Murrah

Thailand’s only dairy buffalo farm has been at it for almost 10 years now. The milk of the Murrah breed of water buffalo tastes great and is a little creamier than cow’s milk. What’s more, the owners tell us it’s OK for those allergic to cow’s milk to drink it. Other products include fresh mozzarella cheese, yoghurt and ghee. Also, do dip into one of their jars of garlic butter, perhaps with some multigrain bread from BBB (see below). And if you’d like to try more of their food, they have their own restaurants in Cha Choeng Sao (near the farm) and Ramkhamhaeng with cheese-focused dishes like green salad with mozzarella and baked spinach with cheese.
Murrah House, 211/3/8 Sammakorn, Ramkhamhaeng Soi 112, 02-373-2992. www.murrahmilk.com. Open daily 10am-10pm.

Bangkok Bread Boys

On top of homemade breads like soy and linseed (B100), olive and thyme (B140) and apple and cinnamon, Bangkok Bread Boys also serve up snacks and sweets like their delightful macadamia nut brownies (B40 a piece) or fruit and banana mix (B180). And their latest product really adds another layer of flavor—mango, lime and ginger jam (B120). To taste all for yourself, they recommend going sharesies with friends and placing a big order at [email protected]. You must order by 6pm the day before delivery. Delivery fees are determined by distance. www.bangkokbreadboys.com. 083-016-0877.

Twist

Twist’s fresh juices are popular at many international schools, but it’s not only kids who like the stuff—we do, too. With the promise of using only fresh fruits (no added sugar or artificial colors), the result is flavorsome refreshment in a bottle. Try the Guilty Passion (passion fruit, banana, carrot, pineapple, lime and honey, B75) or Liquid Love (pineapple, carrot and passion fruit, B85), available from a bunch of retailers around town.
Nichada Plaza (39/777 Soi Nichada Thanee, Samakkee Rd., Pakkred, 02-911-6839), BKK Bagels (G/F, Maneeya Center, 518/3 Ploenchit Rd., 02-254-8157. www.bkkbagelbakery.com. Open Mon-Fri 8:30am-6:30pm; Sat-Sun 8:30am-3:30pm), Gastronom (Yunomori Onsen & Spa, A-Square, Sukhumvit Soi 26, 02-661- 3754. Open daily 10:30am-9pm).

Olives & More

You might have sampled their products at many hotels and restaurants around town, without realizing Olives & More’s gourmet goods are also available in places like Central Food Hall Chidlom. Think such fine fare as harlequin olives (green Chalkidiki and purple Volos olives with peppers, garlic, chili and black pepper, B130) sourced from the Mediterranean and imported from the UK’s The Fresh Olive Company (www.fresholive.com) and lovely roasted red and yellow baby plum tomatoes from the UK’s Sunblush Company. Other products include grilled aubergine and preserved lemon.
Central Food Hall, Central Chidlom, Ploenchit Rd., 02-661-3754. www.olivesandmore.co.th. Open daily 10am-10pm.

Sloane’s

After quitting his job as an executive chef at a five-star hotel’s steakhouse restaurant here in Bangkok to focus on his family, Joe Sloane couldn’t help but start cranking out sausages in his backyard. At first it was just for friends and family, but now he runs an online shop where he sells handmade head cheese and blood sausage alongside his range of classic sausages. Varieties like the Cumberland and Toulouse are well-seasoned and pack quite some flavor—so it’s no surprise that Sloane’s 25kg of meat sold out so fast at the last Farmer’s Market. Another plus is he buys only what he calls “happy pigs” from local farmers he knows well.
www.sloanes-sausages.com

Goodfood4uBKK

These guys do a variety of delicious sauces, sides and spreads, like ratatouille (B160), beetroot and chickpea (B150) and cauliflower and fennel (B160). There are no artificial colors or preservatives, and they’re also trying to use locally-grown organic ingredients as much as possible. The owners say their youngest customer is an 11-month-old kid who really digs their hummus—and so do we. Another totally yummy treat is their scone with passion fruit. They deliver to central Bangkok with no delivery charge for orders over B400.
www.goodfood4ubkk.com. 084-149-0983

Spoonflower

Spoonflower delivers healthy and organic snacks to your home or office. Their granola (B250) is probably the highlight, along with treats like wholemeal banana, raspberry and white chocolate muffins and peanut butter and pecan oatmeal bars. The owner also tells us she’s trying to support local organic farmers whenever she can. An email is sent out every Fri to let you know what’s available from her kitchen and orders must be in before 9am the following Mon. It’s B50 for delivery, but they only cover the Sukhumvit zone.
tiny.cc/5g8fkw or 084-935-5656

Bo.lan's Farmer's Market is held at Bo.lan (42 Sukhumvit Soi 26, 02-260-2962-3) on the first Sat of every month from 8:30am-2:30pm. More details at tiny.cc/6r5jkw.

I’ve always liked eating dessert. For a long time I dreamed about opening a dessert restaurant. I was afraid someone would do it before me.

