No other cuisine in the world can beat Vietnamese food when it comes to simplicity, purity and freshness.
A unification of fresh vegetables and herbs complemented by fine rice products, and sometimes a humble addition of meat or seafood, highlight the ingenious culinary wisdom of Vietnamese food that has been passed on for over a thousand years.
Not only does Vietnamese cuisine boost health and vitality, it also promises to delight the eyes and taste buds.
From left: The bahn xeo crispy crepe; Deep-fried shrimp cake on sugarcane sticks.
Van Arayangkoon, the chef-patron of thriving French restaurants 4Garcons (2010-2020) and Second Edition (2020-present), is a keen devotee of Vietnamese food and its age-old heritage.
This is why he developed Morning Glory The Vietnamese Chef’s Table restaurant, located on the ground floor of Ramada Plaza hotel on Sukhumvit Road.
The 80-seater, which opened a few months ago, was initially conceptualised to feature a multi-course degustation meal mimicking the gastronomic journey from the north to the south of Vietnam (hence the restaurant’s name).
Besides a one of a kind chef’s table experience — to be booked at least two days in advance — the restaurant also offers other dining options including a hotpot buffet and a la carte menu.
Morning Glory’s a la carte menu encompasses more than 30 dishes, from popular street food recipes to palace-styled delicacies, carefully selected by chef Van and his restaurant’s head chef, Valit Lerdpunya, also a veteran in Vietnamese cuisine.
Among the appetisers is cha gio, or imperial seafood spring rolls (220 baht).
Spring lotus root with prawn and rice cracker salad.
The restaurant’s rendition of deep-fried treat boasts a delicately flaky, net-like skin filled with a scrumptious mixture of prawn, squid, crabmeat and taro.
The ever-crispy spring rolls were flavoursome and needed no extra dressing. However, a quick dip in the house-made nuoc cham sauce is guaranteed to enhance the palate even more.
A staple condiment that adds pungency to most Vietnamese dishes, especially rice noodles and deep-fried dishes, the nuoc cham sauce is concocted in-house with coconut water reduced to honey-like and golden in colour, a rice wine vinegar, fish sauce and finely grated fresh radish and carrot.
Another treat that went nicely with the sauce was deep-fried shrimp cake on a sugarcane stick (310 baht).
Fresh shrimps were minced, pounded and kneaded to develop a thick springy texture before being wrapped around a sugarcane stick and deep-fried.
Accompanying the prawn cake was a nice portion of rice vermicelli and assorted fresh vegetables.
The assortment of fresh vegetables, which gave the meal a bracing balance, came from chef Van’s organic backyard as well as certified organic suppliers.
That day was the first time that I had bahn cuon prepared with egg (220 baht).
Commonly called pak mor yuan in Thai, the dish features seasoned minced pork rolled in a freshly-made soft rice sheet over steaming heat.
Instead of the familiar cottony white rice flour skin, the dish had an omelett-y yellow exterior. I was surprised by its soft feel and delectable taste that was not overly eggy.
From left: Turmeric fish; A selection of noodle soups.
Vietnamese food connoisseurs can also expect to find superb bo nuong la lot, or grilled beef in betel leaf wrap (310 baht), and cha ca, or Vietnamese turmeric fish (400 baht) here.
The first — the best I’ve ever eaten in Bangkok — featured high-quality ground beef slightly seasoned and rolled up in betel leaves before being flame-broiled. The soft, fragrant and delicious beef rolls were served with rice vermicelli, house-made pickles and a special dipping sauce — a very simple mixture of salt, pepper, sesame oil and lime juice.
The turmeric fish was prepared with fillets of fresh garoupa and served in a steamboat-styled hot pot with rice noodles and shrimp paste. Taste-wise, the dish, thanks to a spicy deep-heat from turmeric, reminded me of southern Thai crab curry although the Thai counterpart is 10 times fierier.
The restaurant also made great bahn xeo, or crispy crepe stuffed with pork, shrimp, sweet pickled radish, mung beans and fresh bean sprouts (280 baht).
Meanwhile, its spring lotus root salad with prawn (250 baht) proved flawless and addictive.
If you are in the mood for soothing soup, you won’t be unsatisfied here.
Gratification-guaranteed options include pho bo, or beef noodle soup (250 baht), bun bo hue, or spicy beef noodles (250 baht), and bahn canh pork soup with thick noodles (200 baht).
The 15-course Chef’s Table experience is on offer for a group of four to 12 persons at 1,000 baht net per person.
The shabu shabu buffet, priced at 799 baht per person, features a wide selection of all-you-can-order appetisers and hot pot items including beef and pork cooked at your table during a two-hour period.
- Morning Glory
- The Vietnamese Chef’s Table
- Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Bangkok
- Sukhumvit 48
- Call 098-494-2000
- Open daily, 11am-9pm
- Park at the hotel’s car park
