An alternative gastronomic approach, where industrialized ingredients are rejected in favor of sustainably produced local food, has become one of the most celebrated food trends in recent years. The hype has gained popularity to the point where terms like “local” and “sustainable” suffer from the risk of becoming mere marketing ploys.
Sereechai Puttes
This is not the case at Taan, the ambitious and progressive restaurant perched atop Siam @Siam Design Hotel Bangkok that aims to holistically merge the philosophy of local food with the fine-dining kitchen. Apart from turning out awe-inspiring creations made of locally sourced ingredients, the restaurant occasionally organizes special dinners that include talks conducted by farmers and producers, as well as collaborative feasts dedicated to a particular sustainably sourced ingredient.
Phavitch Theeraphong
Recently, Taan’s executive chef Monthep Kamolsilp teamed up with Chef Chalermpon “Van” Rohitratana of Rarb and DAG at Warehouse 30, and Chef Panupol “Black” Bulsawan of Blackitch in Chiang Mai for a one-of-kind chef’s table dinner, dubbed “Three Forests, Five Seasons,” that celebrated foraged ingredients sourced from three of Thailand’s most copious woodlands.
“The point of the dinner was to educate consumers, especially urbanists, of what the forests can provide for surrounding communities, as well as the intimate relationship [between man, food and the forest],” Chef Monthep explains.
Each of the chefs was tasked to prepare dishes sourced from one of the country’s forest regions. “Northern Thailand boasts a variety of forests such as deciduous forests, coniferous forests, and tropical rainforests, all of which provide herbs and spices pivotal to the cuisine of the North like maa-laeband ma-kwean,” Chef Panupol elaborates. “Without the forests, we wouldn’t be able to cook Northern Thai staples.” Likewise, the cuisine of the Northeast reveals an inevitable connection to the region’s indigenous nature. “There is no concept of ar-haan-paa [forest-sourced food] for Isaan people as ingredients only found in the forest are already essential to Isaan cuisine. So they are actually the same thing,” affirms Chef Chalermpol.
Bangkok-based Chef Monthep was tasked to represent the concrete jungle through the use of edible vegetation foraged from sidewalks and motorways. He combined these with elements that represent Bangkok’s urban jungle; for example, using smoke to signify pollution.
Though each chef has his own distinct culinary style, the plates they created presented a harmonious flow in the tasting menu procession. Chef Chalermpol shows off his bold culinary techniques with a starter of spicy goifarn salad (Isaan tartare) that featured barking deer and meringue, and fermented sausage of wild boar served with pumpkin sauce. True to Isaan’s “nose-to-tail” eating style, the adventurous chef cooked placenta and offal in banana leaves, and served them as a savory tart.
Chef Panulpol celebrated the bounty of the northern forests through a sai oue(Northern Thai sausage) made with pang nom(cow’s udder) and 13 kinds of indigenous herbs. “The herbs and spices used in this sai oue have been eaten by our ancestors before recent civilization. Scientists have actually discovered herbs like ma kwaenand dee plee[long pepper] in human teeth fossil that date back around 8,000 years ago,” explains the Chiang Mai-based chef.
Chef Monthep’s signature techniques, seen in Taan’s hyper-local dishes, went into creating the salad and dessert for this six-hand feast. Taking inspiration from the popular somtum stalls surrounding Hua Lamphong station’s entrance, Monthep came up with a salad that incorporated shredded orange instead of the traditional papaya. Lopburi, one of the provinces that received the least amount of rainfall in the country, gave life to a dessert dish that included buttered corn grown in the province. “The farmers in Lopburi usually suffer from drought and have to rely on royal rain [a cloud-seeding initiative by King Rama IX]. Thus, it inspired my idea of a ‘fifth season’ in this collaborative dinner.”
The dinner was well-received by a number of guests who were enticed by the diverse and flavorful creations by the three chefs, at the same time educated on Thailand’s flora and fauna, and the importance of forests to the livelihood of surrounding communities. This special event is only one of the many local-centric culinary events organized by Taan. For more information on the schedule for the restaurant’s next exclusive dinner, check out the Facebook pages of Taan and Time Out Bangkok, or call 0653287374 for info and reservations.