My buddies and I had a wonderful meal at Baan Tepa at the end of June in Bangkok. It was recently awarded 2 Michelin stars and is helmed by 31-year old prodigy Chef Tam. She is probably one of the youngest 2-Michelin star female chefs in the world.
The restaurant is a little out of the way from central Bangkok. It is nestled in a renovated two-story family house which was owned by Chef’s Tam grandma. The space is modern but still gives off a very homely vibe. We arrived early and were escorted to the second floor lounge for pre-dinner.
Dinner was an interactive 2+ hours experience and the menu can be described as modern Thai. It started with amuse bouche in the kitchen where we were given a kitchen tour and was shown the ingredients that were to be served that night. Service throughout the meal was impeccable. We were given thorough explanations of the dishes (in English), sometimes accompanied with the raw ingredients for our interaction. Our dinner ended with their herb garden tour and the rest of the house (the private dining room was particularly gorgeous). Before we left, Chef Tam personally greeted us and bade us farewell.
The 9-course meal was fantastic and met our very high expectations. Other than an oyster soup dish that was overly complicated and muddled in flavors, every dish was delicious and beautifully plated. My personal favorite dishes of the night was the River Prawn dish (exquisitely plated and drenched in a prawn head sauce), but everyone at my table had their own personal favorites, which only goes to show how spectacular the menu was.
With such a young chef with unbound potential, the only trajectory for Baan Tepa is up. As of now, reservations are not too difficult (compared to similarly acclaimed Sorn) so you should definitely try to dine here if you are visiting Bangkok.
Review: 4.75/5
Cost performance: 4 / 5 (6200THB before tax and service charge)
Reservation Difficulty: Easy – Booked about a month ahead via their website.
by Single_Rutabaga_4776