After years of running around the kitchens and front of the house at many respected restaurants like Canvas and Sühring, Pikun “Kate” Wangsantia finally put up her fine-dining venture. The capable restaurateur now runs a “secret supper club” where she cooks off menu and according to her mood.
“I have a room in my building that serves as the perfect casual private dining place where friends can meet up with trusted friends and without judgement to chat, drink and dine, and with safety measures in place,” she says. “I didn’t know what a supper club was, but it turns out that it is what I am doing!”
Kate’s Place is located on the second floor of her shophouse. Hidden behind a secret bookshelf (sorry for spoiling the fun), the space feels and looks like the living room of a stylish home. All the fun is centered on a huge dining table that can accommodate as much as 10 people.
At this homey station, Kate, who did a Cooking Master Class in Chiang Mai and also operates a daytime endeavor called Boonlang Braised Chicken Noodles, uses the word “uplifting” to describe the food at her new restaurant. “It’s not about dish presentation or fancy restaurant design, but the food and the environment should make you feel welcome, comforted and happy.” The “Uplifting Thai Cuisine” set menu is Kate’s signature offering but, in the spirit of carte blanche cooking, the theme keeps rotating monthly. “We would often give the dining sessions a theme, such as Cheeseboard Sundays or Thai-Chinese or Isan Night to spice things up.”
We were introduced to a Chinese-inspired feast on our visit. Separated into two parts, the course started with small bites: deep-fried Golden Bag dumpling, laab squid, stir-fried vermicelli and crab meat, stuffed chicken wing, and tom kha soup with cabbage and scallops.
Four delicious main dishes followed, namely steamed red grouper with soy sauce, strawberry-infused panang curry with beef (our favorite), stir-fried prawns with chili and lime, and salted soybean paste and fresh vegetables. The meal ended with a dessert of wild tapioca with coconut cream and water chestnuts.
These days, many restaurants are trying to stand out by going overboard with the story behind their cuisine and food that focuses more on style over substance, but that’s not the case with Kate’s Place. The simplicity of each dish manifests how the chef herself is humbly aware of what she’s capable of as a cook—which is a lot more than others can claim.
Kate’s Place is now open for both private dining from 2-12 guests, with the Uplifting Thai Cuisine offered at a special price of B990 per person during the fresh opening. For more information and reservations, please visit its official Instagram and Facebook.