I taped cooking shows and watched them over and over again as a kid. I always enjoyed seeing the women beating eggs or whipping cream. Over time, I realized I wasn’t really into savory cooking. I just love the sweets.

Being a foreign exchange student in Australia changed my perspective on life. I was cut off from all the people I knew, which made me realize that I could do whatever I want. When I got back, I didn’t want to be just another ordinary person.

I asked my dad if I could open a dessert shop in grade 11, but he said no. He wanted me to finish a degree first, not go straight to cooking school.

There was nowhere to have dessert at 3pm. Starbucks was new at the time but it didn’t really fulfill my craving. I wanted to start a dessert restaurant, so I began catering for my friends.

I wrote a series of dessert cookbooks called May Made which quickly found a big following. This gave my dad more confidence in me, so he gave me B2 million to chase my dream. I used the money very economically. Everything possible I did by myself in order to save costs.

I didn’t plan on expanding or anything. I just wanted my business to survive, to not lose money and to be able to repay my parents.

We learned through our mistakes. I would prepare my own desserts and then serve the customers, so that I could get their feedback and learn to handle money. Bit by bit we improved. Success doesn’t happen overnight.

Running a business when you’re young makes things much easier. You’re less scared of failure. You have the guts to do anything.

I gained 8kg developing After You’s signature honey toast. From the moment I saw the Shibuya toast in Japan, I knew it would be our centerpiece. I went through 50 trials before finding the right recipe.

It would be nice to replace staff with robots. It’s pretty standard to say that dealing with people is the hardest thing about running a business. I can forgive many bad habits, but not stealing. If staff are willing to learn, I’m happy to teach them.

After You probably wouldn’t be such a big success if the first restaurant I helped my family with hadn’t failed. I was ashamed that we lost a lot of money.

If you don’t try to do something different and risk being hurt, you are not experiencing the fullness of life. You’re looking at the world through rose-tinted glasses.

I knew I was a success when people started queuing up outside. It was so dreamy. Three months before that, such a notion was just a sketch in my notebook.

Being a pioneer is rewarding. Dessert cafés like this didn’t exist five years ago and now everybody’s craving them.

It’s only natural to copy. I was a little shocked when other eateries started doing the exact same things that I do. But I learned to deal with it. No one can stop people copying, you just have to move on. Focusing on maintaining a high standard is more important.

People want to know you when you’re famous. That’s normal, I suppose. But if one day, After You wasn’t so successful and people acted differently towards me, that would be expected, too. I’d be fine because I’d just hang out with my friends, like always.

Thai people are a little strange. They’ll cheer you on when you start doing something, but once you become successful, they’ll get envious.

I’m not the smartest or the luckiest. I’ve been rational enough to run a business, and I have a great partner, my cousin, to work with, so it was just a case of perfect timing.

Logic is essential in both business and life. Having a passion for cooking and the brains for running a business are totally different things. If you love cooking, you can do it at home, but to run a restaurant you also need to enjoy the business side of things, too. I actually prefer doing business now.

I would perhaps be on the design path, if I wasn’t doing what I am now.

My parents didn’t raise me. That’s the answer I always give when people ask me about how my parents brought me up. My mum and dad just let me learn and were always there for me. They never put any pressure on me. I’m so blessed.

Experience counts for more than anything else. I graduated from a business program and it has helped on certain levels, but in the end studying is not everything.

Vieng Joom On

The Emporio Place, 93/332 Sukhumvit Soi 24, Bangkok, 02-160-4342. www.vjoteahouse.com. Open daily 11am-8pm
The famous dessert café from Chiang Mai is one of the latest Lanna natives to make the trek down to Bangkok. Featuring a similar Moroccan style to its Northern sister, it also serves up different mixes of more than 50 teas from around the world. Try their signature, Vieng Joom On Tea (black tea, rose petals, white tea, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper and plum flavor, B150/pot), or the lighter Mae Ping Tea (green tea, jasmine flower, dried bael, hibiscus and mint leaves, B150/pot) along with a slice of their homemade blueberry cheesecake (B220).

Let Them Eat Cake

G/F, Mille-Malle, Sukhumvit Soi 20, Bangkok, 02-663-4667. Open daily 10am-midnight
Run by the same people as W by Wanlamun, another Chiang Mai dessert eatery, Let Them Eat Cake serves up homemade pastries and sweets that wouldn’t be too out of place in a French patisserie. Their top of the line treats include the St. Honore Rose-Framboise (B175), dôme au chocolat (B130) and éclair à la vanille (B160). And the stylish new bistro has outdoor seating so you can enjoy your bakery selection with a cup of Fauchon tea, a 125-year-old brand that now makes funky flavors like wild strawberry and chocolate. Or just opt for the rich and flavorful chocolat chaud made with dark Valrhona chocolate from France (B180).

