The buzz: Chef Ian Kittichai is really turning into our very own Gordon Ramsey, with more openings this year than you can shake a wok at. There’s Issaya La Patisserie at Central Embassy; Issaya Cooking Studio in the same mall’s basement; and Hyde & Seek Peek-A-Boo at CentralWorld’s Groove. And now there’s this, the Namsaah Bottling Trust, a shocking-pink house-turned-restaurant and bar. On board with Kittichai are nightlife pros Justin Dunne (ex-manager of Bed Supperclub then Ku De Ta) and Fred Meyer, who manages big-name inter DJs. That means cocktails and music play a key role here, too.
The décor: The two-story 100-year-old house was originally given to an aide-de-camp at the royal court, then served as a kind of clubhouse for a bank and finally offices for a soda water company, hence the name. It’s been spruced up with bright reds, yellows and blues and decorated with antique mirrors, erotic lithography, Chinese parchments and old brass fans. The result is part colonial gentlemen’s club, part opium den.
The food: Kittichai is taking Asian comfort food and adding his own twists, such as in the pad Thai with crispy bits of duck and unctuous foie gras (B430). Similarly, the salmon tartare wonton tacos (B260) have all the umami of Tex-Mex junk food with the zing of smoke-dried chili sauce. In fact, much of this food is designed to perfectly accompany your drinking, such as the battered shrimp in a spicy Sriracha-aioli glaze (B380). There’s also a separate bar snacks menu, with treats like chili potato skins (B160) and even plain ol’ dim sum (B240).
The drinks: We’re quite smitten with their cocktails. Again, the idea is to simply tweak recognizable classics, as with the Sex on the BTS (vodka, peach schnapps, cranberry and orange, B290) or Krungthep Cosmo (Absolut mandarin, triple sec, cranberry and citrus, B340). Our favorite creation would have to be the Sangsom Salted Caramel Whisky Sour (B260), which tastes exactly like its name.
The crowd: Cool, moneyed and inter, as with Issaya or Hyde & Seek.
