The Anniversary Experience

How to even begin to put into words the meal and experience of Baan Tepa for J and myself?  How do I write it, explain it, give it voice that it can speak for itself?  Do words do it justice?  Pics alone with comments?  Words and supplemental pics?  How do you even begin?

You begin at the beginning.

This is gonna be loooooooong.

The day started like normal, Kiddo waking us and last minute packing and life.  Coffee, a lightish lunch, and loving the Kiddo.  Then, about 13;15, Nanny Beer arrived and J and I were off to Hotel Muse and a night of fun.

The hotel was nice.  Not mind blowing.  Not fanciest place I’ve ever been in, but for ~$100USD, it was located in a good spot and nice.  Felt very 1920’s Imperial Asia, but modernized.  It was nice.  Good views.  Wonderful natural light.  Lots of options within walking distance.  Easy to get Grab or other vehicles.

We planned on drinks and canapés on the rooftop Speakeasy, but that was for Platinum and Diamond members only, so that wasn’t available to us.  We did find that a place called the Bar.Yard was close and had drinks and small plates, so we headed there.  Once found, it was lovely.  Good drinks.  Wonderful views.  Nice breeze.  Above average nibbles.

Then, it was time for the main event.

Before we get to that though, an aside.

If I could go to a meal that was like this, only it was a 15 course meal from ALL my meals.  I call it the Heaven Meal Menu.  Basically, it’s a list of the 15 best things I’ve ever eaten.  Like the duck confit from Bouchon.  The beet toast from Juniper and Ivy.  Things like that.  Those transformative plates and courses.  The ones that you mark in your brain as a benchmark or holding place for something beyond.  Also, since it’s my heaven meal, I never get hungry either, so portions are perfect…. For the moment.  Because sometimes you want a bite of two.  Sometimes you want a dump truck full.  Also, the cosmic and ultimate Sommelier to pair beer, wine, cocktails, etc.  You get it! 

Baan Tepa was beyond.  J and I have eaten (before this) at 5 places that were Michelin Starred and 2 places on the watch list.  In all of that, there were at least 4 dishes and courses here that I would put on my all time top 15…. If I could have a heaven meal of the 15 best courses.  A third would be from Baan Tepa, that’s how impressed I was.

I was raised believing I was allergic to shellfish, crab, shrimp, etc.  I never developed a palate for fishy flavors or foods.  I was raised American.  Very little asian influence or spices.  This last year, coupled with last night, has been a challenge to my palate and tastebuds, but in experiencing last night, there was nothing that I balked at.  Nothing that I had trouble with.  Some of it was a bit fishy and I was fatigued by the main duck course of fish and those flavors, but not put off by it.  That has more to do with me than Chef Tam and her vision.  

Also, we were the only white/european type faces that we saw all night, save for a few members of the crew and team.  This was all very very Thai and we had eyes on us all night.  Chef Tam was out with Covid (feel better soon Chef) so her Sous (Aomsin, I believe) was running the kitchen, but you wouldn’t know unless told.  Nothing was out of place.  Every course was perfection.  We could tell that we were observed.  Would we like, how’s the spice, how do they react.  I hope our pleasure, enjoyment, and experience was evident.  That we enjoyed each bite.  Each experience.  Each moment.  

And before we get to those moments, I wanted to thank the team that cared for us.  Giuseppe (Jo) was our Sommelier for the night.  He LOVES his job.  The passion.  The care.  The excitement.  The knowledge.  And his personality was perfect.  Friendly and caring.  Also, a tip of the cap to his suit for the evening.  Like his knowledge and guidance on the evening, it was perfect.  A thank you, Jo!

Serving us was Mook.  She was amazing in her care and presentation of the evening to us.  Every course was explained and if we had questions, she was unfazed, as she knew the menu, food, and history of Baan Tepa and Chef Tam.  The tour of the garden was great and her and J kinda talked as I was in my head with the meal and experience and not very talkative at that time.  From seat to leaving, Mook was our guide and we couldn’t have asked for anyone better.  Her kindness, knowledge, guidance of the meal, grounds, house, and history were beyond.  Three cheers for Mook… and a rather large THANK YOU from both of us.

After meeting our server and som it was time for a first course and we were brought, by Mook, into the kitchen for an Amuse-bouche of a traditional Thai dish.  The kitchen staff was in full swing and the dish was served at a kitchen table.  Cold coconut, caviar, shrimp and fish paste, and other assorted flavors.  Salty, fishy, sweet, smoky, spicy, and clean.  The only complaint was it took me three bites, whereas an amuse-bouche is usually only a single bite.  

