The name sounded too generic (o-cha, which means "delicious" in Thai, is one of the most common restaurant names in the country). The cuisine didn't seem to offer anything beyond what Bangkok already has in droves. And the location, on the premises of a condominium, can easily be missed. But as soon as I entered the recently opened Osha Thai Restaurant & Bar, I felt that the city's gastronomic scene had just received an exciting new addition.
The 150-seat dining establishment boasts authentic Thai cuisine with molecular twist.
In fact, Osha is a 17-year-old Thai restaurant brand from San Francisco, US. Its Bangkok location, which opened a month ago at the corner of Ruam Ruedee and Witthayu roads, is the brand's 10th outlet, and its first outside San Fran.
Frankly, the restaurant's background didn't make much of an impression on me, at least compared to the overall experience we had at the expensively invested, 150-seat establishment.
Upon entering Osha's high-ceilinged, two-storey dining hall, I was wowed by its exquisite setting, a blend of glittering gold Thai decor and cutting-edge dash. Lounge tunes that played throughout the restaurant grew more upbeat as the night progressed.
Osha Bangkok's cuisine is under the helm of executive chef Thaninthorn Chantrawan, who for the past 17 years has worked with world-famous culinary wizards, including Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal.
Thus the elegant and groovy establishment positions itself as a destination for "authentic Thai cuisine with molecular twist".
From a menu offering a decent-sized selection of classic Thai dishes prepared with ingredients gleaned from best the sources in Thailand, diners will find the likes of crispy pig's ear and lamb satay listed under the category of starters; Thai basil Caprese under salads; and red curry with roasted goose under main courses.
Chef Thaninthorn's rendition of local favourite goong chae nam pla (raw shrimp in fish sauce) was a neatly arranged and scrumptious platter of king prawn carpaccio and chilli-coriander granita (380 baht). Liquid nitrogen was used to sterilise and retain the freshness of the prawns, while the sour and spicy dressing was innovatively presented in sorbet-form, and was extraordinarily refreshing.
Osha's squid and salted egg (220 baht) was unlike the typically soggy pla meuk phad khai khem, given that the dish, which came on a coconut shell injected with smoke from a burned coconut, exhibited semi-crusty, egg yolk aioli-coated squid fritters, which were addictive and not at all eggy.
Adding a gimmicky touch to the dish was a lime wedge, which acted like a secret button of sorts. When it was lifted up, the coconut shell released a sweet complementary aroma.
Equally praiseworthy entrée was crab duo (650 baht). This dual showcase of pla poo ma (sour and spicy salad of blue crabmeat and aromatic herbs) and crispy, deep-fried soft shell crab superbly intermingled together.
Oyster lovers are promised gratification with the poached Andaman oyster with khruea ma noy (a medicinal plant native of Nong Khai province) jelly and kaffir lime foam (250 baht).
For a main course, we had the lamb massaman (550 baht), which was the most impressive-tasting dish of the evening. The dish presented a generous portion of New Zealand lamb shank — which had gone through three cooking processes over the course of 48 hours — with new potatoes and red onion confit in Southern-style massaman gravy.
The sweet and buttery curry was lent a nutty crunch by toasted almond flakes, while pickled galangal and a cardamom sprig garnish provided a perfect, peppery finish.
We also tried Osha's signature volcanic beef (1,500 baht) and found the San Franciscan bestseller, served in a volcanic stone bowl, moderately tasty for its astronomical price.
The small-portioned dish boasted cubes of pan-seared Wagyu beef wok-tossed over a high flame with wild basil, garlic, chillies and house-made roasted chilli jam and came topped with an egg yolk, which was sous-vided with mirin and soy sauce. The rather sweet fare was lent a deep heat — not the typical fiery tang — by the wild basil. Diners are recommended to eat it with rice (80 baht for taro rice; 120 baht for organic brown rice cooked with smoked coconut water).
Those wishing to have a stomach-filling entrée may want to check out pad Thai Chaiya (450 baht). On top of the usual pad Thai noodle elements (pickled radishes, bean sprouts, chives, roasted peanuts and egg), the dish is also complemented with pork rinds, Surat Thani's famous salted egg and banana blossom tempura.
Osha is one of the Bangkok's best places to find brilliantly executed contemporary Thai desserts.
The lemongrass panna cotta (280 baht), which we fell in love with, was heavenly, thanks to the clingy texture of the delicacy, perfumed with lemongrass and lemon, and laced with raspberry sauce and mango pearls. The restaurant also has a daily selection of specially created ice cream and sorbet (280 baht for a three-scoop platter). That day, it included the marvellous pineapple with spicy-salty sugar sorbet, green apple coriander sorbet and khanom mor kaeng (coconut custard souffle) ice cream.
As a bar, Osha has an extensive selection of wine, Champagne and cocktails. The "Sipseries" collection exhibits vodka-based, rum-based, gin-based, whiskey-based and sparkling wine-based concoctions (355 baht per glass), carefully crafted by Osha's team of mixologists to represent Thainess while complementing its cuisine. Service was charming and highly efficient.
Osha blends traditional glittering Thai decor with cutting-edge dash.
The massaman lamb shank with new potatoes and red onion confit.
The squid and salted egg appetizer.
The crab duo platter, showcasing sour and spicy salad of blue crab meat and deep-fried soft shell crab.
