Unlike Thonglor and Silom, Rama IX is relatively unknown to patrons of the fine-dining scene. Recently, however, a newly-opened steakhouse on Rama IX Soi 49 injects a touch of modernity to a row that’s mostly packed with neighborhood eateries, streetfood stalls and upscale fastfood joints. Primal adds gourmet gastro cred to the area by dishing out innovative and flavorful produce-driven bites that are actually worth venturing outside of city limits for.
Unlike your typical grilling establishments (low ceilings, wooden beams, beers on tap), Primal is set within a trendy glasshouse-inspired space that blends exposed concrete walls and wooden furniture with lush greenery and hanging potted ferns. One corner features a teetotal bar (no booze allowed here!) that slings an impressive variety of tea and coffee-based concoctions. All in all, it’s an Instagram-ready setting that, admittedly, triggered warning bells for us.
Primal’s steakhouse-uncharacteristic decor and casual vibe, however, are not reflective of the food as we had presumed. The kitchen delivers hearty Michelin-worthy bites created with seasonal ingredients and enhanced by contemporary cooking techniques.
Start off with a salad (prettily presented like a broken pot garden, B190) that bravely combines truffle-infused mashed potato with pickled vegetables, puffed bread and more baby potatoes. Follow it up with the octopus (B480), here cooked sous-vide with vinegar until tender and then paired with creamy eggplant purée and pickled baby carrots. Heavy eaters can move on to the capellini (B270), a sumptuous dish with prawn that was sous-vide with yuzu juice, and served with a zesty yuzu reduction and fruit juice-infused caviar beads.
A trip to Primal wouldn’t be complete without a taste of their grilled selections. We recommend the smoky and spice-rubbed Australian short ribs (B590), a generously portioned dish that smacks of juicy, heavenly tender goodness. Desserts are also well worth the trip—the Chocolate Caramel Banoffee (B260) is an indulgent treat that criminally combines chocolate, caramel, sponge cake and white chocolate ice cream.
By combining fresh ingredients with exciting executions, Primal has zoomed to the top of our list of steakhouse joints to watch. One trip already has us convinced that we’ll be craving its offerings for weeks to come.