Returning to the table, the som greeted us with a wine pairing for J and a mojito for me.  Perfect after the amuse.  And perfect with the next course. 

Nam Prik.  Three little bites.  One inspired  from North Thailand, one from Central and one from the south.  The flavors, textures, colors, heat and spice, savoriness, and layers of taste can’t even be put into words.  It was an experience, followed by a new one, followed by a third.  Balanced.  Perfect.

Vegetarian dish was next.  A salad of sorts.  Crispy and crunchy.  Pops of citrus and sour.  Pops of sweet.  Hints of salt and chili.  Hint of acid and vinegar.  Exceptionally well thought, prepared, and presented.

Tostada- As a SoCal guy, I know tostada.  But, this take on it, with a Thai influence, was one of the best things I’ve eaten and would make it onto the “heaven meal” menu.  Crunch, heat, chili (not only in heat, but that flavor of greenness and earth and pepper), mixed with the fish, the herbs, a hint of sweet from the fish, salt from the “cracker”, and then the fire on your lips and just sliding across the tongue.  Not unpleasant, that burn, but perfectly pleasant and lingering to remind you of the wonderful eat.

Crab was next and something I have zero experience with.  I have literally never eaten crab.  I wanna eat more crab!  Presented two ways.  The custard and fat of the little dish was so delicate and rich, the flavor was just a mouthful of divine and sublime.  Moving then to the fried crab with the curry bamboo aioli was a new experience.  The crab was sweet and buttery a richness that is just good crab mixed with a curry sauce that I wanted to lick up.  Again, this is on the “heaven meal” menu contention list... And for someone who has never eaten crab before to say that, I'm told, is unusual as it is a unique flavor.

Chicken Liver - is a staple of Thai street food.  It was presented here in such a great way.  Mixed and eaten on sour dough bread.  The bread starter has been chilling under Chef Tam and Baan Tepa care for three years, we were informed.  It was bread.  We’ve struggled to find good bread in Thailand.  This was good bread.  GOOD!  And the liver…. Nothing against my Uncle Paulie, but this made his Pâté seem like a joke.  Creamy, sweet, earthy, with a huge mouth feel and silkiness.  The jam served with it was the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, fruity, winey, and sweet earthiness.  Yeah, this is a sure fire “heaven meal” menu item.  And we got this cool little spatula to eat with!

Dong Dong- This might be my favorite on the night.  It was like Thai Mac n Cheese, but with a twist.  Coconut flavors just explode at you.  Heat and sweet come next.  The ham was perfect to add salt and savory and richness, but also a mouth feel and balance.  I wanted to lick my bowl.  If I could die after a bite of this, I would die happy.  It was so smart.  Comforting yet complex, simple and yet utterly compelling.  Perfection on a plate.

River Prawn Roti- I like Roti.  A lot.  This was a good take on that.  The curry and emulsion was outstanding.  The prawn (again, something I’d never eaten before) was buttery and sweet and yet smoky, grilled, fiery, bold, and mixed with Roti and the curry and then with the grilled pineapple… WOW!  I’m not 100% sold on prawn, but I’d try it again, but I’m 100% on the curry.  That, I would eat daily.  

Gaeng Pruh- Rich, salty, briny, warm, sweet, earthy, and exceedingly delicate while it stood there and punched on your tastebuds.  It pummeled my mouth with flavors and complexity that I never would have put together, only to have it come and shock, awe, and surprise me.

Abalone Rice- Wonderful dish.  J loved it.  I was getting some fish fatigue by this point, so it’s hard for me to judge this accordingly.  I liked it.  Very much.  I’d wish to try it again as a stand alone, so I could judge it more as a dish and not as a “fish” dish.  It was so complex.   The mix of favors and textures can’t even find words.  It had ALL the flavors.  And then those flavors combined for new flavors.  

Stuffed Duck- Again, a heaven menu item.  It was, without doubt, the best duck I’ve ever had.  Soft, balanced, sweet, tang, bright boldness and savory richness mixed with nuttiness and gaminess from the duck and nuts.  The duck jus was…. Oh my god.  A vision.  Crispy Lettuce that I couldn’t get enough of as it added so much, but you couldn’t even say what.  It just added more.  Again, I’d like to try this stand alone, because I was starting to get full at this point.  The planning, prep, presentation, and care are evident.  The taste was amazing.  Bravo to Chef Tam and staff for this dish.  Skillfully made and prepared, artfully presented, perfectly balanced.

