Chef Vichit Mukura’s prepping up in his new and gleaming kitchen.
THAI FOOD| FINE DINING| PRIVATE DINING | BY INVITATION
It certainly was a huge news when Chef Vichit Mukura – the name behind the legendary Sala Rim Nam of the Mandarin Oriental – decided to call it a day at one of Thailand’s most prestigious hotels. After reigning the kitchen there for 28 years, inventing arrays of succulent Thai dishes and adaptations (such as tom yum gung ice cream and much much more) and reviving so many of the long-gone dishes and desserts, the chef felt he needed something new to excite his active self.
“It was a long decision-making process,” says Chef Vichit, now at his brand new restaurant called Khao tucked deep in Sukhumvit 51, same area as its brotherhood restaurant Yuutaro. “I have always felt that I wanted to do something of my own, so when the good opportunity arose, meaning I found the partners who talk the same language, I made the decision. Now my life has certainly changed, but being a chef, creating the food that people come back for more on my own premises is the greatest reward.”
The first course of Thai-style salad of egg yolk tempura, marian plum and seared salmon.
At Khao, Chef Vichit and his five-man team run a small, full-functioning and gleaming kitchen. In front of them is a big dining table that can accommodate from 4 to 12 guests. They serve private dinner and the menu changes daily. Those who book will only inform the team on their food allergies and aversions. Other than that, it depends pretty much on the chef to cook up something delicious for the night. The guests pay Bt4,990++ per person for a 6-course meal, Bt7,500++ for a 8-course and Bt9,900++ for a 10-course. This is not a cheap venture, but the chef, the very chef himself, will be there, cooking, tasting and plating every single dish for all his guests.
“The concept is Thai food, certainly Thai tastes, yet with premium ingredients from around the world, especially Japan because we are partners with Yuutaro who is already sourcing and importing premium ingredients from Japan every week,” explains Chef Vichit. “Other than imported ingredients, I myself go to Or Tor Kor fresh market every single day, and then prepare the menu accordingly.”
The second dish of yam som-o and Japanese crabmeat, accompanied with a tod man of shrimp meat blackened with squid ink.
I had a chance to dine at Chef Vichit’s Chef Table at Sala Rim Nam once about three years ago. Honestly, it was one of the best Thai fine dining experiences of my memories. The chef has been known for his innovativeness, yet nothing too bold and outrageous you would call it outlandish. The thing that makes Chef Vichit’s outstanding is his keen ability to combine flavours and meticulous methods of cooking. He is also keen to combine foreign and new cooking techniques just to achieve a certain textures for the dishes of his aims. Meanwhile, unlike many other celebrity chefs I have encountered, Chef Vichit seems to prefer a slower lane of the business. One at a time, carefully crafting his own endeavours and not so much about establishing and expanding restaurant empires here and anywhere.
“I am such a conservative when it comes to making a business decision,” says Chef Vichit. “It was not easy for me to resign from the Mandarin Oriental. In fact, it took me a long long time even though, speaking honestly, it was not like I was not regularly being offered for ventures and partnerships. But my kids were still in colleges and I needed a certainty in life. It was when they all graduated that I think it was my time to let loose and do whatever I wanted for once before it is too late.”
The steaming-hot, head-clearing consomme of tom klong pla krob served with a giant-sized breaded and deep-fried Hokkaido scallop.
Let’s see about the food. I was one of the five food writers invited over by the chef. He created us a 5-course sample dinner. The first one was a Thai-style salad of egg yolk tempura, marian plum and seared salmon. The egg yolk tempura manifests how the chef applies the Japanese tempura making technique to achieve a new texture of the yolk. While the yolk’s delicate skin was made crispy, the yolk itself was still rich and runny and went extraordinary well with the well-balanced Thai-style salad dressing with the crisp bites of the fresh shallots, aromatic chilies and lime juice. The salmon acted like a sweet creamy background with the marian plum rendering the tastes of sweet and a bit sour. The yolk, almost sweet, makes a perfect combination of all the tastes.
“Think of this dish as our all-time favourite of yam khai dow (salad of crispy fried eggs). But this one is luxed up with Japanese eggs, marian plum which is now in season and the salmon.”
Red Japanese snapper served with Thai red curry, Japanese tomato and Thai fragrant rice.
The second dish was also an eye-opener. It was the all-too-well-known yam som o (Pomelo salad) but paired with Japanese crab meat and strawberry. It is served with the yummy tod man of shrimp cake blackened with squid ink. A new look. The old taste. Love it.
The bua loy and yok manee desserts. So pretty and delicious.
We were then served the soup course. Last time I ate at Chef Vichit’s, I was so smittened with the soup. The clear, comsomme-style Thai super fragrant soup. This time the chef served tom klong pla krob which is also a consomme-style clear soup of Thai herbs, flavoured with sun-dried river fish and toasted rice. The soup, steaming hot and head-clearing when sipped, was gorgeously accompanied by a giant Hokkaido scallop, breaded and perfectly deep-fried. The thick and juicy meat of the scallop is sweet and delicious.
Japanese red snapper was served after with Thai-style quick red curry naturally sweetened, of all things, by Japanese hand-picked super succulent, plump and sweet tomato. Thai cooks have been using tomatoes to give a natural sweet and sour flavour to many dishes. This one, the chef rounded the otherwise sharp edges of Thai red curry with the Japanese tomatoes. So so so delicious. With a fresh piece of tomato that I kept from eating until the every end. It was such a wonderful meal.
But that’s not all. Chef’s Vichit also made us not one, but two kinds of Thai desserts. One is bua loy, simple, nothing fancy, but one of the best I have ever eaten. The bua loy pearls were tender and the coconut milk was rich, creamy and fragrant. And the young coconut flesh that accompanied each bite made the dish even more so fantastic.
The other dessert was like a jewel. It was an old-style Thai dessert of Yok Manee – made from tiny beads of hand-kneaded tapioca, but this one is stuffed with a big, sweet and succulent Japanese strawberry that has been thinly coated with chocolate. It was to die for. A real magnificent meal.
Cozy ambiance of Khao that can accommodate a private party of 4-12 people.
Khao is now open for dinner and it offers cooking class during lunch. You should experience it. For booking call T: 098-829-8878.
You can also read about the last time I ate at Chef Vichit’s Chef’s Table here.
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