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Paste

Thai heirloom cuisine with a Michelin star

“This is the most authentic Thai haute cuisine food ever, you have to go check it out for your show!” I discovered Paste through my Luxembourg expat friend Pierre Metz, who’s been living in Bangkok for over 20 years and is a true foodie. So, I trust his judgement.

Upon meeting chef Bee Satungun, I immediately understood this chef knows her food, or more importantly, she knows and respects her heritage, while re-interpreting it on a haute cuisine level. For their restaurant, chef Bee and her partner, chef Jason Bailey, research ancient Thai recipes (which were hardly ever written down – the only culinary manuscripts were by owned by royalty and handed down to the next generation at funerals) and rework them in order to appeal to the modern palate. The results are absolutely stunning – both visually and more importantly, they taste divine.

One big plus about eating at Paste is that you’re not going to get your tastebuds burnt. Bee respects the use of chilies, she doesn’t want to mask the flavours of her intricate dishes by throwing in copious amounts of chilies. Instead, her food is built on layering flavours – a real skill when it comes to Thai food, where every ingredient competes with the next one in terms of strong aromatics.

A salmon watermelon salad dating back to King Rama I (1784) combines the freshness of sweet watermelon with crispy fried salmon ‘floss’, topped with salty salmon roe and aromatic Thai basil. The Massaman curry replaces potatoes with young durian – a surprising twist, yet deeply rooted in Thai tradition. Whatever you order, it will open your tastebuds to very refined Thai flavours and leave a smile on your face.

Bee’s food is an ode to her roots, with a nod to 21st century Thailand. No wonder it has been awarded its first Michelin star in 2018.

Paste
999 Phloen Chit Road Level 3 Lumphini,
Pathum Wan,
Bangkok 10330, Thailand
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Photos courtesy of Paste

 

January 7, 2019
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