Thailand is always on the move, at least in the food and beverage department. Blink and you’ll miss another new restaurant opening or a drink launch. Guru By Bangkok Post is making sure that even if you blink, you don’t miss out on the new taste tinglers that are worth mentioning.
L'Arôme By The Sea
Given the recent call for change in the fine dining industry and the way chefs and owners are approaching it, L'Arôme By The Sea is ahead of the game.
The restaurant with the best views in Phuket not only has a new chef, it also has a new approach to its casual fine dining vibe. “The direction we want to go with L'Arôme By The Sea is more less French, but in a less stiff way. Like we don’t really want white tablecloth service and want to keep the entire meal a bit more relaxed, in general. We're playing around with a different playlist, as well. We like when diners sing along to the music, which adds to the ambience and their experience of the meal. It's a good sign. So step-by-step, we're gonna change it a little bit,” says new executive chef Maksym Chukanov.
"It’s still going to be fine dining but with more of a focus on good, high quality ingredients, mostly seafood, because we are at the water’s edge,” says the chef.
Chef Chukanov’s debut menu blends French refinement, Japanese precision and the bold aromatics of Southeast Asian flavours. Ingredients like citrus kosho, miso and beurre blanc are used not for complexity’s sake, but to achieve harmony and depth — allowing each element to shine in its most elegant form.
While the restaurant’s new menu uses fewer local ingredients, there are local flavours. The tom kha langoustine satay is a playful dish that requires using your hands to eat. “It's a bit more it's a bit more interactive, while being very straightforward. There's two, three components on the plate, and you don't have ‘texture of this’, ‘texture of that’,” explains chef Chukanov.
Under the new chef, the restaurant will also embrace a low-waste, ingredient-focused approach, with a strong commitment to ethical sourcing, whole-fish utilisation and culinary storytelling. “I guess you would define it as ‘modern coastal fine dining’,” adds the chef.
The flower and brown crab salad uses the brown crab from France and the flower crab from Phuket is a good balance of flavours while bringing out the sweetness of the crab meat. “The crab arrive live and are steamed in-house. The extracted crab meat is marinated with crème fraîche, lemon juice and chives. The crab roe is dehydrated and added to the salad for depth of flavour. It is then served with a papaya salad, crunchy peanuts and topped with nitrogen edible flowers,” explains the chef.
One of my favourite snacks is the pike roe beignet served takoyuki-style with molten Comté cheese and a crown of buttery pike roe. Alternatively, as an a la carte snack is the crab takoyaki, which is “reimagined” in chef Chukanov’s style. Crab meat is perched atop a golden takoyaki and finished with nutty brown butter. Also available as an à la carte snack menu, it is best enjoyed with ocean views.
All that the binchotan charcoal-grilled Gillardeau oyster brushed with smoked Wagyu beef fat and finished with a beurre blanc, dill oil and a touch of green oxalis, needs is a glass of good bubbly in hand.
Even the bread course is not the usual bread and butter affair… this one is worth the photograph. Freshly baked soft, warm milk bun is lightly glazed with local honey, sea salt and thyme. It comes with creamy smoked cod roe topped with ikura for a salty pop of the sea.
There are two menus to choose from, the Discovery Menu with nine courses and the Dégustation Menu with 12. The restaurant also offers a vegetarian menu, which has dishes like BBQ leeks served with roasted macadamia and a hazelnut vinaigrette. The Sunset Deck offers the choice of sundowners before dinner or aperitifs after.
Blue by Alain Ducasse
There’s a new chef in town and its at Blue by Alain Ducasse. Executive chef Evens López is a Ducasse alumni and brings new energy to the kitchen, which is very noticeable in his first menu.
It’s clearly time for change and in the new men, chef López celebrates French culinary artistry and technique but also showcases the best of Thailand’s seasonal abundance and uses them along with his Peruvian roots. “While keeping Blue’s French identity at Blue, I have also put my fingerprint and personality on the menu. I come from Peru, so I'm very proud of my Peruvian roots. If you look at the menu, the mackerel is a fish I grew up eating. But at Blue, I’ve served it French-style with caviar and local ingredients. I think that Thailand has so much potential in terms of vegetables.
“The first three bites are very much Thai ingredients. We have the crab from here. We're even using local potatoes that are amazing, nice and crispy. You're also going to find some French ingredients like the asparagus. We are finding the right balance. But to sum it up, my new menu uses French techniques with my Peruvian heritage, and a focus on local sustainability,” says chef López.
Expect to see delights as plump morels paired with green peas in brown butter and a peppercorn condiment. Tender white ribbons of squid braised long-hours in low heat and served with local broccoletti and a lemon basil sauce. Marinated in bamboo leaves, the Wagyu beef reveals a natural saltiness — gently imparted by the leaves, without the addition of any salt. Seared to perfection, it is accompanied by hand-rolled tender leeks, sweet shallots, and a subtle hint of tarragon. Served with a braided baguette that is meant for mopping up the sauce and cleaning up the dish, much like me! Delish!
