There's no shortage of steak restaurants in Bangkok. You’ve got the big chain eateries that charge you exorbitant prices for below-standard beef; and you have the hotel dining rooms that do serve excellent steak dishes, but in rather uptight environs. There is a dearth of choices, however, when it comes to steakhouses that deliver an amazing dining experience but in a more casual setting. Steakhouse newbie Thaan fills in the void.
We won’t blame you if you associate the eatery with the popular aromatherapy brand. This Thaan derives its name from the Thai word for charcoal; basic logic would lead you to surmise that the restaurant specializes in charcoal-grilled meat and not diffuser-inspired dishes. Tucked within the Sukhumvit Soi 31, Thaan looks rather nondescript from the outside. Step inside to discover a welcoming space that connects a rather busy open kitchen to an intimate dining room that’s lit up only with the small electric lamps sitting on each table.
The restaurant is a proud owner of a Josper grill, one of those trendy, top-tier oven-and-charcoal-grill hybrids that’s praised for giving meat more aroma, a smoky flavor and crusts on the right side of charred. The steak selection includes imported beef mostly from Australia, as well as local himawari-gyu beef, which is fed on a mix of sunflower seeds, corn and sake kasu (leftover bits from the sake-making process). The owners also pay great attention to the produce it uses, only picking the freshest ingredients, so expect the menu to change each day depending on what’s in season or what’s available in the market.
Aside from steaks, Thaan also delivers an amazing suer rong hai (grilled beef brisket, B300) and Argentinian beef tongue (B350). Non-beef options include a fusion dish that douses scallops, sea urchin and mikan dai (a type of sea bream) in nori beurre blanc sauce (B1,500).
Big groups will probably benefit the most from the Oh My Super!!!, a dish of heftily portioned, truffleinfused fried rice with slices of hanger steak (B1,350 for small/B2,500 for large).
