What to say about a pastry chef’s that has her own Wikipedia entry? Janice Wong made a splash in the culinary world with her artistic desserts and culinary happenings. She is a well-known professional in Asia and Singapore is her home. During my Singapore trip in July 2019, it was natural to pay a visit to her 2am: dessert bar in Holland Village.
The visit
The dessert bar was located on the second floor of a building at the end of a cul-de-sac.
I arrived shortly after their opening at 2pm (this is the opening time at Weekends; usually they open at 3pm and keep open till 2am as the name suggests). There was only a couple. I had a reservation made through their website but at that time it was not really necessary. At least on that day.
I was temped to order their dessert degustation, but I resisted and I settled for a single item.
It was their Chocolate H20, one of Janice’s classics. Her imprint was visible from the dish presentation, with splashes of color all around the plate. It was a technically-complex creation. This is how it is described on Janice’s website:
A signature of 2am:dessertbar, this dessert has stayed in the menu since its creation in 2009. Inspired by the beauty of dead corals at the San Sebastian coast, the dessert features an aerated frozen chocolate with water mousse sprayed in grey to give the look of dead corals. It is sat over a heap of chocolate soil. Over the year, this dessert had undergone several changes, and the current version is served with Kochi Yuzu Sorbet to give it a light and refreshing balance to the dessert.
I agree that it was a small masterpiece. But even more important, it was also delicious with all the flavors going along in a perfect way.
The check
I spent 25.89 SGP (18.50 USD) for a single dessert. Expensive certainly, but the price was commensurate with the excellent service and the location. I would certainly go back. She also has a store in Tokyo that I might well visit.
At City Link (an underground mall near City Hall) i captured this picture of a Janice Wong kiosk. There are a few in Singapore.
The paint jar set captured my attention. I think I am in love.
Corner House is a Michelin-starred restaurant located inside Singapore Botanic Garden. It is the apt location of a restaurant promoting a Gastro Botanica style of cuisine, an approach emphasizing refinement and quality, giving equivalent weight on the plate to protein and botanical elements. It is the creation of Chef Jason Tan inspired by curious travel, a French classic culinary ground and a devotion to provenance, terroir and seasonality.
The visit
The Corner House is a colonial style bungalow inside the Botanic Gardens. It is not in a corner… “Corner” was the surname of one of the early assistant director of the institution (1929-1945) and the bungalow is where he lived.
It was easy to book via Chope, but not so easy to reach. You have two options. The first is to get to the Botanic Garden metro station then to walk for around 900 meters. This is how I arrived. It was a pleasant walk (but not really passing next to any botanic landmark) and there were plenty of signs. The second option is to get a taxi Nassim Gate of the Gardens and then walk around 200 meters. That’s how I left and there was some waiting for a taxi to show up.
They only operate with set menus. I was there on a Sunday for brunch and they had the brunch menu available which was fine with me.
The bread was a croissant with five spices, raisins bread, unsalted butter and yuzu flavored butter (yuzu everywhere nowadays).
The first course was a set of appetizers. The spread included (from the left) honeydew (a tropical fruit) with watermelon radish, king fish tartare with seaweed (ichiki), foie gras with orange marmalade (with some tasted bread), mushroom tempura with Parmesan cheese emulsion for dipping (the dish on the back). All delicious, but not a lot of food.
The first main dish was an egg Benedict (one…) with burnt oranges, iberico ham, and topped with tobiko.
Then there was a piece of New Zealand blue cod with fried scale in a chili and butterscotch sauce, with some salmon roe.
Finally the desert was emulsion of durian enclosing coffee ice cream on a scone pastry. The ice cream flavor helped to tame the durian and was overall good.
From start to finish, the brunch took exactly 1 hour.
The check
Brunch and a bottle of water was 127.10 SGD (92 USD). It should be noted that the brunch menu is one of their most affordable menus (dinner set are much more expensive).
I had the impression that the brunch did not help them to display the gastro-botanic style in full. Certainly the dishes were impressively presented and all very good. However, I found the value proposition a bit defective.
One bonus: the restaurant is 200 meters from the famous Orchid Garden (entrance fee required, while the rest of the Gardens is free of charge) that is worth a visit.
