|
Owner-manager Surapol Buakaew. “A
name is just a name,” the young owner
told me in his flawless English. He did,
however, nonce have a collection of the
beautiful Ban Chiang pottery which he
has since given away.
Yet Ban Chiang has come to stand
for Thailand and the country’s long
history,and what name could be more
appropriate for a charming restaurant
which features some of the finest of ]
traditional Thai cuisine.
Ban chiang restaurant is located
on quiet Srivieng Road just east of
Silom and next to the royally sponsored
Silom Club.The restaurant occupies a
half-century-old residence which has
been tastefully decorated to preserve
the feeling that one is actually dining
in a home rather than a commercial
establishment. The designer, whose wife
is the talented cook, is an artist who
helped with the spectacular ceiling
paintings at The Regent of Bangkok
Hotel. Old clocks, photographs of past
members of the royal family, wood
carvings and paintings all contribute
to the relaxing atmosphere which makes
the restaurant such a pleasant place to
dine.
Judging by the number of customers
on the day I came by for lunch, Ban
Chiang’s reputation is already becoming
established. The prices are quite
reasonable and most of the clientele that
day was Thai: a sure sign that the food
is authentic.
At owner Surapol’s suggestion, I
decided to try an order of the todman
khaopote, an unusual variation on a
dish which is usually a sort of deep
fried pancake made with fish flour.
Here, however, the fricd cakes are made
of corn and vermicelli and are served
hot and tasty.
Another pleasant surprise was the
spiced chicken wings. The meat is finely
diced along with spices and vermicelli
and then breaded and fried in a shape
which resembles what chicken wings
are expected to look like. I have only
encountered this dish once before and
found it quite appealing both times, but
even more so at Ban Chiang (At the
previous restaurant, which shall remain
nameless, I encountered a few tiny bits
of bone mixed in.)
I couldn’t pass up one of my own
favourites when I saw it on the menu-
yam pladouk foo. This spicy salad is
made with finely chopped fish which
has been fried so that it becomes rather
puffy, for want of a better description.
To my delight, it was crisp and delicious
and just hot enough for my farang
taste buds to handle. This old time Thai
standby is normally accompanied by
|
|
an ice cold glass of beer, but it went
just as well with the white wine I had
chosen to drink instead.
Next came an order of large, meaty
shrimp of the type that Thailand is
becoming so good at producing. In fact,
the local shrimp farms are starting to
become major exporters of the home
grown crustaceans. The flesh was soft
and gentle on the tongue after the
spicy salad.
The last main course of this
wholesome meal was a white curry
made with chicken and coconut milk.
It was loaded with lean meat, but was
perhaps a bit too sour for my taste
My Thai colleague, however, thoroughly
enjoyed it and devoured almost every
last morsel in her bowl
For desert I had a craving for tuptim
grawp, which can best be described as a
sweet made up to resemble pomegranate
seeds. Unfortunately, other diners had
had the same desire ahead of me and I
had to settle for salim, a sort of sweet
threads made of sugar and coconut
floating in coconut milk and covered
|
|
with shaved ice. It was everything it
should be, but I had hoped to see how
well the cook could handle the taptim
grawp which is not all that easy to
prepare.
Ban Chiang is a place to go for a
leisurely meal with one’s friends or
family. The mood is one of tham sabai
(relax and take it easy) and the bill for
your meal won’t put you into the
poorhouse. A couple could easily eat
a filling repast for only 400 baht or so.
The former residence contains five
rooms, three downstairs and two
upstairs, and can seat up to about 80
people at one time. The ample grounds
are also sufficient to be turned into an
outdoor dining area, which might be a
worthwhile idea when the cooler season
arrives later in the year.
Ban chiang restaurant is located at
14 Srivieng Road, Silom, Bangkok
(tel.236-7045). Parking space is
available on the grounds as well as on
the street. Why not add it to your list
of rehular places to dine? You won’t
be disappointed.
|
|
|
|
LIVING IN THAILAND August 1987
|
back
|
|