassy branches and is doing well. In 2023, we will expand to other branches. Besides the new menu and creations, this is the biggest thing, a shop in shops,” explains chef Dej.
Meanwhile, to broaden his horizons, Kyo Roll Bar will also take on a dramatic makeover. “It is time for me to move Kyo Bar out of Central Embassy and expand. Since the Kyo Bar is separate from the more commercial Kyo Roll En, it is time for it to have its own space. I want a space to do R&D and my own dessert bar, the location of which is yet to be determined,” says chef Dej.
He plans to keep the premium dessert bar open late so people can indulge their sweet tooth. I, for one, am looking forward to it as I am a huge fan of chef Dej’s savoury desserts. Midnight cravings, anyone? Stay tuned!
One Two Two
French-inspired One Two Two, is the latest watering hole on Sukhumvit 11. The bar is modelled after the famous (or should we say, infamous) and illustrious brothels of Paris in the 30s-40s, One-Two-Two.
A classic red sofa exudes a comfy vibe and the vintage vibe provides an air of sophistication, regardless of the soi it’s on. The beverage menu, created by Michel Gonggiat Stein, takes inspiration from the original with its construction. The bar offers a selection of French vermouth and Champagne, though the highlights are the signature cocktails. Smoke on the water is a smokey drink with a bitterness brought on from chocolate and black coffee blended with Flor de Cana 12 Years Rum and Maraschino liquor. The Midori symphony has the refreshing taste of citrus from yuzu, lime and lemon, with Roku gin and Midori. Travel the Oriental express for a tropical taste of yuzu, lime and pineapple with vodka and Campari.
The motto of One Two Two is “Tu ne vis qu'une fois, mais si tu pouvais le faire deux fois, une fois ne suffirait pas” or as we say in English: “You only live once, but if you could do it twice, once wouldn't be enough.”
One Two Two on Sukhumvit 11 is open from 6pm-2am. Call 083-710-6659 or visit onetwotwobar.com.
PHUKET
Hom
Former executive sous chef of Potong and sous chef of the now-closed Il Fumo in Bangkok, Ricardo Nunes has given up the city for the island life. He has moved to Phuket and will be opening a fine-dining restaurant at the Intercontinental Phuket.
Hom, which is scheduled to open in March will use local produce and will be housed in the heavenly Sawan Pavillion. “Our focus is on the fermentation process of symbiotic cultures of yeast that form the basis of all creations. We will only use purposely grown vegetables and locally-sourced proteins, working closely with the artisans, with a zero-waste approach. The cuisine will be all about exploring local produce through fermentation and preserving, and isn’t defined within any particular cuisine. It is the same idea as Noma but in our own style,” says chef Nunes.
The 18-25 seater will be open five days a week and only for dinner. The tasting menu will have 12-15 courses with the price yet to be determined. “Since the focus is on fermentation, we will have an extensive kombucha and kefir menu. We want to use fermentation throughout the menu, from food to drinks. We will have things like ruby pomelo brined in lacto koji water and fermented Thai dill. Our main course will be goat from Phuket, aged for a week and tenderised with papaya seeds, brined in shio koji and served with fermented barley and Chiang Mai coffee mole, served with 21-day blackened durian and jackfruit. It is a lot of dishes that people will not be expecting,” explains the chef.
For dessert, expect parfait with a black garlic caramel served with fresh sunflowers, rose apples cooked in smoked egg white garum and served with a fermented honey foam and mulberry. "One of our petit fours made out of koji and toasted coconut tastes exactly like chocolate without any chocolate added to it," explains chef Nunes. Phuket, I'll be seeing you soon!
KOH SAMUI
Luna By Clara
In 2023, the wellness trend takes a new turn and combines fine dining with the art of living a well-rounded life. At Kamalaya in Koh Samui, living healthy is taken up a notch with chef Christian Martena of Clara Bangkok.
It is noteworthy to mention that Clara was awarded No.21 Italian restaurant in the world by 50 Top Italy during the “Gran Gala della Cucina Italiana” in Milan and chef Martena also took home the “Dish of The Year” award for his signature spaghetti bruschetta. But back to the future!
Luna By Clara will begin as a pop-up for the first few months of the year, while the restaurant takes shape and it is scheduled to open in late 2023. “We are merging the wellness of Kamalaya with the luxury of Clara. The concept will not follow Clara, as in it will not be Italian. At Luna, we shall be using only local produce, only Thai ingredients, which will be interpreted in a contemporary way,” says the chef.
"We shall work closely with the producers and every course will come from a different producer from a different province in Thailand. For example, we work with Kad Kokao and their Chumphon farm and that’s where one of the courses will come from,” adds chef Martena.
The pop-up will have 16-18 seats and will be run in the same manner as Waiting For Clara, which was a prelude to Clara. The tasting menu will be around eight courses, with the price yet to be determined. An open kitchen take centrestage of the pop-up and "it will be a unique experience", promises the chef.
And the uniqueness begins with the location, which is in the forest nearby Kamalaya. "You need to take a raft to get there," adds the chef. In the first two months, the pop-up will only be open to Kamalaya guests and Clara clients, and by invitation. It will open to the public in the months after, says chef Martena. Don’t book those tickets to Samui just yet!
Khao Yai
Tree Top
All-day dining concept Tree Top, a tea house and farmer’s café is the latest to put down roots in scenic Khao Yai. Serving up signature salads, all-day favourites and relaxed afternoon teas that celebrate local produce and simple ingredients, the treehouse-styled space in the newly-opened casual luxury countryside retreat, Marasca Khao Yai, inspires conversations and a slower pace of life.
Nestled among wineries and rustic farms, Tree Top is helmed by chef Suphanat “Miu” Amnuayrit, who specialises in a modern, East-meets-West culinary style harnessing the flavour of local ingredients. The menu features local produce from neighbouring farms and around the area, along with greens harvested from Marasca Khao Yai’s organic garden, Homegrown.
Diners can expect Gyudon with onsen egg (B380) topped with Thai wagyu from Phuphan Cooperative in Sakol Nakorn and Farmer’s bowl (B320), a protein-rich, vegan delight that combines seasonal vegetables from Sweet & Green Farm and Homegrown, The signature dish is a sharing platter, the Marasca Farmer’s Board (B1,580), which is stacked with roasted chicken from Betagro in Pak Chong, BBQ pork ribs from Sampran Farm in Nahon Pathom and a variety of grilled vegetable from Khao Yai. For a sweet end, dig into a whimsical Flower pot tiramisu (B280) with cocoa from PLearn chocolate in Rayong and Chantaburi.
As day turns to dusk, Tree Top Cafe’s extended round-shaped balcony, Star Deck, comes to life, offering urban guests a rare look at the brilliantly starlit night sky, while munching on Shooting star s'mores DIY (B250) along with cosmic and tea cocktails. Email treetop.khaoyai@marasca.live.
