Nahm remains an important Bangkok institution
When it comes to dining out in Bangkok, I have quite a long list, from the restaurants of Asia’s best female chefs Garima Arora (Gaa) and Pichaya Soontornyanakij (Potong) to Michelin-recognized eateries like Pad Thai Fai Ta Lu for pad thai with Berkshire pork, and Here Hai for the insane crab fried rice that attracts long queues. But on my recent trip to Thailand’s capital, I made sure to book a table at the restaurant that helped catapult the country’s cuisine to culinary stardom.
Conveniently located in my hotel for two nights, COMO Metropolitan Bangkok, Nahm was started by Australian chef David Thompson in Como’s Halkin Hotel in London back in 2001. It became the first Thai restaurant to receive a Michelin Star in 2002, after just six months of operations. He then opened Nahm in Bangkok in September 2010, then closed the flagship location in December 2012.
The Asian branch also received much acclaim, namely The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2013 at no. 32 and the top spot in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2014. To date, the lone Thai restaurant continues to attract thousands of guests each year, this time under the tutelage of chef Pim Techamuanvivit, a former cognitive scientist, who took over Thompson’s role in 2018.
Located next to the hotel’s swimming pool, the restaurant took inspiration, design-wise, from traditional Ayutthaya dining rooms, as reimagined by famous Japanese interior designer Koichiro Ikebuchi. The most dominant features are the red brick columns that extend from the floor to the ceiling. This is a beautiful reference to the temples of the ancient Thai city.
Medley of flavors
The food, like the decor, also tips its hat to tradition, relying on local ingredients for a more contemporary approach. Case in point: There’s a smoked duck soup that offers a lovely chew with the addition of sago palm tapioca, as well as a miang or a one-bite wrap composed of river prawn, chicken, green mango, snake fruit, and an array of herbs served on a betel leaf. It’s amazing how such a small item can pack such a harmonious medley of punchy flavors.
Another iteration of such delicious snacks is the blue swimmer crab meat complemented with pickled garlic and peanuts on a crispy rice cracker. It was light and refreshing, yet memorable as the usual marriage of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy was apparent, much like the fermented rice noodle with fruits and dried prawns with a coconut cream dressing.
For mains, I opted for the turmeric crab curry with betel leaf and calamansi. I told the server to stick to the original level of spice, wanting to appreciate what the chef intended to serve. It did lend heat, but savorily pacified by white rice, a side of stir-fried young fiddlehead ferns, and my cocktail of choice, galangal mule made of a Thai gin, lime, Vietnamese mint, and ginger ale.
There are many Bangkok-based shops that offer almost the same kind of modern Thai cuisine Nahm does. But among the ones I’ve tried, none is as sleek, sexy, and balanced as what this institution of a restaurant has. After more than a decade, Nahm still is top tier.
Nahm is at COMO Metropolitan Bangkok, South Sathorn Road, Sathorn, Bangkok.
