The best Thai restaurant
Flying home from Bangkok to Amsterdam, I read a story in 'The Wallstreet Journal' about an election of the fifty best Asian restaurants held in Singapore for the third year.
You can discuss endlessly about the question of what is the best restaurant, because taste is and remains a very personal thing. For me, French cuisine is at the top, but Italian cuisine also has a lot more to offer than a pizza. And what about Chinese cuisine? It also has more to offer than a spring roll or shark fin soup made from egg whites, which are usually served to us in the Low Countries.
The Asian cuisine
Perhaps I will step on the toes of the Thailand fanatics when I claim that Thai cuisine, compared to the three countries mentioned, has to lose out from a culinary point of view. Of course you can eat delicious food in Thailand, but culinary delights are rare. So couldn't believe my eyes when I read that the best Asian restaurant is located in Bangkok. Simple conclusion; so also the best Thai restaurant. The winner of the 'Gold Award' was the restaurant Gaggan. Never heard of it. And now let me think I know some good restaurants in the metropolis of Bangkok; not so. To my relief, Gaggan turns out to be an Indian restaurant and admittedly that cuisine is quite unknown to me.
The 50 best
Last year Gaggan took an honorable third place and this year (2015) the restaurant was declared the winner. According to sponsor S. Pellegrino, the well-known water and initiator of the election of the fifty best Asian restaurants, China led the list with 16 restaurants, followed by Singapore with 10 and Japan with 8. Cuisine Wat Damnak finished 50th. , a restaurant in Cambodian Siem Reap and perhaps known to a number of readers of Thailandblog.
Gagan restaurant
Named after Chef Gaggan Anand, the restaurant has been located in an old colonial building in a quiet side street off Ploenchit Road, 2010/68 Soi Langsuan (see photo above) since 1. So close to the Lumphini park. Curious, I carefully read the reviews from visitors and although I am not so charmed by the rather spicy Indian cuisine, I would like to be surprised by Gaggan on my next visit to Bangkok. The cheapest and most popular 'Taste of Gaggan' menu consists of 7 courses a raison of 1800 baht. If you want to snack more extensively on all the delicacies, you have to conjure up 4000 baht. But you can tell that Bill Clinton also ate there. I feel that the obnoxious habit of charging another 7 percent barrel and 10 percent service in an inconspicuous place on the menu, which I feel is becoming increasingly common, irritates many beyond measure and I describe it as polka dot and unworthy of an enterprise aimed at the end user. So Gaggan Anand show class in that too and just mention the real inclusive price.
Nam restaurant
Nam restaurantThe Metropolitan hotel, located in the Sathorn Business District, houses the Nahm restaurant, which was named the best restaurant in Asia by S.Pellegrino a year earlier and took a very honorable third place the year before. The Australian chef of the restaurant - David Thompson - was the first and only person to ever receive a Michelin star for the preparation and presentation of Thai dishes. At the time, there was quite a commotion from the Thai cooking guild that thought it was strange to award such an important award to a foreigner and at the time also to a London-based restaurant. The restaurant Nahm is certainly not cheap and you can expect that in a renowned hotel with a chef who was once the only one to have a Michelin star in Thai cuisine. Do not want to list all dishes with the accompanying price tag in this cutlery and limit myself to the Nahm set menu: 2300 baht per person. (excluding the now more than well-known 7 and 10 percent and of course the drinks)
Award winner Gaggan has, according to the jury, surpassed Nahm as the best Asian restaurant this year. However: Gaggan is Indian, so Nahm remains the best restaurant for Thai food. So you see how even the author of this article can bend everything to his will and manipulate the results of S.Pellegrino.
TripAdvisor
As mentioned at the beginning; the experience of eating out is a personal thing and can differ from day to day, depending on your mood and taste buds, among other things. People, a nice atmosphere, friendly serving staff, nicely set tables, these are all ingredients that are more important to some and less important to others. Just check Tripadvisor for the opinions of visitors to the two reviewed and highly rated restaurants.
