Despite modern cooking techniques and fancy equipment making their way to restaurant kitchens, nothing beats the flavour of produce cooked over an open fire. Suddenly everyone and their mother is into barbecue and charcoal and wood-fire cooking are making a comeback in a big way, so much so that chefs are designing and building their own pits for their kitchens. Guru has complied a good (if we may say so ourselves) mix of Bangkok restaurants offering various cuisines from the live fire. After all, it's not just the heat that counts, conquering fire is what made us human!
Le Cochon Blanc
Chef: Chandler Schultz
Cuisine: Modern Live Fire
Cooking Method: The Schultz grill
The concept of Le Cochon Blanc is to showcase the massive fire pit. Designed by chef Schultz, the "Schultz grill" (as named by me) has different heights and levels of cooking, plus a plancha to make it the most functional piece of cooking possible. Chef Schultz experimented with putting things in the grill and throwing them into the open fire. "There are only two or three dishes that don't come from the grill. The menu has moving dishes and nothing is set," says the chef. Chef Schultz keeps creating ideas and dishes to make the most of his freestyle live fire cooking.
For the Grilled corn salad (B320), a whole ear of corn is doused in butter, wrapped back in the husk and is hung over the pit. It slow cooks for 45 minutes, is then charred à la minute and is tossed with home-smoked chilli paste, coriander mayo, lime and crispy shallots. The hot chilli is hot smoked for hours, is roasted and then turned into a paste. The Barbecue pork jowl (B420) is an evolution of a dish chef Schultz has created before and comes from Thai black pigs. Paired with fresh pomegranate, the jowl is coated in a crumb of sunchoke and pine nuts. One bite and the smokiness of the pork comes through.
The Iberico lamb loin (B1,500) is grilled boneless Pyrenean lamb loin, red cabbage, Granny Smith apple and hazelnut. It's the chef's take on apple and pork with lamb. The white cabbage is buried in hot coals and finished on the grill. With the outside burnt off, the inside is soft and smoky. The purée is made with red wine, apple juice, pork fat and red cabbage juice. Fresh apple and cabbage sprouts are added to highlight apple and cabbage.
Chef Schultz embarked on the hunt to find the best way to marinate chicken and found that there was no marinade that worked for both, the breast and the leg. For the Half/whole grilled chicken (B490/B890), he chose to marinate the leg in Greek yoghurt and the breast with salt and herbs. The jus is made from the bones and the stock is used to make the pain perdu. Pickled grapes bring acidity to the dish, reminiscent of the classic French style pairing.
The Barbecue short rib (B1,250) is an old favourite at LCB. The black Angus short rib is paired with lettuce, which comes in three varieties -- fermented romaine like a kimchi, celtuce stem confit in beef fat and grilled fresh lettuce.
But the mean machine aka Schutlz grill doesn't just do protein and veggies, it also does desserts like the Grilled banana tart (B390). Seedless banana or kluay hom, which has a caramely banana flavour is paired with kluay hak mook, which when roasted slowly has an acidic note to it. The dessert is topped with crème fraîche made from freeze dried bananas and hazelnut praline ice cream.
The best dish on the menu is here! Barbecued vegetables (B590) is something that highlights how many things you can do with the grill. The pineapple is roasted for a smoky caramel taste. Chillis are slow roasted for the sauce and roasted pumpkin is glazed with miso. Sun-dried tomato is done in-house. This is probably a dish that maybe a tad different every time someone orders it and is the best dish to come from the Schultz grill.
Why go?
Apart from the hot chef slaving over his pit, the entire live fire cooking station is awe-worthy. Go for the IG-worthy grill and stay for the food. There are a few seafood items that are also hot off the coals like lobster, though diners come for the charred and smoked meat.
Le Cochon Blanc, Sukhumvit 33. Opens 6pm till 12am (last order 10:30pm). Call 02-662-3814.
Charcoal
Chef: Vaibhav Soni
Cuisine: Indian
Cooking Method: Tandoor
Kebabs are the name of the game here. Please remove all thought of "kebabs" of the West as here enters the real deal. Skewers of tender meat, veggies and Indian cheese are cooked in a clay oven, known as a tandoor. A cuisine popular from India's northwestern frontier, kebabs come in a variety of flavours and textures and are marinated in fragrant spices and rubs -- often more than 100 spices. The plating is traditional, says chef Soni. A cuisine that is highly influenced by the Moghul invasion in India, tandoori cooking is often found on the streets of north India, especially in Punjab at the "dabbas". "Whatever gets cooked in a tandoor has more flavour to it," says chef Soni, whose passion for the clay oven is obvious.
