Our dinner at R-Haan was a breathtaking, two hour whirlwind tour of Thailand through its culinary delights.
It was a long session from amuse bouche through appetisers to mains and desserts. There were three of us and we shared the dishes, so all of us tasted everything on the menu. (Don't be like bloggers 😬 ) To do justice to the many dishes we enjoyed, I am blogging my experience at R-Haan in two parts. This first segment covers only the amuse bouche and appetisers. The next segment (another post) will cover the mains and desserts in detail.
Price was Baht 3,812++ per pax which is about SGD150++.
Stepping inside R-Haan, we were greeted with lots of gleaming varnished and gilded wood from furnishings to the polished hardwood floor. The decor and antique furnishings exude a rustic grand yet poised, elegant ambiance. The dining hall was spacious and tables well spaced out, so we felt intimate and private even in the common space.
After introductions from the friendly hosts, we launched into the amuse bouche (French for "mouth amuser"). The first amuse bouche came in a treasure chest, yes culinary treasures of Thailand.
The small bites were presented on a map of Thailand made with sea salt and chili powder, so we got an introductory food tour of the Land of Smiles from the first bite.
Starting from the north, Sai Ua Northern Thai Pork Sausage.
Moving southeast to the border with Laos we had Rice Cracker Topped with Mixed Homemade aged 18 Months Fermented Fish with torched Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheese.
Chinese Chives Crepe Stuffed with Stir Fried Rice Noodles and Crab Meat.
Finally, from southern Thailand, Grilled Betong Chicken with savoury spicy sweet Gorlae Sauce.
More treasures to amuse us 😄
Pak Waan Jelly topped with Mixed Pak Waan, Avocado and Ant Egg Salad with Thai Spicy Caviar Sauce.
Duck Egg Yolk with Paloh Sauce and Rice Berry Sponge Cake.
The golden colour duck egg yolk is drenched in a savoury sauce made by stewing pork and chicken feet with soy sauce, sugar, black pepper, coriander, etc to get a viscous texture from all the collagen. Served with a spongy subtly sweet rice berry cake.
Coconut & Galangal Cream "Cappuccino" with Squid Ink.
Sweet Tamarind Sorbet palate cleanser (to prepare us for the mains which I will share in my next post on R-Haan).
There are many things in the amuse bouche and appetisers to delight both Thai cuisine novices (me 🙋) and connoisseurs besides doing an excellent job priming us for more culinary adventures just ahead. Are you hungry now? 😬
Stepping inside R-Haan, we were greeted with lots of gleaming varnished and gilded wood from furnishings to the polished hardwood floor. The decor and antique furnishings exude a rustic grand yet poised, elegant ambiance. The dining hall was spacious and tables well spaced out, so we felt intimate and private even in the common space.
After introductions from the friendly hosts, we launched into the amuse bouche (French for "mouth amuser"). The first amuse bouche came in a treasure chest, yes culinary treasures of Thailand.
The small bites were presented on a map of Thailand made with sea salt and chili powder, so we got an introductory food tour of the Land of Smiles from the first bite.
Pak Naam Pho River Fish Cake Served with Three Flavoured Spheres from Nakhon Sawan Province in Central Thailand.
The fish cake is made with spotted knifefish meat hand kneaded with freshly pounded curry paste and fried with rice bran oil. The intriguing translucent sauce filled sphere is made with vinegar marinated with rice. I made the mistake of the popping the sphere with my fork 🤭 The best way to enjoy this is to eat it in a whole mouthful for all the different textures and flavours together. Don't be like Tony 🤦♂️
But, that's not all.
More treasures to amuse us 😄
Thai Golden Crisp Roll Stuffed with Mixed Coconut Cream and Water Chestnut Topped with Caviar served with smoked coconut in glass.
The caviar came from the Royal Project Special selection.
Andaman Seafood (mostly pulled crab meat) Croquette.
Watermelon Stuffed with Caviar Salad Sauce served on a base of crushed Sweet Dried Fish and Crispy Shallot.
After all the amusing small bites, we moved on the salads and appetisers.
Pak Wan leaves and avocado made into a custard like jelly topped with red ant eggs (a delicacy from Nakhon Ratchasima Province in Central Thailand).
In your exploration of Thai cuisine, you will sooner or later encounter insect ingredients. But, a taste of exotic insect ingredients need not be a test of your courage 😬 As usual, I didn't read the menu before eating and so thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful salad 😄
Egg yolk from organic duck egg from Chainat in Central Thailand. Soaked in rice bran oil and floral fragrance sea salt to get the soft rubbery texture.
The cream is made with squid from coastal Bang Tabun, Phetchaburi Province which were diced and stewed in white wine from PB Valley Khao Yai Winery for 3 hours before potato, coconut cream and "Jerusalem artichoke" are added. "Jerusalem artichoke" is a root vegetable like galangal. The creamy soup was decorated with a sauce made with squid ink. Served with a stick of savoury parmesan crisp.
Written by Tony Boey on 17 Jun 2022
wow, everything looks and sounds like art!
ReplyDeletei didn't know that rice bran oil is the Thai choice of cooking oil!