Review

Chef Sujira “Aom” Pongmorn opened Khaan early in 2024, in homage to Thailand’s culinary treasures, resurrecting Thai street food and forgotten flavours and transforming them into elevated dishes of complexity. The charming two-storey villa exudes artful elegance as polished teak-wood floors blend with comfortable furnishings, and walls are adorned with vintage artwork throughout. An innovative glass-windowed hot kitchen allows glimpses of the kitchen team in full flow. The 11-course tasting menu begins with a dramatic multi-level wood sculpture, each circular platform containing a bite from different regions of Thailand. Next is scallop, surrounded by piquant green mussel juice with a hint of makwaen pepper. To follow, rice paddy crab with sticky rice and then fermented sang yod rice with dry-aged turnip and Thai borage. Combinations are picture-perfect and flavour-forward. Tableside presentations of ingredients with explanations assist diners in understanding the produce and cooking process. A highlight is a sophisticated duo of oysters, from Barron Point and Surat Thani, in varying preparations. On to pre main of local snapper from Rayong, dry-aged for three days to draw out flavour and charcoal grilled to perfection. And then the main dish of lamb shank in Mumbai curry, rich in Indian herbs and spices. Dessert at Khaan is the unmissable, pumpy umpy pumpkin, flambéed at the guéridon.