It wouldn't be an overstatement to compare Nichada Thani, a massive gated community in the suburbs, to a small town. The development boasts amenities like a giant lake, a hospital, an international school and a soon-to-open ice skating rink. And it also has Vapor, a casual seafood restaurant that highlights fresh, locally caught seafood, not to mention its owner Natakorn “Thumb” Changrew’s deep passion for fishing. Following the success of his first dining venture, Vapor, Thumb has recently unveiled a new project, one that’s armed with a mission to prove that local seafood is worthy of a place in the fine-dining sphere.
Named after a sea monster in ancient Japanese folklore, Kaijin is set within Vapor, taking up a simple yet elegant space that features an open kitchen and a 12-seater bar counter. Dishes come in sets (around B3,500), which rotate regularly depending on the day’s catch. Most of the seafood are sustainably and locally obtained, including those caught by Thumb himself.
Head chef Robert Lawson, who has had kitchen stints at Uchi in Texas and Joël Robuchon in New York, creates modern Japanese-inspired appetizers that pair seasonal sea creatures with produce grown at Nichada Thani’s very own orchard. One of his creations delicately combines cured corbia from Phuket with pickled heart of palm and micro tomato confit. Main plates feature accents of French cuisine, as in the giant trivally served with lemongrass beurre blanc and squid ink sauce.
Thai-American sushi chef Niki Vongthong (who also was Robert’s sous chef at Uchi) proves that local seafood can be good enough for grade A sushi bites. As an alternative to toro, she uses the belly of local corbia, and combines it with its roe, and shako (mantis shrimp) to create impressive nigiris that you most likely will not find in one of those sushi conveyor belts. The meal ends with chef Niki’s take on khanom morgaeng (Thai custard). This version is a gourmet fantasy that includes shallot ice cream, mung bean custard and yuzu curd.
Thumbing their noses at the nationwide obsession for imported seafood, Kaijin proves that, with proper storage and preservation, local seafood can be worthy of position in fine-dining recipes.