Just like grandma used to cook

When The Orient first opened its doors back in 1981 on Sukhumvit Soi 49, it quickly earned a reputation for its authentic Thai cuisine. Customers were disappointed when it was forced to close a few years later, the victim of a land conflict that seemingly couldn't be resolved.

Now ,Kanokros Suvansarang, a second generation member of the founding family, has brought back the eatery back to life in a new location on Soi Thonglor, reincarnating it as a bistro to suit the lifestyles of today's diners.

The Orient (Since 1981), as it's now known, is adorned with a wall-to-ceiling glass door allowing natural light to stream in while the interior is designed in modern colonial style, with black tables forming a contrast with white tiles. A white spiral staircase at the centre leads to the mezzanine.

When night falls and there's no rain, the outdoor area is a pleasant place to relax over dinner with friends.

"We want this place to be comfortable and relaxed for the whole family and the young generation and we are still concentrating on original Thai dishes," says Kanokros. "If you think about Thai food cooked by your grandma or want to eat a variety of nam prik, our restaurant is a good choice. Every curry and chilli paste is pounded by hand with mortar and pestle to ensure the right mix of aromatic herbs and textures. The dishes are the specialities of my mother and her friends who focus on the details to maintain the authenticity of Thai recipes."

Those familiar with yum tua plu or spicy salad of winged bean and shrimp, will find an interesting alternative in yum khamin khao (Bt155). The young white turmeric is used as a substitute for the winged bean and cooked with roasted shredded coconut, sauteed shallot, roasted ground peanut and coconut milk. It's a tantalising dish with the white turmeric giving an aromatic aftertaste.

Another tempting menu is gai krob prik khing or crunchy seasoned chicken with chilli paste and ginger and shredded kaffir lime leaf (Bt150), which is a lovely combination of sweet and salty tastes and is perfect with hot steamed rice. The eatery initially offered puff-fried catfish with stir-fried ginger and various spices but many customers didn't want to eat freshwater fish, so the chicken is used instead. The shredded chicken is first boiled and fried until crispy and golden brown then stir-fried with seasoned spices.

Another speciality worth trying is The Orient's fried chicken wings stuffed with lemongrass stem (Bt135). The chicken wings are |marinated with various herbs and soy sauce for several hours before being fried and are served with spicy apple salad mixed with chopped shrimp.

Beef green curry with roti (Bt145) is also a rich and delightful choice. The curry isn't too sweet or creamy, but it's a thick and rich and goes perfectly with crispy roti.

Whether you're a vegetarian or a carnivore who simply fancies a break from meat, the Orient offers about 45 veggie choices ranging from appetiser, soup, salad and main dishes. The cooks can substitute all meats with tofu and mushroom and the results are wonderful.

On the regular menu, the bistro has grilled snakehead fish fillets served with sauteed spicy eggplant but the grilled fish is substituted with grilled tofu for the vegetarian dish (Bt145). And do try fresh mushroom seasoned with sauteed garlic, chilli and salt served with spicy seafood sauce (Bt135) and fried rice topped with crispy salted shredded mushroom - also Bt135.

Other veggie varieties priced from Bt135 to Bt145 are grilled tofu served with fried sticky rice and Isaan-style jaew dipping, steamed tofu with spicy lime sauce, tofu in coconut red cream curry and casseroled tofu with glass noodles.

Thai desserts include dates cake (Bt100), santol in syrup (Bt60), ripe mango with sticky rice topped with coconut cream (Bt120) and Thai pandan noodles with coconut milk (Bt55).

The taste of the food is good and the ambience is relaxing and for |that The Orient is worth a visit. However, the service mindedness |of the staff could do with some improvement.

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The Orient (Since 1981) is on the ground floor of Somerset Serviced Residences, between Thonglor Sois 5 and 7. It's open daily from 11am to 11pm. Call (02) 381 6667-8.
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