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Samrub Samrub Thai

Bangkok

A humble chef’s table putting the spotlight on ancient Thai recipes

The gist: After its anticipated relocation to the vibrant Silom area, Samrub Samrub Thai continues to be one of Bangkok’s most prominent restaurants that also serves as an educational platform, highlighting nearly-forgotten ingredients through ancient Thai recipes. Chef Prin Polsuk, a veteran of Mandarin Oriental’s Sala Rim Naam and Nahm by David Thompson, is an international name, but locally he is considered the unofficial ambassador of Thai cuisine.

Home is where the heart is: Dining here is like dining with family. Polsuk and his wife, Mint, live right upstairs from the nondescript restaurant making the quaint, chef’s table-like space incredibly welcoming from the moment you walk in. If you're lucky, you might even get to meet the couple’s son, Saam, who graces the kitchen with his impressive food-eating skills and irresistible smile. 

History lesson: Polsuk, along with his tight-knit team, spends endless hours researching indigenous ingredients and forgotten Thai recipes. The chef owns an enormous collection of Thai cookbooks, with some dating back to the Rama VI era, and he uses the inspiration to create a version of neoclassical Thai dishes in a family-style setting.

Dinner to remember- A lengthy chef's table featuring an open kitchen lets diners get a sneak peek into the kitchen life where fiery woks and quick-moving hands swiftly plate dish after dish of regional fare like Tiger prawn relish with Chinese olives or a spicy Southern Kua Kling. Mint works the front of the house, educating guests on the menu which changes bi-monthly, as well as the specialty drinks served such as Thai rice wine from Isaan.

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