Wasteland
When Wasteland opened in 2020 in Bo.Lan, it was all about a sipping space with harvested ingredients from the kitchen, blending flavours to create beverages and the aim to be a role model for a zero waste bar in Thailand.
Dharath "Tot" Hoonchamlong, co-founder of Wasteland, said the name "is a playful way to refer to abandoned land". Wasteland would often use ingredients that the Bo.lan kitchen can't and would otherwise discard. However, the pandemic took its toll and after a five-year hiatus, Wasteland has reopened on Edison Alley, off Sukhumvit 71.
Led by co-founder, Kitibordee “Gov” Chortubtim, who also serves as beverage director and R&D person, the new base will offer immersive experiences with the same philosophy. Along with more activities and projects that are yet to be unveiled in the multi-story building (the bar is on the first floor and up a steep flight of steps), has re-launched with a menu known as the “WWW” or “World Wide Waste”.
The WWW menu is divided into three sections doing what is trendy these days — classic cocktails with a twist, except at Wasteland they are with a sustainable and eco-friendly twist. Each section has seven cocktails featuring local, surplus, byproduct, closed-loop and upcycled ingredients rich in stories, sustainability and crafts.
The World section is all about world-renowned classic cocktails with a wasteland spin. Such as Dys Century that has wasteland crème de cacao husk (white), Wrong Island with wasteland cacao cola or Odd Fashion that has peanut skin. The Wild section conveys stories through lesser-known or forgotten ingredients, mostly from wilderness and foraging. Ant-idote has ant eggs served with an ant queen. Piscocoa has refreshing cacao juice, while Blurred Cheese is made with noni fruit and is vegan.
The Waste section highlights what is considered waste or otherwise would have gone to waste in food production. Fossil Fuel features crab shells and fish bones. Field Trip has fake amazake made from byproducts of rice wine production. The Morning After Espresso contains coffee chaff and grounds.
The best thing about wasteland is that it offers a “Tasting Serve” for all cocktails. If you want to taste a few more than your normal limit, order a tasting serve. Keeping in the theme of the bar — avoid waste. There will also be seasonals, specials and collaborative offerings transformed into beverages and products.
The third floor is the lab, where all the R&D and production is done and will be a casual drinking space, a space for workshops, activities and curated experiences. The fourth is an office and the rooftop has some composting and will be turned into a garden.
The Standard Grill
Okay, not new but a new executive sous chef who has revamped the menu and made it a fun steakhouse? Yes, we are all in!
The head chef of Ojo, chef Alonso Lunar Zarate is the new executive sous chef at The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon and has rewritten the traditional steakhouse playbook. “I am not trying to do American or a traditional steakhouse. It’s a bit of everything — a bit of Argentinian, Spanish, a bit of Latin American and a little bit French, as I really like French food. It's a little bit more upgrade of flavours,” says chef Zarate.
Though the classics are on the menu like the prawn cocktail, it is anything but a traditional one. It uses tiger prawns, chipotle ketchup, shrimp aioli, cos lettuce and shiso, and is served taco style. “The bluefin tuna crudo is served with blackened chilli oil vinaigrette, leek chips and tonnato, which is an inspiration from dim sum. I really like dim sum and this is something I always have on my mind,” says the chef.
There are also things like skewers with a bit of Middle Eastern spices and The Standard Grill tartare with potato crisps, smoked tomato, Jerusalem artichoke and toasted brioche.
At the heart of it all is a wood-fired grill — a showstopping 1kg MBS 4/5 black Angus tomahawk carved tableside to make a statement. Other grill highlights include the butcher’s cut of MBS 4/5 Ranger Valley wagyu hanger steak; MBS 5+ Rangers Valley Black Market Black Angus sirloin, grain-fed for 270 days and M.C. Herd lamb cutlets, spooned with mint salsa and tzatziki.
The Standard wagyu burger is a smashed Wagyu patty, bacon jam, Dijon sauce, potato bun, house-made cornichon and Cheddar. The bone marrow is served with oxtail jam, persillade and sourdough, alongside an arancini bouillabaisse with escabeche mussels. For pescatarians, the line-caught grouper and grilled seabass are excellent choices.
To end a great night is a delicious wood-fired cinnamon roll with bourbon crème anglaise, fresh figs and edible gold, while the tiramisu offers a rich and creamy counterpoint and one of the best I’ve had in the city. On the cocktail front, do order the signature Dewdrop that is made tableside and makes great social media content, as does The Forest Whisper, which arrives in a cloud of smoke.
