Thursday, September 30, 2010

Bangkok Metropolitan Hotel and the new nahm Restaurant

I'm in Bangkok on my way home to Sydney.  I'm finishing the blog; thinking about a movie; and maybe working out how to put together a coffee table book of my better photos.
The Metropolitan has been my favourite hotel in Bangkok for many years. I love the welcome; the contemporary yet very warm and comfortable feel of the place;. the large, cream matt-finish marble bathroom with the lemongrass toiletries  (something I luxuriate in sinfully, and always look forward to returning to); the polished wood floors; crisp linens; terrific breakfasts that make 'healthy' taste so good.  
Now, the celebrated Australian-born David Thompson of Darley Street Thai (of old) in Sydney, and nahm at the Halkin in Belgravia (the first Michelin-starred Thai Restaurant in Europe), has recently opened his restaurant here in the Metropolitan. 

nahm - wonderful, authentic Thai cuisine with recipes Thompson developed for the Royal Family. One of the hotel staff told me that this younger generation of Thais has never experienced such food before. The degustation menu gave me the chance to taste many delicate flavours of unusual combinations of fresh produce. 


The sweetness of the longan fruit made even sweeter by the black sticky rice and caramelised taro - I'm happier with the slice of fresh green pear with green sugar, salt and chilli pepper!


No matter how careful, a stray chilli sent my hiatus hernia into overdrive; (thank God for the cucumber in the fresh vegetables and herbs bowl); but the delicate blue swimmer crab curry with coconut, turmeric and summer limes was a soothing balm. It was simply wonderful! Why can't we have this simplicity in Sydney? 'My' Sailors Thai Potts Point could just get us there.


The zen-like simplicity of the forecourt of the Metropolitan in Bangkok


Click on Picasa Album to see the slideshow and captions on the full screen


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