Michelin-starred Chef Ton torches royal Thai cuisine here, metaphorically, literally, with all the smoking and fermenting. He calls it ‘colourful Thai cuisine.’ The spark came from his grandmother, who grew old but wouldn’t act her age. That energy fits Tha Tien, this old-town pocket splitting itself open for modern moves without bulldozing its own bones.
Family-style mains trigger everyone’s hands crossing the table at once. Eating here short-circuits the need to label and catalogue. You just land in the present tense of this ancient grid, with Wat Pho right across the river.