Conceptual dining

A small shophouse on Sukhumvit 49 seems the most unlikely place for a fine dining restaurant. Yet up a narrow mirrored staircase leads you into a 24-seater dining space that looks and feels like you're in an abstract art painting.

What immediately catches your eye are the white interiors with the only splashes of colour being small sculptures on the table and the minimal pieces of art around the room.

Though this is exactly what executive chef-patron Juthamas "Som" Theantae is conveying at Karmakamet Conveyance 2.0; the first instalment having opened at Lhong 1919 in 2018. "The term conveyance is about how different we all are. I want to use food as a tool to be able to say 'even though we are different we can accept each other'. So conveyance is to transport you from this space to the next; to go from here to there without judgement," she adds.

Under the kintsugi-styled broken white and gold plate, lies a small card with the words "Allow things to happen the way they are" and that is precisely how diners should experience her menu. Mismatched cutlery pushes this open thinking.

The 13-course tasting menu (2,500++ baht) is designed to evoke memories or create new ones. "If I have to describe my food, I would call it new Asian, but as a cook there is nothing new about it. Generally food doesn't have a lot of concept, like art. This menu isn't about me, it reflects everyone, I have to start somewhere and the first course, Miracle Water, is what my dad made more than 40 years ago. This is the start of me," says chef Som. The amuse bouche is the Chinese version of lao khao and gives your palate the kick-start it needs.

An apt next course, Grains sees three balls, each on its own pedestal. The jam ball is inspired by chef Som's stay at Shanti Niketan in India. "At the beginning of winter, the fragrance of this plant was all over the place," she says of the false cardamom plant, depicted in the cardamom and jam ball. The banana ball is formed using cauliflower and banana curry, which was my favourite. The chickpea ball is spicy, a tad like Sriracha but with a strong taste of blue cheese, which comes from the probiotic Roquefort starter used to make it. The progression of the balls is good: Start with a soft spice and increase the spice quotient. Though you are served cutlery with this course, chuck it, I say, and embrace eating with your hands. A course that definitely conveys what it is meant to: Luxury does not always come from distant places.

Executive chef-patron Jutamas 'Som' Theantae. Karmakamet Conveyance

Warmth comes in the form of a chicken and tomato consommé, with one of my favourite herbs, dill. The consommé is made from fish bones and it is a soul-warming broth, which is a generous serving for a fine dining restaurant. But chef Som is known for her generous portions.

Perhaps the most puzzling and thought-provoking course is the Rainforest.

"I like to make such dishes but it is hard to reach people with such food. I will slowly embrace being more conceptual," she says of the course. Sweet basil and watercress are blanched, blended and strained. The mixture is then passed through a coffee filter overnight so what is obtained is a pesto that is meant to resemble moss. This is served with assorted leaves and jicama.

The hustle and bustle of the Street is a fresh oyster served with a puffy omelette and sprouts, alongside housemade noodles in Southern yellow curry with a sunny-side-up egg and fresh pomelo. A tad lacking in salt for me, though tasty nonetheless. The Village has a lot going on and is inspired by the chef's visit to Isan, where she learned to make Northeastern cuisine. Grilled squid, galangal paste, crab with seafood sauce, clams, fish mint, toasted rice, tapioca, rice ball and coconut jelly, which looks like shaved ice on top, reminded me of a spicy larb.

A course we can all get behind is the busy and messy one called Life. Beef tongue is chef Som's signature as I have yet to come across someone, other than my mother, who can cook a beef tongue buttery soft. It is accompanied by fried shrimp, for texture, a Chinese-style gnocchi klong klang, Chinese bun and sweet and sour chilli sauce. "The klong klang is nicer than eating noodles, which can be soft," says chef Som of the chewy "gnocchi", traditionally used in Thai desserts.

Luxurious white interiors. Karmakamet Conveyance

The palate cleanser or Fleur de Sel is salt ice cream paired with salak, custard apple, sapodilla, jackfruit and young coconut. Pre Motion described as back and forth is depicted in the plating of smoked black cod, chilli sambal and Japanese rice. Served sushi-style, a one bite delight. Balance in Motion is a Dover sole in Champagne sauce with a deep fried courgette flower and oyster sauce. Not my favourite dish as I'm not a fish person. Though the sauce is tasty and went well with the vegetable medley on the plate.

Chef Som's least favourite dish on the menu is Wealth. "It is a good dish but with this concept it is not necessary, hence it is termed as 'The Unnecessities'. You don't need to spend a lot of money eating meat for a good meal. People will not pay for a jam ball but will pay for lamb and this is why it's my least favourite course." Drawing inspiration from her love for Indian food, a lamb chop is grilled with Sienna spice and served with biryani, green chutney, corn fritters and a lemon mustard sauce. Colours and taste, this is India on a plate.

After Wealth, comes time to rejoice in a Celebration with bean curd, jackfruit, sangria and mutant coconut. A good way to cool down the mouth after the spicy lamb.

Farewell or until we meet again is another ode to one of chef Som's loves aka India. "Since this is the last course, I need it to be memorable. This is not for you to be puzzled anymore." She uses gulab jamun to make butter cake. Instead of using sugar to beat with butter, the chef uses gulab jamun. Tong yip, speculaas and malai or cream is mixed with milk, honey and cardamom to create a syrup for the dessert. A decadent dessert, it comes under a veil of edible silver foil. A grandiose way of saying farewell, literally.

But this isn't the only extravagance, the menu can be paired with the best Champagne, the chef's favourite drink, for 2,500++ baht. "With this kind of food dynamic, it is a pairing that you can't go wrong with," says chef Som. And who can argue with that?