Share This

Placed at #7 and #22 on Asia and the World’s 50 Best Restaurants lists respectively, Nahm has been on our list for some time. Located at the Metropolitan Hotel on South Sathorn Road, Nahm is to the right in the hotel lobby. A stunning display of tropical flowers greets you and dark wood booths, exposed bricks and spot-lit tables create a natural environment to focus on the food.

David Thompson, the chef at Nahm, is Australian-born. He began his journey with Darley Street Thai in Sydney, consistently winning the Sydney Morning Herald’s top Thai restaurant award. Sailors Thai in the Rocks followed, then Nahm in London where he achieved a Michelin star, the first for a Thai restaurant. His books on Thai cuisine take the mystery out of ingredients required to achieve the mix of salty, sweet, sour and spice found in the best of Thai dishes.

I couldn’t help studying the menu online, but the Baron prefers to be surprised. We agreed on the 7-course set menu. It sounds a lot for 2 people, but the kitchen adjusts portion sizes to the number of diners. It’s an excellent way to sample a broad range of dishes. Our journey began with all 4 of the canapés. To appreciate the flavour combinations, we were instructed to take each in one bite. Some were easier than others! Should you choose the a la carte menu, don’t miss the pork and lobster betel leaves or the Chang Mai guinea fowl larp. Both were taste sensations!The Chang Mai chili relish with river prawns and crunchy pork crackling was scrumptious! Blanched beans and broccolini added a fresh sweetness to the crunch of the crackling and slivered garlic chips. The relish itself was hot but tempered by the softer components. The salad course also had river prawns and pork, though prepared quite differently. A vibrant salad enhanced with Thai herbs and Asian pennywort. The broth for the clear soup of roast duck with Thai basil and young coconut must have been reducing for days. The depth of flavour from the duck, chewy young coconut and fresh Thai basil made a soothing combination.Green curry of beef with Thai basil and eggplant, a pleasant change from your regular green chicken curry, a great flavour combo. Grilled pork cheek, so soft and tender it could be cut with a spoon, was accompanied by a spicy tomato sauce. The guidance from the wait staff when selecting our dishes was spot on and when a Thai tells you to avoid a dish due to the high spice level, go with it, they know what they’re talking  about.No meal is complete without dessert. Well, fruit and a cocktail anyway. Had we had room, we may have ordered the sweet Thai wafers with poached persimmons and golden duck egg noodles or maybe the coconut ash pudding with poached bananas, but not this time. Fresh tropical fruit served with sweet coconut cream, sticky rice morsels and Thai lime sorbet was all we could do, oh and Chocorangetinis too!Nahm was voted #1 in Asia’s best 50 for 2014. Gaggan, also in Bangkok, replaced them this year, but we had an incredible evening regardless of where Nahm sits on the list. The staff were knowledgeable, friendly and attentive, yet not intrusive. The authentic flavours, innovative twists on classics and complete surprises made it an exciting and delicious dining experience.

If you’ve enjoyed Nahm’s hospitality in the past paraphernalians, we’d love to hear from you. Tell us how it was in the comments below. Nahm Thai Restaurant @ The Metropolitan Hotel Bangkok: a place we love….