Coconut cream: Best from Chomporn province; half solid, half liquid, rich, frothy--the secret to many Thai dishes--giving body to green curry, roundness to dessert, lightly fragrant, deeply satisfying. And yet, you’d be hard pressed to find it made from scratch in a restaurant.
That is, unless you decide to go to Nahm at the Metropolitan, where freshly made coconut cream is one of the many forgotten Thai cuisine secrets being revived. Under the direction of Chef David Thompson (who heads the famous Michelin-Starred Nahm at The Halkin, London), this long anticipated outlet is ready for its close up. It’s a starring role before the most critical audience a Thai restaurant will ever have to face: the locals.
LSA: What can you tell us about the food at Nahm?
DT: It’s Thai, but done with a bit more faithfulness, a bit more study. The Thai food is pretty authentic, but then of course I don’t pretend that I’m Thai. I try to be faithful to it, try my best to do it properly. The menu will echo each other for lunch and dinner, but of course we will have Kanom Jeen for lunch. [Speaking Thai, Chef David says “I love Kanom Jeen very much.”]
LSA: What kind of Kanom Jeen will you serve?
DT: Well, there is a Nahm Yaa Bolan [ancient soup] made by this old woman in Phuket in the 1920’s who puts in something called Kra-tuea which is like Kha [galangal], but it’s from the south, with Pla Duk Yang [grilled snake head fish], Bai Chompoo [not translatable], and Nor Mai Soot [fresh bamboo shoots]. So our Kanom Jean is something different from anything you would usually find in either the street stalls or modern Thai restaurants. [Pictured below: Chef David Thompson with Chef Thongsak Yordwai]
LSA: In terms of the food, how do you compensate for the spiciness in Thai cuisine for the foreign palette, and even for locals who will dine at Nahm?
DT: The food will be prepared as the Thais would eat it themselves, so there will be no regard or no alternation of the food in order to make it customer friendly. Bugger the customers! That’s always been my motto. [laughs] I think that food ought to stand by itself, but as a restaurantuer what I would do, for example, is, if there is a kang pala that is very spicy, we won’t change it because that’s the way it is meant to taste. But we will also have a kaeng karee which is meant to be milder, or have a nam prik plaa-raa (yes we do have plaa-raa on the menu). Different alternatives. So even the most timid diner will be able to take on the menu, and the most adventurous diner will not be disappointed.
LSA: You’ve recently written a book called Thai Street Food, it takes a very adventurous eater to take on that topic. Is there any Thai street food that you won’t eat?
DT: Yes. Pizza on the street. Mai aow [Thai for ‘Will not have.’] Or hotdog on the street, Mai aow krup… and especially not Sushi on the street.
LSA: What about Durian?
DT: Love it. Especially durian with sticky rice and fresh coconut cream. You can only have it once a year in season.
LSA: Authenticity and tradition seem very important you, so are we to assume there will be no fusion food?
DT: It would be self deceit to say that it’s absolutely 100% pure Thai food, because it’s been filtered through a westerner’s mind and a westerner’s tongue. So there are bound to be slight differences.
LSA: Finally, I’m sure there are some people who will still question Thai food being cooked by a westerner. What do you have to say to that?
DT: I’m sure there will be some people who will be more knowledgeable to be critical, and some who will be critical just for the sake of being critical. So I won’t be surprised by that. I’m not impervious [to criticism], but I am starting to become less concerned by it. Because if I do just what I do, and I do it well, that’s who I should be answering to.
I can understand why Thai people would be critical. Even I’m dubious to of a westerner coming to cook Thai food. But before they criticize, at least have a taste. And you know, I might be completely wrong, I hope I’m not, but before you judge me, eat me!
David Thompson's book, Thai Street Food, is available at Asia Books nationwide. International release dates may vary.
Nahm is set to open at the Metropolitan Bangkok in late August 2010. Stayed tuned to Lifestyle Asia for the official launch date.
Metropolitan Bangkok,
27 South Sathorn Road,
+662 625 3355.
