Aristocratic Thai cuisine Benjarong Bangkok, one of three outlets in the Baan Dusit Thani food hub on Saladeang Road, has become a beloved destination for locals, ex-pats, and tourists due to its exceptional Thai cuisine.
Due to the old Dusit Thani Hotel Bangkok undergoing renovations, Benjarong and the old restaurant's decorations and furniture had to relocate to the location we know today. The site once belonged to a Hong Kongian businessman before being sold to Osathanugrah's family, a family that owns Osotspa consuming products manufacturer. This establishment's iconic statue of a man fighting against the powerful Crocodile, depicting a scene from a Thai folktale Kraithong, was commissioned by the Osathanugrah family to seal the entrance of a World War II bunker. Now that the Dusit Thani Hotel Bangkok is nearly open, it seems that Benjarong won't return to the hotel due to its popularity, deviating from the original plan.
Recently, the restaurant launched its new menu. Chomp was invited to try it. As soon as we settled at our table, the diner started with an amuse-bouche of mixed fruits, chilli flakes and roasted rice.
Yum Mankoot Maprao Kua is a spicy and sour salad containing mangosteen and a spicy and sour sauce made from sugar, lime juice, chillies, fish sauce and salt, and topped with ground dried shrimp and roasted coconut. The restaurant sauces Mangosteens from Chuntaburi to Rayong. The primary taste of the dish is sour, accompanied by salty and sweet flavours and a burning sensation.
Miang Pla Naem is another appetiser worth trying. The dish consists of steamed, finely shredded white snapper, citrus, roasted coconut and local greens such as the peppery, mustardy or wasabi-tasted mustard green or Pakkard Hin in Thai, the tart and sharp sour rose pepper leave or Matoom Kaek in Thai, the bitter and aromatic white mugwort or Jin Ju Chai in Teochew Chinese, the sweet red spinach. Chomp recommends eating it by wrapping everything in a betel leaf. Enjoy all the flavours and textures combined.
Nahmprik Long Ruea is a spicy relish. Sweet pork jowl and crispy catfish are the key ingredients that give this relish multiple textures and mouth feels. Grilled shrimp paste provides the dish with smokey and slightly pungent notes.
Khai Sam Khoei is a dish that consists of three types of egg, duck egg, chicken egg and quill egg. They were soft-boiled before being deep-fried. This dish is quite similar to the dish called Son-in-law Egg. While Son-in-Law Egg uses tamarind in its caramel sauce, Khai Sam Khoei uses bitter orange as a sour agent, making the dish slightly bitter but minus the tartness.
Moo Pad Bai Chamuang is a stir-fried dish. The top part of the pork neck is the only part used in this dish due to its tenderness and full of fat. The restaurant makes its own red paste, so its taste and aroma are unique. It wouldn't be called Moo Pad Bai Chamuang without the Chamuang leaf or cowa leaf, giving its distinctive bright, slightly sour taste.
Gaeng Kaek is a dish similar to Massaman. Benjarong makes its own masala powder and adds apricots and raisins. The duck was perfectly seared before being braised in the thick and full of herbs and botanicals soup for 3-4 hours. It's sweeter than Massaman.
To end the meal, Chomp finished it with a dessert dish called Khao Neaw Piak Lumyai, a sweet black sticky rice, in coconut cream and longans. The restaurant fermented the rice giving it a slightly sour taste mixed with sweet, creamy and salty flavours.
Aristocratic Thai Cuisine Benjarong Bangkok's door is always open for those who seek Thai culinary experience.
Benjarong Bangkok, Baan Dusit Thani
Hours: Daily, 11.00 – 14.30 and 17.30 – 22.00
Reserve: +662 200 9009
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/baandusithani
Location: Baan Dusit Thani, 116, 2 Sala Daeng Rd, Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500