Review

Sek is chef Pichaya “Pam” Soontornyanakij’s latest venture, just a five-minute walk from her acclaimed restaurant Potong. Housed in a 70-year-old building with creaking stairs and exposed brick, it balances nostalgia with youthful grit — most notably in a vivid three-storey mural by JecksBKK. The name, Thai for sacred milled rice, reflects the restaurant’s concept: a celebration of five essential Thai ingredients — rice, chilli, coconut, fish sauce, and palm sugar. Each section of the menu is inspired by one of these, but the vibe is anything but academic. Dishes channel Bangkok street food, elevated with chef Pam’s precision and flair. Highlights from the nine-course House Menu (THB 1800; +500 for sato pairing) include crispy coconut taco with Surat Thani oyster, smoked beef tongue satay, Thai eggplant chilli relish and southern-style rice salad bursting with texture and flavour. Handpicked Thai rice wines, like Chiang Mai’s sun pa tong sticky rice sato, offer perfect pairings. Chef Worakarn "Grace" Krittisirikul brings warmth and approachability to the floor. This isn’t Potong’s high-concept dining, but rather a soulful tribute to Bangkok’s culinary roots, where memory meets innovation and comfort never comes at the expense of creativity.