Gold Spoon
It is quite easy to track down an excellent and well-known restaurant through the various media. It is much more difficult to discover that one atmospheric nice place where you can enjoy pure and casual for a very reasonable price. If Pellegrino can hand out a Golden Award for the best Asian restaurant, I wonder why we, the numerous readers of this blog and Thailand connoisseurs par excellence, cannot hand out a 'Golden Spoon' to a small nice restaurant. Let's limit ourselves to the more touristy places: Bangkok, Pattaya and Hua Hin.
It's just a twist of thought, but who knows, it might become reality. That is up to you dear readers. Share with us that nice, atmospheric, friendly, tasty and normal priced restaurant in one of the mentioned places.
Send in a story to the editors about your favorite or post a comment. Who knows, that 'Golden Spoon' will become reality again.
I have to tell you that golden spoon is something that expats in Thailand can benefit from, no menus for 2300 baths but good food at a normal price. I live in Nang Rong and there is a restaurant there called Sabai. by a man from Austria and the food is perfect 2 wienersnitchels with fries and salad for 175 bath every day special daily menu has nothing to do with Thailand but I am sure that many Westerners like to eat once in a while what they actually want most of them are missing and if you still want to set that golden spoon, I think it should not only be for Thai restaurants, but let's say what everyone's heart desires
The Gagan restaurant is not a real Indian restaurant! It is a mix of Thai and Indian, but you can easily add a number of other dishes! I have been there with my wife and have gone from one surprise to another! It is really very high quality, but with everything!! Really great and worth it! It is also a bit more expensive, but you will be surprised at the culinary treat. We also visited NAHM during that time. That was number 1 at the time and Gagan was number 3!! This is really Gagan's merit. Really worth it!!!!
Guus it is certainly not an Indian restaurant that is a completely different cuisine… It is Indian
In that reatuarant goes from the NL expats the contingent of the cheap CHarlies we can see in Soi 16 and Soi Sukhumvit 4 , nobody eat for 3000 or 4000 TB , I was there recently with relations, it's worth it. *****
All cheap Charlies??
I think this is the (almost) most arrogant comment ever read.
Not everyone has the income to spend 32-4000 baht for a dinner
so who are you to make this arrogant comment?
Beyond that.
A nice Thai snack, deliciously spiced, but on a plastic stool, delicious.
A Thai meal at a real Thai restaurant, where 8 out of 10 guests are Thai, normal tables and good service, with delicious fresh food.
We can't even afford 3-4000 baht there.
DYna, totally agree with Mata Hari.
They also make a divine margarita.
and many good restaurants here.
LOUISE
Totally agree. It is impossible to put down a snack at the "street prices" of 50-80 baht that is not stiff with monosodium glutamate, pesticides and antibiotics. But yes, for the Thai taste is more important than quality.
Of course, if you want quality (ecological, organic) and a sophisticated experience, 3/4000 baht is still a bargain.
In my opinion, the golden spoon should be awarded to Mata Hari in Pattaya.
A fantastic restaurant run by Louis Nol and his Thai wife.
A Dutchman - so also Dutch specialties such as herring (in season), North Sea sole and very tasty pea soup - but also delicious oysters and other European specialties. Delicious frog legs - a little bit of everything.
Nol's Thai wife cooks - so also great Thai.
And expensive? That's not too bad ! For 800 baht you have a complete meal in a grand building on the Trappaya Road between Pattaya and Jomtien . Very good wine !
By the way , Pattaya has many good to very good restaurants , the best in Thailand ! Want to know more just ask.
At Mata Hari we have already suffered serious food poisoning twice. So never again!
Mata Hari is excellent value for money and a cozy place to stay 'not from that, but not comparable to Gagan from any side', by the way, there are several in Pattaya that stand out above Mata Hari, say Bruno. Pacal. Cafe des Amis etc.
The Golden Spoon – Hua Hin
I propose to build something structural at least where I live in Hua Hin. I have an all-round gastronomic experience and am a member of 2 hobby cooking clubs in Bangkok and one that I founded myself in Hua Hin. The proposal is to set up a working group (we can start with 4 volunteers) that will regularly visit and evaluate restaurants in Hua Hin. Participants in the working group should have some experience in gastronomy, cooking or through their frequent restaurant visits. I would like to develop a concept in which standards and assessment criteria are clearly described. It is a fun leisure activity that can offer added value to all members through the regular publications of the evaluations. Interested parties can contact me by email, my email address is [email protected].