Where in Singapore: 1 Cluny Road, E J H Corner House Singapore Botanic Gardens (Nassim Gate Entrance) Website: https://cornerhouse.com.sg.
Labyrinth is the brainchild of Chef-Owner LG Han and it encapsulates his roots and memories growing up in Singapore. It can be classified as an example of Mod-Sin cuisine, the Modern Singapore way to re-create traditional recipes. It has one Michelin star in the current edition of the Michelin Guide at the time of my visit (July 2019).
The visit
I booked with no issues through Chope for a lunch. The restaurant is located inside the Esplanade, Singapore’s main performing arts center. It is no accident that Labyrinth specifically offers a pre-theater menu.
The dining room is quite dark, I could not get a decent pictures. I opted for one of their lunch tasting menus that was perfect to get an introduction to the restaurant without losing my locomotive abilities for the rest of the afternoon.
I was immediately shown a tray with all the main ingredients and I was explained that they all come from farms in Singapore.
On the table there was a map of Singapore with details about the suppliers. I will be honest and naive, I did not expect so many farmers on such a small and heavily urbanized island.
The first dish consisted in three snacks: 1) an oolong tea quail clearly mimicking traditional century eggs; 2) a oyster “takoyaki” (battered), with sambal, egg floss, and containing a oyster from a farm in Pulau Ubin, 3) a mini waffle with local chicken liver pate & goji berry jam. All the snacks were very good, especially the takoyaki. They were supposed to be eaten in a certain order, but a made a mistake and the waiter seemed to be very upset about as I had broken a precious piece of porcelain.
Meantime I was offered an Indian-style bread with a chili dipping.
The next dish was silver perch fillet (from Nippon Koi farm) grilled with spices wrapped in banana leaves in Otah style (a type Singapore preparation usually reserved for mackerel). The fish was meant to be transferred in the aromatic soup. The two married very well together. But the soup as a stand alone was too sour for my palate.
Finally, there was space for some chicken from another local farm. It was accompanied by charred mee sua and chinese red lees sauce.
Time for a palate cleanser in the form of a “Clam leaf snow”, a shaved ice dessert inspired by the Singaporean favorite Ice Kachang with local herbs, peach gum & textures of grapes. More than your average palate cleanser.
The dessert was a reimagined Kaya Butter Toast with Kaya ice cream ]and topped by Cristal de Chine Caviar.
The very list bite was two petit four, one chocolate and one durian flavor (Durian was the big absent up to this point for a Singapore inspired menu).
111.80 SGP (81 USD) was the final check. More than ok for such a nice and interesting tasting menu.
I really liked the philosophy of the restaurant, its link to local farmers and its passion for reinventing traditional recipes. It was also easy to book, so I highly recommend it, especially for lunch. After lunch, you can catch one of the exhibits that are usually ongoing in the Esplanade spaces.
On my way out, chef Black, that had spent some time chatting with me at the end of the meal, pointed to a mural on the dining room’s wall reading (in English and Japanese): “Even rotten sea bream is sea bream”.
Then he continued explaining that this means that the sea bream has an identity and this identity is not lost through superficial changes.
And a search for identity is a center of Black’s cuisine fully manifested in his multi-course chef’s table experience at Blackitch (a portmanteau for Black’s nickname and “kitchen”). No matter how innovative the dish are, there is always something that keep them well anchored into their Thai identity.
The visit
I learnt about the restaurant in 2018 in my online searches, but only in my July 2019 trip to Chiang Mai I contacted them through their Facebook page and secured a spot. They were very quick in responding.
I arrived at 6pm and I was accommodated in the intimate dining room with only 3 tables. It felt like being invited into the chef’s private home. On the wall a mural with a tuna was reminiscent of the chef’s time in Japan. I left shortly before 8pm when other guests started to arrive, so basically I dined alone.
All dishes were fully explained by the chef or his partner. Every dish would feature an impressive number of ingredients and several cooking techniques. In my notes I only captured the gist of them. What was particularly interesting was their search for unique and quality ingredients from all over Thailand (with a focus, of course, on the Northern provinces where they are based). Everything was handmade, including all the sauces and pickles, as Black is also know as the “fermentation king” as he develops all the fermented ingredients in his kitchen.
