Bangkok has a voracious appetite for food and the number of new restaurants opening week after week is endless.
New on Soi Somkid is Coba, a restaurant that describes itself as “an experiential dining and drinking concept”. Named after the ancient Mayan city, entering Coba is like entering the Amazon rainforest, but with plush interiors… if the tiki torch stands at the huge door wasn’t a giveaway already. The rainforest and South American-style wood carvings continue inside giving the restaurant a cosy vibe. Much has been done to conserve the existing flora on the land, like the tree that stands in the centre of it all.
The kitchen is helmed by executive chef Sebastien Lalanne, who is fresh off the boat and has that “joy de vivre” when it comes to Thailand. His menu is best described as a fusion of Latin American flavours using French techniques and Thai ingredients. “We wanted to be appealing to the local Thais, especially people from Bangkok. South America has a lot of similar ingredients to Thailand, which is why we chose to do a fusion of sorts,” says chef Lalanne.
The menu isn’t large, it is a concise menu and this is because “the smaller the menu, the better quality on the plate”, says the chef. “That's my mantra. The smaller the menu, the better the food. In the same way, we have a small kitchen and a small team and if we wanted to make the best dishes, we cannot do too much. One has to be precise and focused on just few elements.”
Coba tries, as much as possible, to use local produce and work with local suppliers. "I have a woman from Chiang Mai, who's sourcing all around Thailand for me. We have the salt, coconut sugar, palm sugar, rice, peppers and chillies all from around the country. But we also have French oysters and caviar. Though for certain dishes, where one would use imported produce, we have switched to Thai produce,” explains the chef.
There is a caviar experience for the indulgence, as well as Coba’s oyster and lardo, which comes with raw oyster Ostra Regal N°3, lardo, tomatillo aguachile and Thai basil oil. The Baba ganoush and Parmesan biscuit uses Thai green aubergines turned into a mousse and served with honey jelly and almond slices. The Toasted Thai eggplant is served with miso and burrata foam.
“We have a Roasted cauliflower salad, which uses the local cauliflower marinated in sesame, olive, confit-lemon and shallots,” adds chef Lalanne.
The menu is poised to change every three to four months, though dishes may just be switched in and out. “A few dishes that don’t fit with the season will be changed. A few best-sellers will be kept. We’ve been open a month or so, and we already have a few dishes that are being ordered consistently,” says the chef.
The Premium lamb cutlets is one such dish. It comes with a barley salad, pomegranate, harissa oil, yoghurt sauce and lamb jus. The Leche de tigre ceviche uses Japanese madai, aji amarillo, tiger’s milk, pickled onion, coriander and fresh and crispy lotus. The Miso glazed black cod is another hot favourite. It is served with mashed potato purée, chilli flakes, roasted broccoli and fresh herbs. The A5 Wagyu Tenderloin is served with a spicy Mexican mole, which could have been a tad spicier, and honey-glazed baby carrots served with mini beef cheeks tacos.
“Even the Chocolate fondant with cocoa nibs, miso ice cream and fleur de sel is a best-seller. Some you cannot change, but others, we will try and change. I arrived just a year ago, so I am still discovering the produce and know my limits. I am also getting my team involved in the recipe and menu process. Me imposing my recipes on them, may not be a good thing. I need them to give me some ideas and we all need to be happy with what we do on a daily basis,” says chef Lalanne.
Local doesn’t just mean in the kitchen at Coba, it extends to the interiors, as well. The wood carving on one wall is by temple artists from Chiang Mai and the “tree” used to serve the Tapas tasting experience is also made locally. The tableware comes from Lampang.
Interestingly, the man behind the decor and ambience is chef Olivier Limousin, who has relocated from New York for Coba. Perhaps unusual for this kind of restaurant is that dancers glide through the “jungle” in flamboyant outfits while dishes arrive and the cocktails flow. Though as the evening progresses, the frequency between the dancers may get shorter and it may be a tad distracting for diners, but it is all a visual treat.
