Saawaan, Bangkok - Restaurant Review

Cuisine: Modern Thai - One Michelin Star
Location: Soi Suan Phlu, Bangkok
Price: ££££
Food: 5/5
Style Points: 4/5
Value for Money: 5/5
Overall: 5/5

The Story

In collaboration with Amazing Thailand UK I was able to visit the highly coveted Saawaan in the Soi Suan Phlu neighbourhood of Bangkok, Thailand. With black walls covered in decorative gold clouds, stylish floral wallpaper and hardwood furnishings, Saawaan definitely has the look and feel of an ultra modern fine-dining establishment.

After opening its doors in April 2018, chef Sujira “Aom” Pongmorn, whose culinary highlight reel includes stints at Sra Bua, The House On Sathorn and the fabulous Issaya Siamese Club, has already won a coveted Michelin Star through her creative cooking techniques and her homage to traditional ingredients and produce found in different areas of Thailand. After being disappointed on my outing to Gaa, I was really hoping that Saawaan would live up to the hype and provide me with a fine-dining experience to remember.

The Food

There is no a la carte menu at Saawaan, instead there is a seasonal 9 course tasting menu with each dish representing a technique or concept commonly found in traditional Thai cooking, such as grilling, steaming, stir-frying and fermentation. We opted for wine-pairing for an additional charge but if you don’t drink there’s also a choice of tea-pairing. 

We began with a ‘Raw’ dish and it was quite an introduction to the tasting menu. Placed in front of us was a glass bowl filled with rocks and two sea urchins which our servers then removed and plated up for us before explaining the dish.

The sea urchin was dressed with local madan fruit and home-made chili jam. Having never heard of madan fruit, our incredibly friendly server explained that it was a sour fruit and went one step further and brought it from the kitchen to show us the small green fruit. I’d never tried sea urchin before but I have to say it was quite mellow but the sour fruit and sweet chili jam really complimented it. 

Each dish was presented beautifully and were unique in every way. Another memorable highlight was the ‘Stir-fried’ dish of mud crab from Samut Songkhram with bai ling mushroom and stinky bean. The dish was presented in a way that made you feel as if you were in the muddy paddy fields where the crab was collected.

It was also delicious and I especially loved the dried ground crab roe, bai ling mushrooms and stinky bean, ingredients I’d never tried before. All throughout the menu I felt excited before each dish came out, knowing that it was going to be a sensory excursion each time. The wines were also fabulous and were expertly picked by the sommelier to compliment each dish. He also explained in detail to us the wine each time and how it paired with the particular dish. 

One of my favourites was the ‘Curry’ dish, the Andaman Black Grouper with eggplant and Phayao jasmine rice. Maybe the most ‘normal’ looking dish of the menu, it was also the most delicious, as the buttery grouper was cooked to pure perfection and each ingredient served its purpose in complementing one another to create a culinary sensation. It really was a stunning dish and I have a new favourite fish in the black grouper. 

The ‘Dessert’ of Gluay Nam Wa, a variety of banana commonly found in Phuket, was the taste of Thailand in each bite - exotic, fruity, and satisfying. It was the perfect way to end the tasting menu yet to our surprise we were presented with more beautiful desserts from the pastry chef Arisara “Paper” Chongphanitkul. It was a work of art in appearance and words cannot do justice to how it tasted.

Each segment portrayed a different patisserie skill and it really was a triumph of a dessert. If the previous dessert was a perfect way to end the meal, then this was a perfect way to leave Bangkok - on cloud nine. Chef Paper is a real talent and I look forward to seeing where her career will take her. 

The Price and Service

The seasonal tasting menu was 2450 Baht and the wine pairing was 1890 Baht. In total our meal for two came to 8680 Baht or £232.26/$282.24. Not cheap but for the amount of dishes and the little extras like the dessert as well as an amuse bouche in  the beginning I think it is worth the price for a Michelin star tasting menu experience.

The service was also fantastic and the servers were attentive yet laid back and relaxed in their approach which I always like. 

Overall?

This was the meal that I was hoping to receive at Gaa but sadly did not. Each dish was uniquely presented as in Gaa but the all important difference is that Saawaan delivered on providing outstanding delicious food that continued to surpass my expectations. Each individual element and ingredient in each dish was there for a reason and I felt like I was on a culinary journey across Thailand.

Chef Aom and chef Paper have earned that Michelin star by capturing the essence of Thailand in each dish and I cannot recommend Saawaan highly enough. A must visit and a perfect ending to my Bangkok foodie adventure. 

Book your experience at Saawaan.
Address: 39/19 Soi Suanplu, S Sathon Rd, Thung Maha Mek, Sathon, Bangkok 10120, Thailand
Phone: +66 63 370 1991

Thank you to Tourism Authority of Thailand UK for organising.