The water was complimentary and came from Chiang Dao, a district in Chiang Mai’s province famous for its wines. They had a succinct and attractive selection of beverages and I opted for a juice from coconut flowers.
The opening was a rice dish: the rice came from from a mountain community that uses sustainable cultivation techniques and it was mixed with egg yolk, yuzu, pickled beauty fish and salted tuna sashimi. It was recommended to be eaten wrapped with river seaweed, which I did. It was a hearty and delicious start.
The second dish consisted of steamed local zucchini with roasted herbs (shallot, chili, lemongrass) and a catfish rice cracker.
The third dish featured crab paste and meat with seasonal fruits (mangosteen), lotus root, and Thai style seasoning including fish sauce and lemongrass. The chili flavor was quite prominent, but not too spicy.
The fourth dish showed some influences from Chinese cuisine: local duck meat on a pie, fried duck skin, pickled raspberry, pumpkin puree on bottom with apple jelly and finally a touch of persimmon.
The fifth dish was a Thai river fish rolled on bamboo shoots (cured 2 nights), with its fermented liver. Eggplant and fried pork on the side.
The sixth dish was a piece of chuck flank from a Thai cattle breed called Himawari grown to 36 months and fed organic sunflowers. It went on a typical Southern-style yellow curry with turmeric and coconut sauce, coming with delicious fried seasonal vegetables. I wish the beef was more tender, but it was as hormone-free natural beef is supposed to be.
The seventh dish was a soup: chicken and duck bone broth with Northern spices, Himawari beef stripes, local mushrooms and black goji berry foraged by a local community. All great together.
The eight dish was the big protein buddy: jasmine rice with tiny grains fried in Xo Thai–style sauce (prawn based) and a nice piece of oyster blade beef (again the prized Himawari) with homemade pickled bamboo. Now, it may sound silly, but the fermented bamboo pickles were really delicious, I would have eaten a jar.
The ninth dish was the dessert: it included pineapple and young ginger with a mango granita in addition to a cream made with coconut, egg yolk and a bit of cream cheese. There were also two chocolate bites made from Thai cacao that is characterized by a fruity backtaste.
The check
The check after tax and a drink was 2,011.6 THB (or 65 USD). Considering the amount of care and creativity embedded into each dish, it was very good value (and the drinks were also priced very reasonably). By the way, at the time of my visit, they had two menus with the main difference being more use of the Thai beef in the most expensive menu (for 2,000 THB before tax), while the other would cost 1,800. For some reason, they gave me a discount and I ended up being charged 1,800 THB instead of 2,000 (before tax). It is a small detail, the difference is not that important, I just report it for sake of clarity.
This was a fantastic dining experience featuring boundless creativity always faithful to its Thai roots in terms of terroir and choice of quality ingredients. Blackitch is on par with some of the best restaurants in Asia like Goh in Fukuoka, Labyrinth in Singapore, or Leputing in Taipei. Given the seasonal nature of the menu, I would like to visit again in future trips to Chiang Mai.
Where in Chiang Mai: 27/1 Nimmanhemin Soi 7, Suthep Subdistrict. Check their Facebook page for more details.
When I travel to Chiang Rai I always look at Spoon & Fork magazine, the bilingual (English and Thai) supplement to Chiang Mai City Life. It is a gold mine of information and it helped me to find a great restaurant like the Redbox last year.
This time (July 2019) I noticed an article about Mr Rewat, the chef of a restaurant in Mae Rim, just 15 km north of Chiang Rai, that seemed to possess the attributes that I like: passion, creativity, and technique (with long experience in a five-star hotel kitchen). When I met him at the end of the dinner he confirmed that his goal was to provide Thai cuisine “with a twist”.
The visit
I contacted the restaurant through the Facebook page of their sister property Steak of the Day to secure a table. I had to face the evening traffic flowing out of Chiang Mai so it took me a bit longer than usual to get to Mae Rim. I recommend you to leave Chiang Mai after 7.30pm; this will avoid you some congestion on the road.
The restaurant is located on the ground floor of a modern building facing Mae Rim’s main commercial square.