Indulge in the Tandoori lobster (B1,450), which is Maine lobster marinated in yoghurt, mildly spiced and grilled to deliciousness. For a unique tasting kebab go for the Kakori (B650). Finely minced mutton is spiced with cloves and cinnamon, and roasted with a drizzle of saffron has a pate-like texture and is om nom nom. If you're not into greens, the Tandoori malai broccoli (B350) will straighten you out. Broccoli is marinated in yoghurt, cream cheese, lemon juice and green chillies and is thrown into the tandoori to get a smoky char.
The Murgh Angaar (B450) or boneless chicken spiced with chilli flakes, ginger, garlic, bay leaf, mace and onion juice. The Ulte tave ka paratha (B100) is a royal Indian bread or Nawabi paratha made of flour, milk, kewra (close to pandanus), sugar and saffron cooked on an inverted tawa. The Sikandar ki raan (B1,050) is a whole leg of spring mutton, braised with malt vinegar, cinnamon, black cumin and red chilli paste, finished in the tandoor as is its competition Dum ki raan (B1,575), which is also whole leg of spring mutton marinated and stuffed with onions, pickled garlic and cheese.
Do not leave without tasting the Dal Charcoal (B300) or whole urad (black gram) lentils, tomatoes, ginger and garlic, slow cooked on the tandoor. End the meal with the Tree of life (B350), which celebrates India's king of fruits -- the mango. Crunchy muesli, passion fruit coulis and fresh mangoes make a delicious sweet treat.
Why go?
Charcoal has handpicked delicacies from the royal house of Moghuls. Go for an Indian, stay for the Gosht dum biryani (B650), which is mutton marinated in nutmeg flower and natural botanical oils, mixed with aromatic basmati rice, sealed and slow cooked in its own dish.
Charcoal, Fraser Suites, Sukhumvit 11. Open Mon-Sun 6pm-12am. Call 02-038-5112.
Thaan 31
Chefs: Thitinan Suriwong and Nattha Buain
Cuisine: Steakhouse
Cooking Method: Josper Grill
Most of the menu is inspired by the owners' travel experiences though they are combined with ideas from the chefs. "Charcoal is the most efficient way of cooking meat," says owner Bank and the choice of using a Josper grill is because the heat is relatively higher than a normal charcoal fire, he adds. The Josper is technically difficult to manage and takes a trained hand to control the heat, and despite this I had what is rare in this city -- a steak, cooked exactly to my liking, by a Thai chef.
The menu doesn't change completely but dishes move around every few months. Varying more towards the Japanese style of meat, the food pairings can get quite lush. Expect a A4 Wagyu and sea urchin smørrebrød (B580/piece), which is uni on a wagyu steak, complete with gold leaf and caviar on piece of toast. Lavish enough? The buttery uni and the well-cooked steak melt in your mouth leaving your palate with a rich taste. From the Small Plates try the Charred lettuce (B250) with anchovy crème fraîche and the Beef Tongue (B350) with salsa verde. Catering to the hip young crowd, the Oh My Supper!! comes in three choices, of which I had the Beef fried rice (B1,350 for small and B2,500 for large). This was my fav, despite it being Thaan 31's version of a bibimbap, with shaved truffles on top.
Why go?
Thaan 31 is very much a meat-focused restaurant and the dishes are one-of-a-kind. Go for the cosy, romantic ambience, stay for the Thai wagyu "Himawari" chuck roll (B650 for 100g). However, extravagance comes at a price.
Thaan 31, Sukhumvit 31 Yaek 4. Open Mon-Sat: 5.30pm-midnight. Call 086-303-1211.
Quince
Chef: Charlie Jones
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Cooking Method: Wood-fire chambers & Charcoal grill
Quince is home to two wood-fire chambers, with two different temperatures. One is higher than the other where the temperature can reach 400C. This chamber is used to cook baby chickens, naans and tarte flambes. Fired by eucalyptus wood, since it's an introduced species and is sustainable and environmentally-friendy, it can sometimes also be fired by longan wood. The other live fire cooking station is a charcoal pit.
