R-HAAN: Reimagination of Authentic Thai Cuisine

For those who are working and honing their skills tirelessly in the culinary art, working one’s way in the tradition while maintaining its relevance in the current trend of cooking is certainly an uneasy task, to say the least. R-HAAN, an authentic Thai traditional cuisine restaurant, has devoted ourselves to serving our guests the authentic traditional Thai dishes with reimagined flairs and flavors in the global context of the current gastronomic scene.

From more than one hundred years old recipes to the dishes served at R-HAAN, every ingredient was meticulously selected from international renowned providers and practitioners from every part of Thailand. Chef Chumpol Jaengprai, one of the founders and leading figures of R-HAAN, the Thai restaurant, has been holding a strong belief in the idea that the authentic tastes from traditional Thai recipes are the result of locally available ingredients since the age past.

Every recipe and delicacy comes with its own unique taste which in turn comes from the exclusivity of local ingredients. So the commitment to the craft means, for us at R-HAAN, generally vast knowledge of Thailand and Thai food cultures of every region, and of course an ever open and adventurous mind is a plus. In the next part, we will take a look at some menus as examples of how R-HAAN and Chef Chumpol Jangprai reimagined the traditional Thai recipe in the current style.

The Reimagined Thai Recipes that Revitalize the Tradition by R-HAAN Thai Restaurant

Krathong Thong

We could begin with the exquisite amuse bouche that R-HAAN, the Thai restaurant, and Chef Chumpol prepared for the APEC 2022 Gala Dinner, Krathong Thong. This is one of the famous old recipes from Thai tradition of confectionery, aged for more than one hundred years, which is quite rare to have a taste, even in Bangkok. Krathong Thong, according to the traditional recipe, is a crispy pastry folding a small filling of a savory dish, like stir fried minced pork. Krathong Thong was usually served as a snack, sometimes as an appetizer.

As for Krathong Thong’s origin, it could be traced back to the royal palace, and it could be said that Krathong Thong is one of the royal delicacies. It is this property that needs to be stressed, for every royal delicacy from traditional Thai cuisine culture, they are recipes that are quite demanding in ingredients and expertise. Krathong Thong is of course no exception and the chef has to be meticulous in touch and knowledgeable in Thai local ingredients.

Krathong Thong, as reimagined by R-HAAN and Chef Chumpol, is served with Caviar from the Doi In-Thanon Royal Project. In this contemporary rendition of the traditional recipe, apart from the splendid appearance which adapts to the current global culinary scene, the taste, you can rest assuredly, is uniquely authentic traditional Thai.

KuLao TakBai Salted Fish and Blue Crab from Gulf of Thailand Dips served with The deep- fried Organic Chicken, Salted Egg Yolk and accompaniment with assortment organic fresh herb Veggies

This is one of the selectable main courses from R-HAAN’s ‘The Wisdom of Sustainable Symphony Winter Samrub’ and it is the traditional menu that has been imaginatively recreated in the modern flair. The dip or ‘Lhon’ (หลน) in Thai means Thai local dip made from coconut milk and preferred meat as the main ingredients. Served with cooked aromatic rice and fresh local vegetables, the menu could be called the epitome of delicious simplicity, but of course there is more to it than that.

Ku Lao Tak Bai salted fish is one of the most sought after delicacies in Thailand. Hailed from Thailand’s southernmost region of Amphoe Tak Bai, Narathiwat province, this local recipe of salted fish is nationally renowned for its uniquely rich and delicate texture, plus its mild yet deep salty taste. It is often said that if you need to buy Ku Lao Tak Bai Salted, the reservation has to be made months earlier.

As we could guess, when R-HAAN and Chef Chumpol put the traditional Thai recipe together with the delicious local delicacy, the fruitful of the said combinative reimagination could not be more elegant. And when the dip is served together with the deep-fried organic chicken, salted egg yolk and assortment of organic fresh herbs, you are guaranteed to experience the exquisite varieties of taste which is undoubtedly the highest international standard, yet uniquely traditional Thai with a little tint of nostalgic sentiment.

R-HAAN as the Thai restaurant is honored to present to the world the exquisite courses that represent how bountiful Thailand has been as indicated in an ancient proverb “In a river, fishes swarm. On a field, rice abounds.” To experience fine dining from the wisdom of authentic Thai cuisine, please reserve the table at R-HAAN from website www.r-haan.com, email address: reservation@r-haan.com or call + 66 (0) 95 141 5524 (from 12.00 – 21.00 hrs.)