A glass window façade, faux brick walls and retro-style furniture are the components that foreshadow typical brunchperfect dishes made for Instagram, especially if they’re tucked within Sukhumvit’s labyrinthine streets. That’s why we were a little skeptical when we first laid eyes on San, a spot on Soi Sukhumvit 51 that markets itself as a “new original” restaurant. We ended up eating our words—and most of the food laid out before us— as our experience turned out to be delightful. The restaurant skillfully blends the flavors of Thai, Chinese and American cuisine (as its name, which means “three” in Chinese, suggests) in impressive creations that could easily rival those churned out by some of the city’s fanciest fine-dining venues, only without prices that burn your wallet.
Globetrotting and food-loving couple, Kritsada and Supara Chintakananda, visited New York City back in 2009, which resulted in an unexpected encounter with Chef Jacob Bowser, who was then working as sous chef at Telepan and the Michelin-starred Public (both now closed). The trio met again when the American chef visited Bangkok, and was promptly persuaded to join the kitchen of White Shuffle, the modern American eatery the husband-andwife duo had put up. The restaurant has been put on hold to pave way for San, where Chef Jacob shows off a deftness for labor-intensive techniques, as reflected through sophisticated dishes that highlight three different cuisines.
Come at dinner to experience the full flavor spectrum offered by Chef Jacob’s cooking. Start off with the baked beetroot (B220), fermented with spices to reduce the root crop’s earthiness, and paired with creamy coconut mousse, lychee and sprinklings of dry coconut and cashew. Thai and new American cooking techniques, as well as hints of Thai and Chinese spices, are gleaned in a dish of poached scallop (B320), doused with coconut broth and garnished with salmon roe—the combination tastes like an intensely flavored seafood tom kha. A seared duck (B390) boasts indulgently crispy skin and tender meat, its juicy flavor all the more elevated by tangy yam and a sweet date sauce.
Heritage Chinese cooking shines in the dan dan noodles (B250), a dish so flavorful, stir-fried as it is with fat duck, ginger, garlic and Sichuan peppers; and the river prawn roll noodles, a Chinese- American mash-up that’s cooked with Chinese wine and butter, and topped with creamy sea urchin foam (B350).
Breakfast is served all day, with a variety of sets to choose from, while lunch sees more casual dishes like beef curry noodles and fried pork over rice.