Being of Mon descent, I have many fond memories of tucking into aromatic jasmine rice submerged in cold jasmine-infused water during Mon occasions with the rest of the family. When Siam Tea Room rolled out the khao chae set on its menu, I was quick to grab the opportunity to see how Siam Tea Room produces their version of something so familiar to me.
The khao chae I remember having is slightly different from the one at Siam Tea Room, where Chef Phukvarun Watchmon doles out an elaborate khao chae set on a golden platter with a few surprising additions that you wouldn't find so often in khao chae set. They include the sun-dried ray fish that has been finely shredded and slow-cooked with jaggery, fried shallots and salt for over two hours until the texture turns into a smooth paste. This dish tastes intensely savoury, which explains why Chef Phukvarun serves it in tiny balls, an appropriate portion that won't make you cling your face when biting into it. Another two additions are the deep-fried butterfly pea flowers stuffed with minced shrimp and the salted egg yolk, which has been rolled into small balls and deep-fried.
Apart from the aforementioned items, you'll find seven traditional side dishes and fried treats that are commonly eaten with the cooling jasmine rice. They are hom daeng yud sai (stuffed shallots), luk kapi (dried fish and shrimp paste balls), prik yuak sord sai (sweet peppers stuffed with marinated pork), chai poe phad kai (stir-fried preserved turnip with eggs), shredded sweet pork, carved vegetables and raw mango.
Created with RNI Films app. Preset 'Agfa RSX II v.3' Siam Tea Room
To further the cooling sensation, the khao chae set also comes with fresh watermelon juice mixed with soda and a traditional Thai dessert, kraton savoey, a dish that tackles both sweet and savoury wonderfully, with preserved santol served in a bitter orange syrup, topped with shredded pork and fried shallots.
The traditional way of eating khao chae, the restaurant says, is to enjoy chilled santol as a starter, followed by rice and side dishes. Since most of the dishes typically eaten with khao chae gravitate towards the sweeter side, diners can refresh their tastebuds between each bite with tangy raw mango and vegetables.
I was most impressed by the high level of attention to detail in the preparation of each dish of the khao chae here. Chef Phukvarun strictly adheres to traditional recipes and spends a lot of time on each item to ensure it is done right. The price for khao chae set is B590++ (B490 for a takeaway box), with a portion that is good for one person. The set will be available at Siam Tea Room until May 31 from 11am to 5pm.
Siam Tea Room, Ground Floor, Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen's Park, Sukhumvit 22 / Call 02-059-5999, visit bit.ly/2OwaLgW.
