A few years back, when Bangkok gastrophiles were welcoming the first wave of
molecular gastronomy in the city, Chiang Mai already had Cuisine de Garden, an
establishment that combined innovative techniques with liquid nitrogen-generated fare.
Merging the farm-to- table concept with edible science, the restaurant quickly became a
hit in the northern metropolis. It has finally branched out with a second outpost in
Bangkok, bringing to the capital its original bestsellers as well as new creations in a
more polished setting.
The building that once housed Toot Young and Pandora Art Galleries in Ekkamai has
been converted into a sleek space that features raw concrete, glistening black quartz,
shiny teakwood and soft lighting. To complement the “nature-inspired” concept of its
food, Cuisine de Garden’s owners have even brought in dried tree trunks—elements
that inject a theatrical feel to the venue.
Chef Leelawat Mankongtiphan, who works his molecular magic in the original branch up north has created a four-course menu (B1,590) for the Bangkok outpost (which somehow reminds us of Lu Du ). Guests are given three choices per course. Before the actual meal begins, you are served a seafood amuse-bouche that showcases the different molecular ways to prepare kaffir lime: emulsion, foam and chutney. Our menu included a starter of chayote, ponzu sauce and red kelp that are beautifully paired with Hokkaido scallops to produce a naturally sweet flavor with earthy and salty undertones. The photogenic main course featured a slow-cooked egg sitting on top of golden crispy rice vermicelli mixed with chicken pieces, porcini and truffle oil. And for dessert, we opted for a creamy panna cotta made from goat’s milk and served with milk snow and milk chips made from dehydrated milk foam, and aromatic macadamia flower honey.
Apart from wine, Cuisine de Garden also serves cocktails inspired by Thai ingredients.
The Kaffir Lime mixes gin and grapefruit with kaffir lime syrup and is topped with
Chalawan beer foam (B290).
