Review

Few in Thailand have earned the reputation for consistency that R-Haan and Chef Chumpol have achieved. This is a restaurant with a research-based praxis that looks deep into Thai culinary history. The focus is on locality, and the menu proudly boasts an abundance of geographic indications, a concept beginning to be formalised in Thailand. These aren’t just shallots – they are Sisaket shallots. All too many restaurants take ordinary Thai food and gussy it up with posh ingredients and pretentious plating, but R-Haan does nothing of the sort. Everything feels purposeful – they don’t gild the lily, they artfully present the Siam tulip (turns out they’re edible). Despite the classic Thai complexity of the dishes, each flavour is delivered with drone-strike precision by chef Chumpol Jangprai and his team. The menu changes with the seasons, but the two constants are tom yum, made without coconut milk or chilli paste, relying on a rich prawn-head stock and a well-selected herbal infusion, as well as the very deconstructed mango sticky rice with a quenelle of coconut ice cream. Service is impeccable and intensely attentive. Wine pairings reflect classical taste but rise to the challenge of pairing with passionate Thai cuisine, with a focus on chilly Northern European whites.