Before the holidays my gal and I had the opportunity to check out R-HAAN’s (official Facebook page) “Sustainable Wisdom of Thai Herb Samrub” 8-course tasting menu. Throughout the experience, this Michelin 2-star restaurant takes diners on a whirlwind tasting experience of Thailand’s regional flavors with each dish masterfully assembled and beautifully presented.
This 8-course experience costs 3,512 baht ++ per person which in my opinion is a fair value considering the number of dishes and the restaurant’s culinary prestige. If you’re wanting to pamper your tastebuds and experience Thai fine dining, you’ll enjoy this R-HAAN tasting menu.
Let me show you the dishes we experienced!
The Amuse-bouche
Amuse-bouche
Our tasting journey began with this tasty assortment of bite-sized Amuse-Bouches presented on a map of Thailand to represent the regions these morsels were inspired by. They included (from the top to the bottom of the map): Crispy Vermicelli with Northern Style Curry Sauce, River Prawn Croquette brushed with Shrimp Paste, Northeast Black Sausage with Free-Range Organic Chicken and Chicken Liver, Blue Crab Meat wrapped with Bean Curd Sheet, and Southern Style Chicken Liver with Tumeric Mango Chutney.
My personal favorites were the Blue Crab Meat and the Northeast Black Sausage. But each hors d’œuvre awakened our tastebuds and got us excited for the courses to come…
Course 1
Papaya Salad Jelly
The first course is described as an “authentic papaya salad jelly with caviar from Royal Project“. So in my mind, I was expecting some sort of a Som Tum salad. So I was a bit surprised when this Italian flag-looking course first hit the table!
Each jellied stripe of color is a different flavor. Green is the long bean, white is papaya, and red is the tomato. On top, it looks like an egg yolk but is actually the sauce captured in a thin membrane. Decorating the dish is the salty caviar. To enjoy the dish, burst the sauce bubble, cut up the jelly, and blend it all together.
This dish perfectly captures the sweet, spicy, salty, and tangy flavors of Som Tum salad and the unique presentation adds to the delicious experience.
Course 2
Dumpling with Crab Roe Lava
The second course is described as a “pink dumpling stuffed with crab egg lava“. It was delivered still steaming in in the bamboo basket.
For a dumpling, it’s quite pretty with the flowering pink petals. But with our mouths still slightly smoldering after the bold flavors of the first dish it was difficult to appreciate the delicate flavors of this dish. The subdued flavors of dumpling and crab egg lava tempered our tastebuds from the previous dish’s spiciness which prepared us more for the third course.
Course 3
Coconut and Galangal Cream with Squid Ink
The third course is described as “coconut and galangal cream cappuccino with squid ink“. Here the flavors of coconut cream and galangal root are blended into a creamy slightly sweet and peppery chowder. At the bottom of the dish lies loads of tender marinated squid meat and on top of the dish is a design made from squid ink and a thin crispy parmesan wafer.
I recommend first trying each component then mixing it all up into a grayish mess and enjoying all the blended flavors together!
Accompanying the third course is this palate cleanser described as “pink champagne with Bengal currant“. Served with the pink sorbet perched like an egg nesting above a bed of dry ice fog this dish also comes with a small vial of sweet champagne that resets your palate for the larger dishes to come…
Course 4
Grilled Grouper Filet
The menu describes the fourth course as “grilled grouper fillet with fresh chili sauce and squid ink jus“. The flaky grilled fillet is coated with a drizzle of spicy sriracha sauce and thickened squid ink with fresh basil sauce on the side. A decorative but edible gelatin “chili pepper” atop pumpkin puree accompanies the fish.
Course 5
The Chef’s journey…
No clues for the fifth course are given on the menu. It’s simply called “Chef Journey Menu“. The dish is meant to capture the chef’s interpretation of the Thai flavor experience and submerge the guest’s palate on this adventure. All in one dish. I don’t want to give too much away, and the dish might just change based on the chef’s whims.
Experience it for yourself!
Course 6
Korat Striploin Wagyu A5
The sixth course is described on the menu at “Korat striploin wagyu A5 with E-sarn style jus and pumpkin puree“. Thai beef often gets a bad rap for being tough or below its international peers. This dish demonstrates that this criticism is both unfair and undeserved. The beef is so tender it practically melts in your mouth.
It’s extremely flavorful on its own, but with just a smidge of the spicy and tangy E-sarn jus, the flavor is enhanced even further.
Course 7
Soups on!
For the seventh course, you get a choice of soups. You can have either the “Authentic River Prawn Tom Yum Soup” or the “Kurobuta Pork in Holy Basil Soup“. Each soup is brought out in some sort of Bunsen Burner contraption that heats the broth so that it boils up to infuse with the spices then is brought back down into the large glass container to serve.
Wanting to try both, my gal and I each ordered one so we could share. My personal favorite was the Kurobuta Pork in Holy Basil soup. That broth was incredible!
The soups are served with “traditional shrimp paste with fresh fruit and vegetables, Panang curry with Wagyu-Angus beef, and Thoungamrit jasmine rice from Korat“. There’s no way that you can finish all of this course and still feel hungry.
Thankfully, dessert goes into a separate pocket in your stomach, so you’ll have no problem with the final course!
Course 8
For the final course, diners have a choice between two different desserts. The choices are “sweet mango sticky rice served with fresh coconut milk ice cream” or “Chiang Mai chocolate served with Thai tea ice cream“. My gal and I each ordered one so we could try both!
Sweet Mango Sticky Rice
Instead of slices of fresh mango, this mango is a custard served inside a mango shell. Paired with the coconut milk ice cream and crumble this is a sweet finish to the tasting menu.
Chiang Mai Chocolate
Creamy Chiang Mai chocolate fills this chocolate cacao bean. It’s a sweet treat paired with mild-spiced Thai tea ice cream.
Petit Four
Just when we thought we’d completed the menu line-up, we were presented with a stand of Petit Four sweets to enjoy with our after-meal coffee. From top to bottom the treats were Bitter Orange Castella Cake, Coconut Dumpling stuffed with Date Plum, Dark Chocolate stuffed with Lavender Gel, and Honey & Finger Root Crispy Jelly.
This was a wonderful finish to a fantastic tasting menu experience!
I’m hungry. Where is it?
R-HAAN has limited seating available so it’s important to make a reservation for your visit.
Their tasting menu changes regularly but you can keep up to date with their specials by following their official Facebook page. If you want to experience Thai fine-dining R-HAAN offers a tasting menu that is sure to deliver an amazing experience!
I want to hear from you!
Should you decide to experience R-HAAN, I’d love to hear your feedback in the comment section below, directly to me, or via message on either the Chow Traveller Facebook page or Chow Traveller Instagram (and feel free to like/follow these pages if you want to learn about more foodie gems). However you choose to reach out, I’d love to hear from you!
