80/20 has introduced its latest menu changes, which is inspired by the abundant harvest during the rainy season.
"For the new monsoon menu, we have a mix of hot and cold dishes but also we want to keep ingredients that boosts the immune system for the cold season, like finger root, ginger, or even a little bit more pepper to keep diners warm," says chef and co-owner Napol "Joe" Jantraget.
In the 10 course menu (B3,000++), diners are taken on a journey through the rainy season. "We showcase a lot of shellfish as during the rainy season is the time when they are in plenty," says chef Joe. "The Yum Aunk Wa dish is something that we learnt from old recipes. It is interesting because it has mung bean and banana blossom. There is a coconut vinegar and what inspired us to use it is because it is light and more vegetable-driven. We replaced a few of the vegetables with water plants, as they have a neutral flavour."
Geang som, flavours of local seashell.
Pumpkin & egg fruit.
Flavours of local beef.
There are three desserts by co-owner and pastry chef Saki Hoshino. "The first one is poached pear and served with miso caramel ice cream, served with a miso and mung bean tuile. "It is like apple tart, which is my imagination for this dish," says chef Hoshino.
The second dessert is the pastry chef's take on one of my favourites: bua loy nam king, which is a warming dish. "This, however, is a cold dish. Ginger granita with bua loy made from perilla seeds, sourced from Chiang Mai. It is also served with ginger candy and ginger crumble. Though the dish is cold, when you eat it you get the heat from the ginger," says the chef.
The last dessert is pumpkin. A minimal dessert that resembles Japanese wagashi, it is a pumpkin and egg fruit mousse with palm custard inside. Pandan on top and a Thai meringue-like biscuit, known as a-lua.
80/20 has also introduced a "Chef's Choice" set lunch from Friday to Sunday. The three-course lunch is priced at B1,499++ per person, with mains being served family style.
80/20, 1052-1054, 26 Charoen Krung Road / Call 099-118-2200, email info@8020bkk.com, visit FB.com/80/20bkk or Line @8020bkk.
New northern
If you live up North and would like to sample 80/20’s menu, the chefs are doing a “New Northern Thai: pop-up at Spice Garden on November 20-21. Their nine-course tasting menu costs B2,500 net and dinner begins at 6.30pm.
Call 053-215011, 089-633-9448 or email contact@spicegarden.co.th.
