DINING AT TEE'S 'TABLE'

There’s always a special pleasure in finding a new jewel among Bangkok’s dining establishments, and no more so when the little gem is hidden away in a narrow, nondescript alley off busy Saladaeng Road and wedged between a massage parlour and a beauty salon.

La Table de Tee is where 27-year-old Chatree “Tee” Kachonklin is cooking his way to success, offering customers his tasty creations through a prix fixe 5-course dinner.

“I find it a great joy to offer my guests a combination of tasty dishes,” says Tee who worked his way up to become chef de partie at Roussillon – a one-star Michelin French establishment in London’s Sloane Square. “I am fascinated by the French approach to food, the way they carefully prepare each ingredient. Here at my restaurant, I combine those techniques with my home-grown tastes.”

The result is what one can describe as a marriage between Thai tastiness and meticulous French presentations: every ingredient on the plate is there for a reason. Tee’s five-course dinner includes two starters – one soup and one salad, two main dishes, with a choice of two in each case, and dessert, followed by a sweet delight served with tea or coffee to end the sumptuous meal. 

Sourcing his ingredients from Thailand’s northern most rice paddies and the fish ponds of his native Nakhon Ratchasima, Tee changes his menu as often as twice a week. His secret, he says, is to keep his guests surprised by the tasty twists in his gourmet ensemble.

“Being a provincial kid gives me an edge on ingredient sourcing,” he says. “I grew up tasting all kinds of wild and natural ingredients and that educated my palate. Those experiences have made it easier for me to adapt different kinds of ingredients and more importantly, make cooking much more fun and interesting. My risotto, for example, is made from Nakhon Ratchasima’s indigenous, short-grained and starchy ‘Mo Taek’ ( ‘pot-exploding’) rice instead of the usual Arorio or Carnaroli.”

The freshwater pla nin (Thai tilapia) fish is sourced from Nakhon Ratchasima as are the young pumpkins, Thai melons, peanuts and watermelons. His home village of Ban Rai is also close to Chaiyaphum and Phetchabun provinces, meaning a greater variety of indigenous ingredients for his restaurant. “And I love to shop at Khlong Toei fresh market,” Tee says. “But Khlong Toei is not a place where you can just go and buy stuff. If you want special ingredients, you need to pull the right strings and I am willing to do whatever it takes to get the best and freshest into my restaurant.”

During our visit, the soup of the day was Blue Crab & Coriander, a cold tomato-based soup a little thicker than gazpacho, and liberally scattered with chunks of blue crab meat, fresh cucumber and diced fresh tomato in a tart and fruity, herbal broth. The crunchy ‘onion tempura’ on top of the soup added to the tasty and meaty combination. The soup was followed by a salad of Yellow Fin Tuna & Thai Sweet Basil, with the perfectly pan-seared fresh tuna served with a tangy, lightly-dressed green salad of rockets, parsley, bean sprouts, sweet pickled ginger, strings of fish noodles and small dollops of Thai red curry sauce. The salad was fresh and tasty and the red curry sauce added a spicy, aromatic punch.

For the first main course, I opted for the Mushroom Risotto and Snapper & Ginger while my companion chose the fish fillet. The Thai rice used in the risotto was cooked al dente, soft, yet crunchy and perfect with the aromatic creamy mushroom sauce. There were no fancy mushrooms in this dish, but the locally available brown mushroom, completed with a parmesan snap to add to the crunch. The snapper was a true Chinese delight. Fish and ginger have always been staples in a Chinese kitchen, but here the fresh fillets were pan-seared and the skin crispy fried, then served on a bed of oil-blanched vegetables with a soy sauce concoction and crispy fried noodles.

The other main course featured two more choices: Pork & Oregano Herbs and Beef & Hot Basil. We both went for the pork fillet, which was pan-roasted to juicy medium rare and served with assorted sweetly-roasted vegetables including cabbage, fennel, crispy strands of carrot complete with pork crisps and tasty pork juice. 

Tee’s dessert of the day was Chocolate and Caramel fondants served with rich chocolate ice cream, crispy bananas and banana & honey tuile. That was followed by delicious peanut macaroons and refreshing fruit jelly – Tee’s version of petits fours – and a perfect complement to the coffee. 

The five-course meal costs Bt900 per person without drinks. This small restaurant seats just 20 people and advance booking is essential. 

    

TIME FOR TEE

<< La Table de Tee is at 69/5 Saladaeng Road (a small alley directly opposite MK Gold). It’s open daily (except Monday) from 6.30pm to 10.30pm. 

<< Call (02) 636 3220 or visit www.LaTableDeTee.com.