Authentic Thai cuisine consummately recreated from traditional recipes at acclaimed Bangkok restaurant
October 3rd, 2012
The September 2010 opening of nahm Restaurant at The Metropolitan in Bangkok marked the culmination of decades of dedication by Australian chef David Thompson into the research and perfecting of the complexities of cooking a truly authentic Thai cuisine. Having commenced this quest for perfection with his original Darley Street Thai restaurant in Sydney in the late 1980’s, which was widely acclaimed at the time as the best Thai restaurant in Australia, Thompson then moved to London to open the first nahm Restaurant in 2001 at the Halkin Hotel. nahm in London subsequently received a Michelin star- the first Thai restaurant in any location to receive that award. Fluent in both written and spoken Thai, Thompson has authored two comprehensive and authoritative books on Thai cuisine- Thai Food, and Thai Street Food– and is widely acclaimed as a world authority on Thai cuisine.
Establishing nahm Restaurant in Bangkok provided Thompson with the opportunity for the first time to source the finest local produce that are so essential for creating the truly authentic taste subtleties of Thai cuisine. The location within the pared-back chic aesthetic of The Metropolitan Bangkok provides an elegant and engaging dining environment that compliments the culinary experience. The sublime quality of the Thai cuisine created by Thompson and his kitchen team at nahm has been recently recognised with its inclusion in the respected UK industry Restaurant magazine’s San Pellegrino World Top 50 Restaurants– the only restaurant in Thailand to make it onto the list.
On weekdays nahm Restaurant serves both an a la carte, and set menu lunch, with the three course set lunch at a very approachable price of THB1,100++. The nahm dinner menu is served daily, with the option of ordering from an extensive a la carte menu, or the set dinner menu priced at THB1,700++ . The set menu is based on the a la carte menu in order to offer as wide a range of dishes as possible. It comprises of a selection of canapés, a choice of a dish from each section of the main courses, shared by the table, followed by dessert. The portion sizes are determined by the number of people ordering the set meal.
Update : March 2014
nahm has been ranked at # 1 in the 2014 list of Asia’s Top 50 Restaurants.
Update: June 2013
nahm was recently ranked 32nd among the World’s Top 50 Restaurants by the respected World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy- sponsored by San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna. This followed its debut on the list last year at # 50.
The contemporary, understated elegance of the main dining room- the prominent stepped-red brick columns reference the temples of the ancient Thai city of Ayutthaya.
The design of the nahm Restaurant space is the work of acclaimed Japanese interior architect Koichiro Ikebuchi. The design blends seamlessly a contemporary elegance consistent with the design ethos of The Metropolitan, with references to the Thai culture expressed in the locally sourced materials and hand-crafted soft furnishings of Thai silk fabrics. The warm palette of raw red brickwork columns, dark timber lattice screens, teak dining tables, polished black marble flooring and subdued lighting creates an inviting and relaxing dining environment.
The main dining room is divided into a series of intimate spaces by the low, chest-level dark timber lattice panels. Several private rooms are located at one end of the room, and some outdoor tables are available undercover on the terrace.
The front section of the dining room overlooks the external terrace and gardens through sliding, full height screens made from dark wood and glass.
Looking across the dining room towards the main entrance of The Metropolitan
The dining room is divided into intimate zones by low lattice screens of hand-crafted timber.
An elegant private dining room
Round dining table in one of the private dining rooms- separated from the main dining area by sliding full height screens made from dark timber and glass.
Lunch & Dinner Menu Highlights
The stellar Thai cuisine created by chef David Thompson at nahm Restaurant is firmly rooted in the deep heritage of Thai traditional recipes, and produced solely from locally grown ingredients. Respecting the origins of the ingredients, and their natural flavours, creates the true culinary structures and nuances of Thai food. And introducing some influences and techniques of contemporary haute cuisine cooking to the traditional recipes results in a refined presentation, and some intriguing combinations of textures and flavours, whilst at all times maintaining the authenticity that is core to the principles of Thompson.
The menus are structured into groupings of the various categories of Thai dishes- commencing with selections of Canapes; followed by Salads; Soups; Relishes; and main courses of Curries; and Stir-fried, Steamed and Grilled dishes. Selections of Desserts complete the menus.
Accompanying the exquisite cuisine is a carefully selected wine list of considerable depth and variety to best pair with the complex flavours of the food. A large number of wines are available “by the glass”- including some examples of local wines produced from Thai vineyards. The main list features vintage wines from premier and artisan wineries sourced from the leading global wine districts- including also a good representation of premium quality locally-made Thai wines.
อาหารวาง – Canapés: Ma Hor- shrimp, chicken & pork with peanut on pineapple slice, with coriander & slither of red chilli.
อาหารวาง – Canapés: Spicy pork with mint, peanuts and crunchy rice on betel leaves
อาหารวาง – Canapés: Southern grilled mussels
ซุป – soup: Chicken soup with yellow beans, chilli and lime
ยํา- salad: Salad of eggplant, chicken and banana blossoms with smoky fish dressing
เครื่องจิ้ม – relish: Peanut relish with grilled river prawns, served with okra and baby corn poached in a cream sauce
แกง – curry: Red curry of grilled duck breast with bangkok plum leaves- served in a traditional Thai artisan styled Benjarong bowl.
ผัด นึ่ง ยาง – stir-fried, steamed and grilled: Scallops stir-fried with spring onions and chilli
Dessert Menu Highlights
Pandanus noodles with black sticky rice, water chestnuts, tapioca and coconut cream
Sweet thai wafers with longans and golden duck egg noodles
nahm Bangkok
Address: nahm at The Metropolitan, 27 South Sathorn Road, Sathorn, Bangkok 10210. Thailand
Reservations: +66.2.625 3388
Website: www.comohotels.com/metropolitanbangkok/dining/nahm
Facebook: www.facebook.com/COMOHotelsandResorts
Opening Hours:
Lunch: Monday to Friday 12:00 pm~ 2.00 pm
Dinner: Daily 7:00 pm ~10:30 pm (last order)