Just across the street there is the other restaurant operated by chef Rewat and his wife: Steak of the day (focusing on Western comfort food).
The menu was shown to me on a whiteboard as dishes vary on a daily basis.
I started with a classic appetizer, vegetable rolls with shrimps and summer herbs. From the picture you can see the attention to every detail in the presentation of the dish. They came with a delicious homemade sweet and sour chili dip sauce (krub khun).
My second appetizer was a mousse of grouper and prawn with curry presented in oyster shells. This was a creative and absolutely delicious dish. All the elements fused together perfectly.
I had a third appetizer: deep fried prawns wrapped in noodles with fish stock jelly that added extra flavor.
The main was a lamb shank in massaman curry. This was a superb execution of a Thai classic with top ingredients. The shank was “falling off the bone” and absolutely delicious.
For dessert I ordered their sweet coconut in agar-based jelly. I would have never expected to get such an exquisitely presented dish, with the jelly molded into small clams. It was a small visual masterpiece. And also very good.
The chef’s wife spoke with me and encouraged me to try their other restaurant, Steak of the Day, which is definitely on my list for my next trip to Chiang Mai.
Most of their staff speak English, the menu is bilingual, and they seem accustomed to deal with international customers.
The check
Final check was 1,275 THB (or 41.20 USD) that was really reasonable for the quantity and quality of food that I had (honestly, two people could have easily shared the dishes).
In my opinion the restaurant is totally worth the short trip to Mae Rim from Chiang Mai. (If you do, I recommend Grabcar as a mean of transportation.)
Where in Mae Rim: Mae Rim Plaza, T. Rim Tai, A. Mae Rim
In August 2019, I spent two days in Chiang Rai and my main goal was to do the touristy things (the White Temple, the Blue Temple, the Black House). I reached Chianag Rai by bus from Chiang Mai (there was almost one hour delay because the road was still in very bad shape due to past floods, not sure when they will fix it, works seemed to be halted. It would be quicker to take a flight from Bangkok). However I also extensively researched the local restaurant scene reading reviews and fora. I was able to handpick some interesting restaurants. On the other side, I avoided eating at two very popular tourist spots in Chiang Rai: the Night Bazar and the weekend walking streets (I visited the one on Saturday and it was huge, but relatively little food) so I won’t be able to comment on street food. This write up is in no way exhaustive, but if you like good restaurants wherever you go, maybe you can pick some good ideas.
Vegetarian bagels and burgers at Yoddoi
428/7 Thanon Baanpa Pragarn Rd | Near Clock Tower.
My first stop was at Yoddoi Coffee and Tea, just across the famous Clock Tower. They had an extensive menu of vegetarian bagels and burgers. They were both good (I had a burger with a massaman curry patty and a bagel with hummus – the bagel was very tender). Yoddoi means “top of the mountain” and it is a reference to the farm that owns the coffee shop. In the store, they sell coffee beans and green tea harvested in their farm (I think they could make great gifts to bring home).
One rainy evening I found refuge in this Western restaurant owned by a Thai/German couple. I had a caprese salad and their cordon bleu that was a big chunk. The steaks seemed to be the best part of the menu. It seems to be one of the best places for Western food in Chiang Rai. For a large party I would make a reservation (see their website).
Two stylish cafes for cakes and drinks
Melt in your mouth: 268 Moo 21 Kho Loi, Robvieng, Chiang Rai.
Chivit Thamma Da Coffee House, Bistro & Bar: 179 Moo 2 Bannrongseartean Soi 3, Chiang Rai. Website: www.chivitthammada.com.
I visited Melt in Your Mouth (see gallery) and Chivit Thamma Da Coffee House for desserts. They were both beautifully decorated venues. The first was tucked in a corner of a park and it felt like being in the jungle. I had a pancake with ice cream and a herbal infusion. Chivit Thamma Da was at a walking distance from the Blue Temple and I had the very best banoffee chocolate cake I ever tasted in Thailand (unfortunately no pictures as my batteries were too low). Both venues, especially Chivit Thamma Da, also provide full dinner and lunch menus.