Pre-Desert was Lychee and basil a surprising dish.  Rose sugar covered it.  Sweet, with a bite.  Cold with crunch.  Sweet rose that blended and elevated the basil while still maintaining a rose essence behind it all.  The Lychee was a pop of color, flavor, and complexity.  Every ingredient was evident, but combined into something so new, so delicate, so bold, so perfectly paired and balanced and it was something new, exciting, and wonderful.

Dessert of wild almond and all of a banana- A complete surprise.  I don’t typically care for banana.  I want to eat this again and again.  All of the banana was used.  Even leaf extract.  Bitter, sweet, earthy, and doughy.  Cold and hot.  The Beignet was so perfect; mouth feel, taste, creaminess and sweet, banana and just enough “dough” and “cake” to make it a perfect end.  The almond ice cream was a delicate and nutty balance.  Sweet, but not overly.  Creamy, but in compliment of the banana, they were perfect together.

After that, we got a tour of the house and gardens, got to meet Sous Chef and give feedback and ask about the menu.  We were also informed that we were being watched as most “Americans” don’t come to eat there and they were worried about the spice and toned it down just a bit for us.  As an aside, what kind of care and planning goes into a meal that you tone down the spice of two plates just for those particular diners!  I wish I could grab my chef roll and spend a week living and learning with Chef Tam and her staff.  

Before leaving, we were presented a gift of “market sweets” to take home.  All four are inspired by typical market sweets that are native to Bangkok and Thailand.  We were told that they would stand for 2 days in a fridge.  We will get to those tonight.  We needed a break from food.

**Update** The Take home dessert was consumed.  Lovely.  Eaten top to bottom... or right to left, looking at the pics above.

From the North the the South.  Sweets.

We started with a lemon cake, only, a little different.  Zesty and light, tangy and sweet.  It was a perfect bite of… delicious.  There’s no other way to put it.  It set the tone and was a pop of sweet, both in the cracker and the topping.  

We move on to a brownie of sorts.  The balance.  The skill.  The lightness and yet sponginess of the cake was mind blowing.  The taste was…. Ethereal.  I can’t even put it into words.

Third was a chocolate raspberry truffle type thing.  J, who usually doesn’t really love things like this, was blown away by it and in tears.  Yes, it was that good.  The filling was perfect, the cocoa mixed a sweet bitterness, dark and sweet, mixed with the fruit and taste and the mix of all is perfectly balanced.  

Last was a jelly.  These are big with Thai people.  When people in the market want to show Kiddo love, they give her jelly treats.  She doesn’t much care for it.  I love it.  HAHA. For my Stateside folks, it’s texture is hospital jello.  The taste, however, is nothing like that.  This showcased local flavors of the south, including the chilis and heat.  Like mangos dipped in chili and salt.  This might have been my favorite out of the box, but the brownie… And then the lemon drop and the raspberry; Drat!  I just want them all again, all day, all the time!

I’m sure more will come from this experience as the days come, but those are the initial thoughts and feelings.  Amazing.

And if Chef Tam, Baan Tepa, our server Mook, or even our Sommelier Jo ever stumble upon and read this… Thank you!  Words above are not close to expressing the true nature of our experience and feelings.  THANK YOU!  K̄hxbkhuṇ māk ka!  From our hearts, tastebuds, and soul… You completed a year for us, helped us celebrate a marriage, a life adventure, a moving of our family from the States to Thailand and you helped us explore more of this wonderful place we call home for this time.  You will be a benchmark for not only Thai food, but all food for us moving forward.  Best to you and keep up the passion, inquisitive exploration, and push past your limits to make greatness in every plate and bite.  Cheers!

*** Update 2 ***

I am writing and posting this, coincidently, on J and my anniversary date.  The experience is still lingering with me.  Going to the market and smelling hints of something will bring me back and make me wish I had more bites to take.  It’s almost like stages of grief, that I can’t eat more of Baan Tepa.  That I can’t go back and be less overwhelmed by the meal to ask and speak better about it in the moment.  When Mook was giving us the tour, I had little to say.  I was internal.  Letting the flavors, the experience, and the sheer scope of the meal we were given to wander its thoughts through my mind.  

It was an experience of a life.  That I got to share with the person in my life.  J and I, both, have very little family to speak of.  A very close and small circle of friends.  We got to share this with each other.  Experience it together.  We sit at night, still, and talk about certain dishes or memories.  It was a great evening.  A perfect evening.  Made all the better because I got to share it with J.  Love and happy 15 years together and 9 married.

Oh, and after dinner, we popped up to the Speakeasy on the roof and had a nightcap.  Not a bad view there to end the night.