Winter is Here R-Haan Presents A Winter Symphony of Thai Taste

By CK Lee
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In the international culinary scene, Chef Chumpol Jangprai needs no introduction. Nominated ambassador of Thai cuisine, Chef Chumpol started cooking at the age of 19. The former Iron Chef and TV celebrity co-founded R-Haan and has never looked back since. The restaurant was awarded a 2-star Michelin a month ago, and we very much look forward to a memorable evening as we sampled the new menu for the winter months.
 
We opened the evening with Steamed Newly Harvested Thai Rice Stuffed with Mae Klong Mackerel and Aromatic Thai Herbs and crowned with Thai Royal Project Caviar. The smooth and savoury Mae Klong mackerel was a delight and already, one wished for an encore! Next up was tiger prawns from Chantaburi, in the eastern region of Thailand. The plump prawn was presented in sync with Thai Herbs and Tanee Banana Blossoms. The final dollops of homemade sauce was served table-side, sometimes by the Chef himself. This recipe was created by Chef Chumpol when he was only 11 years old!

The appetizer platter consists of 3 sublime bites of charcoal grilled pheasant, catfish roll with sweet virgin fish sauce and angus beef salad sourced from the province of Buriram. The next dish was a duck egg-yolk confit, with a side of riceberry sponge cake. The accompanying paloh sauce was a huge hit and the Chef commented that it took 8 hours and the finest Kurobuta pork was deployed in the making of this heavenly sauce. Cubes of egg whites were like sprinkles of magic on this decadent plate. What a masterpiece indeed.

For the main part of this samrub, there was a choice of Tom Yum Soup or Black Chicken Consomme with Black Galingale and Golden Longan. Northern Thai curry with luscious Kurobuta pork legs or Southern Thai yellow curry with blue crab meat would be your next selection. Deep-fried sea bass also graced the table alongside newly harvested Thai Hom Mali rice from Yasothon province. Do not forget to try the best fish sauce in Thailand too - take a spoonful and drip them gently across your plate of rice and in itself, is a simple & elegant meal. The chilli dip with crispy pork belly was also our favourite.
 
Dessert in this winter samrub menu highlighted cocoa from the northern mountains of Chiangmai and for the final petit four, the glazed strawberries was our pick of the day. As we celebrate the decade that just passed and the advent of an entire new year, an evening at R-Haan will remind you of the amazing range of taste that Thai food has to offer. It can be a nostalgic walk down memory lane for some, or a journey of discovery for the rest of us. Plus, as Michelin puts it: Excellent cooking, worth a detour.

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Winter Samrub Menu is available from 5 December 2019 
Price: 2,912 ++ baht per person 
Daily from 18.00 – 23.00 hrs. 
+ 66 (0) 95 141 5524 
[email protected] 
www.R-HAAN.com