A fancy Northern Thai restaurant: Paam Sai Aua
Paam Sai Aua was a relatively new restaurant at the time of my visit in Chiang Rai. It defined itself “fusion Northern”. I am not sure what they meant by “fusion”; probably they refers to the presence on the menu of some Western dishes such as pasta (that now seems to be so popular in Thailand). I had a few typical dishes: a Northern herbal sausage (very delicate, good), a pork knuckle (quite good), and a soup. The restaurant also sells spices, honey, and other local products. It was certainly expensive by Thai standards. The most impressive thing about the restaurant was its location. A newly-built wooden house with high ceilings.
This is a very popular restaurant with locals that I got to know thanks to food blogger and youtuber extraordinaire Mark Wiens (see his long review). If you wish some authentic and affordably priced local food, this is the place to visit. The setting is more spartan than the other venues I visited (it is an open air veranda), but the service was good. I had their signature garlic fried fish (a river fish topped by a mountain of garlic). The fish in chunks with no bones. I had an omelette as a side and that’s it. They have a picture menu for foreigners that I photographed.
What I missed
During my research a spot kept coming up as the most interesting dining destination in Chiang Rai: Locus (I contacted them via their Facebook page). Headed by a young chef, it promised to deliver an outstanding food experience based on local ingredients. Sadly the restaurant was closed during my visit, but I totally recommend you to check it out. At the time of my visit (August 2019) the dinner set was around 1,500 THB.
Finally, with the right amount of time, it would be interesting to explore the mountains around Chiang Rai for at least two reasons. First, visiting an organic farm (there are many) could be interesting. Rai Ruen Rom farm is often mentioned to this end. Second, at 50 km from Chiang Rai there is a Chinese village called Santikhiri (follow the link to the Wikipedia entry to learn about its weird history) that is now accessible to tourists where to see how a Chinese community has maintained (or evolved) its culinary traditions over the past half century.
I went to Suan Dok Temple in Chiang Mai attracted by their restaurant called Pun Pun Vegetarian Slow Food. To find the restaurant you will need to go inside the Temple’s grounds. If you enter the Temple from the main gate, you have to walk to the back. When I got there with Grab Car I was left near a back entrance that was next to the restaurant.
The visit
The restaurant is located in a shack with a very large open kitchen and spartan wooden furniture. They have an English menu with an extensive selection of vegetarian dishes.
From the daily specials, I had the homemade fermented mushroom sausage. It was slightly sour and something different. I liked it.
I ordered a classic massamsan (musaman on the menu) curry with tofu, mushroom, and potatoes. The curry was a bit bland for my taste.
There was an intriguing list of “special dishes” and I chose one called Dtow hoo pad pong garee in the transliteration. It had stir fried eggs, tofu, mushroom, onion, all on a yellow curry and roasted chili paste base. Ok, there was an egg so it was a bit cheating, but this dish was fantastic. Every bite brought up new delicious flavors.
It came with a portion of excellent brown rice.
The check
The three dishes and a drink cost me 215 THB (7 USD). And this was a big feast, two dishes would have been more than enough. Difficult to beat this kind of value.
Bonus: after your meal you can have a look around the temple:
Where in Chiang Mai: 139 Suthep Rd, ตำบล สุเทพ Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai Tip: have a look at their Facebook page that they keep up to date with announcements about closures.
The title pretty much summarizes the review… I had in Chiang Mai the best chicken of my 2019 summer… and it was in a simple street-side shop called ร้านไก่ย่างวิเชียรบุรี”นิมมาน”ซอย11 in Thai or Kai Yang Wichian Nimmanhemin_Soi_11 in some translations. Below you can see a picture of the storefront, but the smoke will be your best cue.
The visit
The place is difficult to miss. It produces so much smoke from the perennially lit up grill (I guess the neighbors may not be happy). I noticed the place one day and after some research I found out that it was actually pretty popular. I went back the day after and I had one of the best grilled chicken ever. It is located in a spartan shack and you will seat on a plastic stool. Menu is in Thai, but with pictures. The staff seems to be friendly with foreigners. I spotted a mix of locals and Chinese tourists.
