MICHELIN-STARRED ETCHA: THAI FLAVOURS, ITALIAN LENS

Words: Pasuta Phongam Photos: Pasuta Phongam

A year and a half into its Bangkok story, etcha is developing a culinary language increasingly its own. At Chatrium Grand Bangkok, Italian chef Giacomo Primante brings European technique into contact with Thai ingredients and food memories.

Photo Credit: Etcha Recognised with one MICHELIN star in the MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2026, the restaurant approaches these connections with a willingness to reconsider everything from the shape of a familiar dish to its place in the meal.

The opening bites offer an early indication of that thinking. Carbonara, fermented fish, crisp fried makrut lime leaves and fried winged ants appear among the references and ingredients, with a notably crunchy pastry element. Ginger-infused Coca-Cola adds a playful drinking accompaniment, while a sweet Bordeaux introduces the wine pairing.

Then comes the question printed on the menu: “Who said dessert has to come last?” Oyster and ice cream arrive with lotus root and diced Asian pear, placing marine salinity alongside sweetness and fresh, crisp textures. The course establishes a recurring interest in how ingredients behave when removed from their usual context.

Peas, vanilla and apple continue that exploration in a softer register. Apple gelatine and a pea sauce give the composition its structure, with flavours moving between tangy, saline and creamy. Thai sato paired with green mamuang kalon mango brings a local fermented drink into the sequence, extending the kitchen’s thinking into the glass.

Nigiri is the title suggests a Japanese reference, but the ingredients take the dish elsewhere. Thai Wagyu meets Chinese lettuce, Parmesan and beef broth, with mint adding a fresh herbal note. The meat is tender, the vegetables retain their crunch, and the clear, light broth allows those distinctions to remain apparent.

Crab, curry, eggs connect to pu pad pong karee is immediate. Fried soft-shell crab and scrambled egg recast the familiar Thai curry dish through contrasting textures: a crisp exterior against soft egg. The reference remains legible even as its presentation changes.

A palate cleanser follows, combining pineapple sorbet and lemongrass with coconut cream and makrut lime. Acidity and citrus aromatics bring a refreshing interval before the menu turns towards a more pronounced Italian reference.

Eggplant lasagna arrives with an assertive smoky character. Smoke becomes the defining feature of the course, giving the familiar format a different emphasis within the progression. Bread and butter accompany this stretch of the meal, offering a simple pause between the more elaborate compositions.

Bread & Butter

The flavours of tom yum goong inform the next course, bringing the meal back to a recognisable Thai starting point. River prawn, mango and coriander carry that reference into etcha’s tasting-menu format. It is another instance of Primante working with the memory of a dish while allowing its ingredients to suggest a different expression.

A more substantial composition follows, bringing together homemade sausage, white shrimp and pork liver with a sauce inspired by gaeng khua sapparot, or pineapple curry. Jasmine fried rice, a herb sauce and lemon zest accompany the dish. The combination draws its character from the meeting of rich meat, shellfish, fruit and aromatic rice, with citrus providing a finishing accent.

A smoky drink marks the transition towards the final courses, while Prosecco and caviar introduce a different combination of texture and flavour. The broader pairing sequence moves through wine, sake and beer alongside Thai sato, responding to the individual dishes with the same freedom found in the kitchen.

Mango, rice and coconut bring a familiar Thai flavour combination to the closing stages. The Italian references return in a bombolone interpreted through khanom krok, linking the pastry to the Thai coconut sweet. A Thai tart adds another small bite, followed by mochi with apple, kimchi and torch ginger—a final combination that revisits the opening course’s interest in the space between savoury and sweet.

Across the menu, the strongest connections are often the most specific: scrambled egg with crisp soft-shell crab, the pronounced smoke of eggplant, or coconut finding a place within an Italian pastry. These details give etcha its emerging identity. Primante allows ingredients, techniques and memories to meet at the scale of a single bite, leaving their origins recognisable while changing the way they are experienced.

Etcha Reserve: +66 (0)2 126 7999 | etcha.cgb@chatrium.com Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 18:00–22:00 Location: 7th Floor, Chatrium Grand Bangkok, 728 Phetchaburi Road, Ratchathewi Socials: