A Review of R HAAN: Elevated Thai Classics

Entrance to the restaurant with R-HAAN's wall of accolades

131 ซอย ทองหล่อ 9 Khwaeng Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana,

Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10110,

Thailand

Link to R-HAAN Website

Chef Chumpol Jangprai leads a very classic Thai restaurant, R-HAAN. Located in Bangkok's Thonglor, it is nestled within a small network of fine dining restaurants. When you walk into the restaurant, the first thing you'd notice is the wall of accolades as well as the multiple 2 Michelin Stars since 2020.

R-HAAN means sustenance in Thai and the restaurant did exactly that. We were shown a very elevated and refined version of traditional Thai cuisine that forms the bulk of sustenance for everyday thais. Chef Chumpol's committment to preserving and elevating traditional thai cuisines was seen through the menu, as he celebrated Thailand's diverse regional flavours.

Charcoal Grilled Mackerel with Aromatic Herb Sauce

Our menu was huge. When i say huge, I mean 2 pages long. When we first received the menu we thought we would have to select several different courses. But the only thing we had to select was one of 2 curries as well as one of 2 desserts. Take a look at this massive menu:

• Northern: Lanna Style Tomato Confit Salad in Golden Pastry Served with The Royal Project Avocado Mousse

• Center: Stuffed Shiitake Mushroom in Flower-Shaped Thai Dumplings

• Northeast: Spicy Catfish and Wolffie Croquette

• East: Spring Onion Crepes with Crab Fat Paste and Stir-Fried Rice Noodles

• Southern: Fermented Fish Entrails Terrine Served with Pineapple Chutney and Tumeric Crisp

• Course 1: Charcoal Grilled Mackerel with Aromatic Herb Sauce

• Course 2: Thai Crispy Pancakes Topped with a Trio of Coconut Fillings

• Course 3: Thai Coconut Soup with Blue Spiny Lobster

• Course 4: Organic Brown Rice with Grilled Grouper and Sweet Chilli-Giner Sauce

• Sorbet: The Royal Passion Fruit Sorbet

• Main Course: Crab Meat Coconut Milk Dip Served with Deep-fried Stuffed Salted Eff Yolk Chicken and Vegetables

• Main Course: The Royal Thai Tom Yum Soup with King River Prawns of R-HAAN

• Main Course: Thai Panang Curry with Roasted Duck

• Main Course: Spicy Thai Wagyu Short Rib with Bird's Eye Chili Curry

• Black Garlic Rice

• Dessert: R-HAAN's Triple Mango Sticky Rice

• Dessert: 110 Sang Kha Ya: Thai Pumpkin Custard

• Petit Four: Vanilla and Honey Madeleine

• Petit Four: Chulalongkorn Rose Falling in Love

• Petit Four: Dara Thong

• Petit Four: Thai Tea Milk Chocolate

Featuring the main courses

There you have it, our very epic meal. Needless to say, we were left completely stuffed by the end of the meal. What I especially loved about the menu was that everything was spelt out. We have been to so many restaurants where the menu is barren (e.g. shrimp. salt.) which tells you really nothing more than the main ingredients. These descriptors serve as such a good way for diners to actually remember and correspond a flavour to an ingredient as they navigate a new culture/cuisine.

Now the quality of the dishes. Each dish we had showcased a balance of the eight fundamental Thai flavors—sour, sweet, rich, salty, bitter, spicy, astringent, and piquant. Together with high quality ingredients, it was such a wonderful experience of classic thai dishes at it's finest. By the end of the meal, we all agreed that we would not be able to look at a Tom Kha and a Panang Curry the same way again.

Palate Cleanser: Passionfruit Sorbet

Booking

At the time of writing, there is still availability on the weekends a week out. When we were there, the restaurant was busy but not at full capacity. So if you have flexibility in your schedule, it does not seem to be too difficult to find a slot. However, we always still recommend that you make your bookings as soon as you have your itinerary confirmed to prevent disappointments.

Mango Sticky Rice, Pumpkin Custard and Petit Fours Served after a Calming Tea

Accessibility

Definitely Grab. and definitely leave earlier than what Google Maps says. As expected with Bangkok traffic, our travel time doubled as it got closer to dinner time.

The Damage

The set was priced at 5212 THB ++ or approximately 210 SGD without pairing. We consider this extremely good value. For the quality and amount of food, this was such a steal. We added on a wine pairing at 3512 THB ++ or approximately 140 SGD. The wines were of good quality and paired very nicely with the meal. Should I also add that the team at R-HAAN was extremely generous with the pours and even offered a top up. We also got ourselves some mocktails which were very delightful.

Would We Recommend?

Yes! We loved the fact that R-HAAN served up classic Thai food which was elevated and wonderfully delicious. It paid hommage to the different regions in Thailand and the unabashed flavours that is Thailand. The team was polite and made sure to take care of our needs through the meal. They always checked on the spice levels and the pace of the food and that elevated the dining experience even further.