The menu features a number of other Thai dishes (their pork soup called tom saap seemed interesting and they have an adventurous salad with fermented dish, just saying), but I went straight for the chicken and I was quickly served a full one. It was tender, meaty enough, juicy, everything that a good grilled chicken should be.
I was so impressed that I had an additional half. The dipping sauce was pretty phenomenal too: it was a kind of homemade tamarind sauce, not too sweet and a bit spicy.
They are not on the menu, but they also grill the chicken livers, hearts, feet, and wings in skewers. They cost less than 1 USD per skewer.
The check
I spent 240 THB for one chicken and half (160 THB or 5.20 USD is the price for one chicken). Sometimes the best does not need to be the most expensive. I’ll be back.
Where in Chiang Mai: NimmanHaemin Soi 11 (It is next to Grace Dental Care Clinic, you can use it as a destination if you use Grab.)
In this review I will lump together three very different venues that have in common to offer outstanding cakes and desserts. In all of them you can relax with a cup of tea and a slice and some sweets. One is Western-style, one Japanese and one Thai.
Amazing creative delights at Saruda Finest Pastry
Address: 12, Soi 3 Nimmana Haeminda, Su Thep, Chiang Mai
Saruda Finest Pastry really feature the skills of a top pastry chef. The creations are both creative, visually appealing, and delicious. I tried their Quasar for a chocolate boost and a Mandarin-shaped pastry with a mandarin filling. The shop is not large but has a few tables where to enjoy the cakes, possibly along with a cup of tea. The two pastries I had cost 185 and 195 THB (9 USD in total).
Rak Whan Thai Dessert Café
Address: 30/2 Nimmanhaemin Rd., Soi 11, Suthep, Chiang Mai
Despite the cursory service, I enjoyed a brief stop at this Thai dessert cafe that featured some beautiful Thai cookies and cakes. Thai cuisine has a distinctive dessert tradition and a lot of pastry types were on display in this cafe. I had a set with a number of cookies and jellies (they all have a name in Thai!) along with a classic Thai iced tea (that is basically a sugar bomb).
Matcha drinks and cakes at Chaseki
91, Sri Poom Road, Si Phum, Chiang Mai 50200 Website: www.chasekitea.com
Chaseki is the brainchild of a Thai/English couple in love with Japanese powdered green tea (matcha). They have both drinks and cakes. At the time of my visit they were even selling a limited edition matcha chocolate bar. I did not like much the drink (combining matcha and conconut, but they have so many others to try). On the other side, the matcha and white chocolate cake was phenomenal. It is a small cafe located along the Northern border of the Old City. Definitely recommended for something different and unique in Chiang Mai.
Khao is headed by chef Vichit Mukura, a prominent Thai chefs with 30 years of experience. The restaurant was listed as a Bib Gourmand on the Michelin Guide and attracted my attention. I wish I could experience the chef’s table, but it was only available for at least 4 people.
The visit
I booked on Chope with no issues, but booking on a quiet weekday was not really necessary. I reached the restaurant by taxi as it was quite far away from any Skytrain or Metro station.
The restaurant is very spacious and very elegantly furnished.
I ordered four dishes, three would have been enough (they are mostly meant for sharing).
Among the appetizers, I picked fish cakes filled with salted eggs. They were quite salted, but quite good with the accompanying dipping sauce.
Then I had a Thai prawn omelette that was juicy and fluffy inside. This was the description on the menu: “The trick to this fluffy omelette is whipping the eggs instead of just beating them. Chunks of crabs or prawn meat are added plus some Thai basil and sliced shallots. A deep frying pan is used to ensure the omelette is thick and crusty outside and juicy inside”. All the dishes on the menu were meticulously described, almost a treatise on Thai cuisine.
Then I had a stir-fried dish, with prawns and salted duck eggs and addition of Chinese celery, red bell peppers, and spring onions. I found this dish quite delicious.
Finally I had the Chef’s fried rice. This was an incredibly rich dish, with crab meat, prawn and much more.
The check
The check was 1,906 THB (or 62 USD). In comparison to run-of-the-mill Thai restaurants, it was a pricey check. But the quality of the food and setting overall justify the price point.
I think Khao is a great place where to enjoy quality and well designed Thai dishes.
