Nahm

We’re saying it from the start: we are big admirers of David Thompson and what he is doing (and has done) for Thai cuisine. Let’s also make it clear that we don’t give a damn if he’s Australian or Thai, black or white, male or female. When all is said and done, it all comes down to taste and flavors. On that note Nahm is an undoubted success and, while there maybe one or two rivals to the throne, it serves the best Thai food you can eat in Bangkok, as long as price is not an issue. We particularly love the flexibility given by the set menu which starts you with delicious canapés (the skewered Southern grilled mussels were divine) before letting you pick one nam prik (relish), one salad (yam), one soup (per person), one curry (gaeng) and one stir fry (pad) from a mouth-watering list of options. What could be a standard Thai menu rises high above the norm thanks to the choice of interesting and high quality ingredients, like those in the yam ta krai (a la carte), a lemongrass salad of meaty prawns, crispy squid and pork, which is taken to another level thanks to the toasted coconut. Or Nahm's pad prik king pla duk fu (crispy catfish with red curry paste and ginger) with its intense blend of spice from the red curry paste, wild ginger and crisp catfish. And while Thompson is resolutely traditional with his dishes, there is also innovation like the unusual combination of the sourness of the crispy carp cured for three days and the coconut cream in the lhon gung pla som (minced pork and prawn with young chilies). So why not the full five stars? Well, for starters not every dish at Nahm blows us away: the clear soup of roast duck with Thai basil and coconut, for one, is frankly a little weird. Nor are we totally bowled over by the setting, which improves on the previous restaurant’s cafeteria vibe, but remains a little soulless. And finally, while the service is refreshingly well informed, it isn’t flawless (particularly on busy nights). Still, this is high-wire cooking: dishes that create the perfect balance between sweet, heat and sourness—all that’s great about Thai cuisine. And regardless of prices and nationalities, it makes Nahm a place you must visit for yourself and one Bankok restaurant where you’re guaranteed a unique and memorable experience.