Avani+ Hua Hin Resort
Avani+ Hua Hin Resort has opened a new menu concept at Brezza Beach Bar & Restaurant, offering a seaside casual fine dining experience.
The new menu features 90% locally-sourced ingredients from Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan provinces and embraces a minimal waste philosophy. Led by chef Adtavorn “Gibb” Charoonponthiti, executive chef at Brezza, the menu is “a blend of fine dining with the laid-back charm of Hua Hin’s seaside atmosphere”.
Expect dishes like spiced banana prawns with a pickle root medley of turnip, carrot and radish, served with a mussel emulsion made from mussel juice and dill oil. The prawn shells are used to make a stock, while the heads are fried until crispy. The tamale is enriched with mango for a sweet-savoury balance. Banana leaf baked grouper is grilled in banana leaf and served with local surf clams from Ban Laem, Phetchaburi. It is served with a side of lime and roasted cauliflower, sautéed with clams, butter and a splash of lime juice. The dish is finished with a smoked bone and thyme reduction, made from the grouper’s bones and subtly infused with citrus for a rich, balanced depth. The Phetchaburi bowl showcases the region’s finest ingredients — toddy palm, pandan, palm sugar, coconut and pineapple.
A private dinner by chef Gibb offers diners a choice of four distinct culinary themes: French and Nordic fusion, Thai Progressive cuisine, Innovative Asian and Contemporary Indian. The dining experience is available for groups of two to 12.
Restaurant Gaa
In India, the offering of "chai" transcends mere refreshment— it's a quintessential gesture of welcome extended to every visitor. Chef Garima Arora of Restaurant Gaa brings this tradition to Bangkok with a menu that celebrates Indian flavours.
Gaa’s new afternoon tea has creations like a crispy sandwich showcasing Indian brown cheese. Sweet indulgences include caramelised dulcey rasmalai, handcrafted mithai and freshly baked jaggery cookies.
Beverages include filter coffee, masala chai and small-batch artisanal teas from boutique tea producers in India. Served in The Gaa Lounge, the Weekend Afternoon Tea Service is for up to two guests.
Also laughing on weekends is the "Uncorked Weekends”, a pop-up dining experience that brings together chefs from around the world to churn up Indian flavours alongside open access to the Gaa cellar.
The first event will take place on July 12, featuring chef Mischa Tropp of Toddy Shop in Melbourne, Australia. Signature dishes include the restaurant's famous fish fry, ghee masala dosa and sevai payasam for dessert. The wine experience takes centrestage, featuring 20% off all bottles.
Hua Hin Marriott Resort & Spa
Big Fish & Bar at the Hua Hin Marriott Resort & Spa has a new chef de cuisine. Chef Photchaman “Aom” Arnupapdecha returns to Thailand with a culinary philosophy that blends Mediterranean flavours with Thai and broader Asian cooking styles.
Her new menu at Big Fish & Bar highlights the essence of quality ingredients, from local seafood and organic produce to a curated selection of premium imports. At the heart of it is the Josper Grill, a Spanish charcoal oven.
The menu features sustainable-certified Tsarskaya and Geay oysters from France, Hokkaido scallops, Tasmanian salmon from Australia and monkfish fillet from Bretagne. The Tasmanian salmon “cured” features salmon with pomelo, coconut cream, betel leaves and a green chilli dressing.
Another highlight is the Big Fish “bouillabaisse”, a unique Thai-infused take on the classic French seafood stew, enriched with lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. The charcoal grilled Atlantic monkfish showcases French monkfish wrapped in bacon and grilled for a deep, smoky flavour and or the 12-hour braised wagyu beef cheek, a rich, tender Australian Wagyu prepared in the style of a classic Burgundy stew, served with mashed potato and a red wine sauce.
“My inspiration comes from nature, seasonality and the stories behind every ingredient,” says chef Aom. “I love designing dishes that truly highlight the quality of our local ingredients and fresh produce, alongside the finest selections from around the globe, creating a unique and honest flavour experience, and I want each dish to feel personal and expressive,” she adds.
Igniv Bar
Opening on July 7, the Igniv Bar transforms its kitchen counter into a new spot to enjoy a pre- or post-meal sip and bite or just hang out with friends, offering Dom Pérignon by the glass, cocktails and snacks.
Situated at the welcoming foyer of the restaurant at The St. Regis Bangkok, the wood-topped kitchen counter will be elevated into a social destination in its own right, open to Igniv guests and walk-in visitors. Igniv Bar aims to be a warm host for all occasions, whether it’s simply enjoying a few drinks or gathering with friends.
Also expect signature cocktails and mocktails by chef de rang, Nongyao Phutsorn and Igniv snacks curated by head chef Arne Riehn, featuring chicken nuggets, smoked trout roe with crème fraîche and potato, sweetbread with brioche and lardo, and kampachi with pepper and kaffir lime.