Robert
This is well said 'apart from the Hua Hin story, on all the blogs with quotations you have to be able to “read between the lines” because so much nonsense is written about whether or not it is good or with a considerable commercial touch to it. you just have to be able to filter out the customer's "bad snapshots".
Tripavisor is the textbook example here of ' first look at the nationality of the person who posted the comment , then you already know enough ' those who do not have a cooking or eating culture in their own country make the most noise ,
Some can crack a hotel, cruise or restaurant if they themselves have a bad day due to something completely unrelated to that food
word of mouth is still the best ( or like this neutral thai blog )
paul says
In the top 50 restaurants in the world, Le Cellar ut Spanje is number 1. Furthermore, 2 Spanish restaurants
taurants in the top 10. Also a restaurant in Peru and Sao Paulo in the top 10. The first French restaurant
is at number 13. Gaggan is at number 10 and Nahm at number 30. I have also been to Italy a lot for my work, but the best Italian restaurant is in Frankfurt, great class. If I was at the fair in France
furth we went there for dinner every night. Chinese cuisine is also very diverse, but the best comes out
Chechuan, fantastic. And what do you think of the Indonesian kitchen, very complicated to prepare, have
much understanding. The best Satay comes from Indonesia. In Bangkok there is a very good Indonesian restaurant
rant and is called Rasa Khas, I hope Thailandblog writes an article every week or every 14 days
about food and where in Thailand, Dutch products can be bought or made. I got into it
article of July 15, “Dutch Delight” found an address that imports real Dutch cheese via a wholesaler
trade. Gouda young, Gouda young matured, Gouda matured, Gouda old cheese, cumin matured and Boerenkaas from a cheese farm in Driebruggen. I am very happy with it. Old Amsterdam is a manipulated cheese, is made old and expensive here. You can buy fake Dutch cheese in all supermarkets here
from Germany, Denmark, Poland and even Australia. If you want the address, please e-mail me.
[email protected] .
Paul
As a supplement.
The 2016 list can be found here….
http://www.theworlds50best.com/
They remain prestige lists, of course.
At the 50th on the list you will eat no worse than at the 1st.
They are all top chefs.
Best friends.
You can discuss the best restaurant for a long time.
We visited Gaggan last week. For the third time in a year. I read there that there are different menus. That used to be. Now there is still 1 menu of 4000 bath ++. So before you are outside you have to count around 8000 bath pp.
But this kind of restaurant is a form of art, which is not only about food, but also about presentation and everything around it.
Gaggan is indeed an Indian restaurant, but with influences from El Bulli.
And he is also well acquainted with the toppers in Belgium and the Netherlands a la Sergio Herman.
But there are differences of opinion about flavours, appetite and price.
But this is an experience.
Tasty I would say. Wherever you go.
paul says,
my e-mail address should be: [email protected]
This restaurant is really great, for a long time, I have been there several times with other culinary enthusiasts, even 2 weeks ago, not something to go every 2 to 3 m because then the surprise is gone.
It is pointless to compare this with filling your belly, Mata Hari or other cheap charly places or budget food at home, that is "off the topic". The food is a succession of sensational flavors, simply art in itself, the presentation almost in comparison to Sergio Herman because the packaging is also important.
I have spoken to the chef several times and have worked at El Buli in Spain, the suchefs currently have at the famous San Sebastian + Intl. top chefs worked and that says enough about the creativity.
Contrary to the article above, now that it is number 1, there is only 1 set menu left and success causes prices to rise, we paid about 8000 Thb pp. With the ++ and quite a bit of wine included. I
I would also like to point out that the score list is about “restaurants IN Asia” and directly about Asian cuisine itself. Gagan has long been in the top of other culinary rankings.
Where we used to be able to book a week in advance, it is now at least 2 months, so it cannot be denied that there are enough real "taste" enthusiasts, we ourselves saw nationalities whose cooking or eating art does not have such a good reputation. The spicy taste pattern of Nahm is not really my thing, but it is super respectful of what the chef, who is also not Asian, brings forward.
Eddie