From the starters, order the Hummus & merguez (B260), (where the wretched words "naan bread" screams out at me from the menu). The chickpeas are smoked and turned into hummus, served with naan, garnished with pickled chilli and dukkah. Move on to the Black truffle chicken liver parfait (B390) served with Mandarin jelly, nut brittle and sourdough. Deliciously smooth.
But the star of the starters is the BBQ baby octopus (B310). Served with Jerusalem artichoke ajo blanco and spicy paprika butter… you're gonna be wanting more as soon as you take a mouthful. The Spiced lamb rack (B1,390), comes with an Israeli rub, charred broccolini and tahini on the side. "The menu at the new Quince is more BBQ based and almost every dish has an element that comes from the grill," says chef Jones. A lot of smoking, grilling and charring is used for 70% of the menu. Even the Burnt blood orange and milk ice cream (B230) comes from the grill and is served with honey comb and yuzu. The Burnt beetroot carpaccio (B310) baked in the chambers and the labneh is smoked in it, too.
Why go?
Go for the outdoor area complete with pool and stay for the Wood roasted Porsun farm coquelet (B830), which takes 30 minutes to cook in the wood-fire chamber, or the WX Ranger Valley wagyu O.P Rib (B340 for 100g), which takes 40-45 minutes to cook.
Quince, 14/2 Soi Somkid, Siri House. Open Mon–Sun 6pm-12am. Call 094-868-2639.
Billy's Smokehouse
Chef: Billy Bautista
Cuisine: American BBQ
Cooking Method: Smoker & Wood-fire
First note: Chef Bautista's menu is based on what he likes to eat and how he likes to eat. To get a taste of the best, order the Chef's choice premium platter (B2,700). This is the ultimate of Billy's smoked wagyu brisket, black Angus short ribs, BBQ organic spare ribs and smoked Sloanes sausages, served with a bunch of sides and sauces. The 26-hour smoked brisket is in classic Texcan style with salt and pepper. The brisket changes weekly from Thai, American or Australian. Beef is Texas style BBQ and the pork is done Kansas City style with a bit of a California twist. All the beef is smoked using mesquite and the ribs are done using hickory and apple. The pork rib tips are drier and the centre is moist, so tuck in depending on how you like your meat. The ribs were a tad too smoky for my taste, despite only been smoked for six hours. Perhaps it was the liquid smoke sauce that added to the flavour.
Leftovers are used for morning brisket sandwiches or is shredded and turned into ravioli for pasta. Goodness is never wasted here.
The platter can be enjoyed with sides of Mexican corn salad, "fusion" cold slaw, Japanese potato salad and much more. Do not forget to order the buttermilk biscuits as they are yum – French butter, y'all! The corn bread is chef Bautista's mum's recipe. The four sauces are also good accompaniments and the green salsa sauce was my ab fav, made from Thai chillies grown in Khao Yai.
Meat isn't the only thing being smoked here and it ain't veggies either. It's seafood. There is something different about the Japanese black cod (B390) aka gindara, which is smoked and fried and sits atop an almond mole. It's a smoked house type fish, smoked on hickory for 20 minutes and is Japanese, Mexican and American style. The mole, which is an Oaxaca-style, takes all day to make and has more than 20 spices. The smoked Japanese clams (B185) with French butter, salt and parsley are delicious and probably better than the brisket. (Sue me!) Billy's Smokehouse does mussels and crab, too, the latter being pre-order only. They also do seabass (pre-order only), wrapped in banana leaf and thrown in the smoker, which is an old southern Mexican style.
The Half chicken (B550) is covered in mud, which is a secret recipe of many spices, olive oil, butter and garlic. The mud is rubbed all over and filled into the cavity, and the chicken is hickory smoked for two hours. It is then doused with butter, lemon juice and black pepper, put into the Combi till the skin gets crisp, leaving the inside moist. No dry chickens here!
Why go?
Go for the fire, smoke and passion. Stay for good ol' fashioned American BBQ.
Billy's Smokehouse, 888, 23-24 Phloenchit Road. Open Mon-Saturday 11.30am-11pm. Call 02-651-4398.