Double Dogs

406 Yaowarat Rd., Bangkok, 086-329-3075. Open Tue-Sun 11am-10pm
Situated in a shophouse in Yaowarat, this family business has been renovated into a small minimal café by its young owners. Teas here are from many different countries like Japan, Sri Lanka and China. They recommend their Chinese teas (B80-B240/pot) or matcha powder tea (B130)—the owners claim it takes an hour to grind five grams of this very special green tea! They also make their own blends, like apple and bergamot (from B45) or natural milk tea with no artificial colors added (so don’t expect the usual orangey cha nom).

TWG Tea Salon & Boutique

G/F, The Emporium Shopping Complex, 622 Sukhumvit Rd., Bangkok, 02-259-9510
Finally, luxurious Singaporean tea purveyors TWG have landed at Emporium. The tea menu is categorized into different regions with more than 450 varieties to choose from. Otherwise start your tea lesson with their signature Silvermoon (green tea, mixed berries and vanilla, B250) before graduating to iced South African red tea (B250). The afternoon tea set starts from B370: sit near the bar, where you can ogle the bartenders sipping from every pot before they’re rolled out.

Salon du Thé

The Museum of Floral Culture, 315 Soi Ongkarak 13, Samsen Soi 28, Bangkok, 02-669-3633. Open Tue-Sun 11am-6pm
Located in a hundred-year-old house, this newly opened museum also contains a little tea house on the terrace, surrounded by an impeccably-landscaped Thai-meets-Zen-style garden. The teas here are from the renowned florist Sakul Intakul’s own collection, and hail from many countries around the world. Try some of his personal recipes, like the Kashmiri Spiced Milk Tea (vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, B120) and Love Pekoe Rose Tea (Assam black tea, Indian ‘hundred leaf’ pink rose petals, B120). Afternoon tea sets are B240 and come with six Asian snacks like tua pap (rice crepe stuffed with mung bean), green tea daifuku and kanom tom (glutinous rice stuffed with coconut).

Chef Michael Mina

Two-Michelin-star restaurant Michael Mina in San Francisco, USA.

How would you describe your cooking style?
My cooking style is built upon the balance of several elements—spice, fat/richness, acidity, sweetness—and how they combine to form a harmoniously balanced dish.
What’s your plan for the WGF?
Dishes that are my classics or are new interpretations of dishes based on the elements of taste I use in my dishes.
What’s the hardest thing about being a visiting chef?
The change in products, versus what you are used to working with. An orange in San Francisco is not an orange in Thailand. Tasting and adjusting recipes to recreate what we do in the States is paramount to people understanding our cuisine.
Will you be using our local ingredients?
Yes, whenever possible, [while trying] to come as close to our originals as possible in the cases where we are doing classic dishes. New interpretations will be almost entirely local and will be created after looking through the local markets.

Chef Galvin Lim

Les Amis in Singapore, which just placed 78th in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

What is the current hot food trend in your country?
Food in Singapore has become of such an exemplary standard that many of the world's greatest chefs come here, not only to explore their talent, but to test their mettle in a highly competitive gastronome's paradise. In my opinion, chefs are going back to basics—visually simplifying their plates with a more minimalist approach to food presentation.
What’s your plan for the WGF?
The freshness and availability of products is key to my creations. I hope that I can use the WGF platform to showcase Les Amis’ food and share our passion.
What’s the hardest thing to prepare when you’re a visiting chef?
The greatest challenge is to put together a team of chefs from different kitchens to deliver our creations within a short time span.
Are we getting the same food you serve in your place?
100% yes—as long as we get the same ingredients with the same quality.

Chef Frederic Vardon

Michelin-star restaurant LE 39V, Paris, France.

What are the big food trends in 2012?
I would say genuine cuisine, not simply French cuisine, but one made using good produce, generously, and sincerely. It’s about having something to say through your cuisine. However, the one style of cuisine I would rather not hear about is the idea that cooking with talent simply means mixing together just about anything, and adding a lot of color. Good cuisine is often just a beautiful love story between man and nature.
What inspired your cooking style?
I was brought up in a culinary environment inspired by a love for the best products. I worked with Alain Dutournier, then joined Alain Chapel’s establishment in 1988 and finally started working with Alain Ducasse in 1994. I was very lucky to meet them. My inspiration has always come from our cultural heritage and I have to admit I’ve never felt like cooking any other way. I just love this cuisine that is all about taste and sharing.
What’s your plan for the WGF?
We’re going to offer what we do best, French neo-classical cuisine, like the one served at Le 39V. It’s simply sincere gourmet cuisine that respects the seasonality of produce. We will use local products that are as close as possible in quality to the ones served at Le 39V.
What’s the hardest thing to prepare when you’re a visiting chef?
The hardest is trying to find locally the exact ingredients I need for my recipes. In cases where it’s typical French produce, then the major difficulty is ensuring that the shipping conditions are exactly right so the produce retains all its taste and quality. I have to admit that after being Alain Ducasses’s corporate chef for 14 years, I’ve become quite an expert in this field.

Event Schedule

Four Seasons Hotel, 155 Rachadamri Rd., 02-126-8866. www.worldgourmetfestivalbangkok.com.
Sep 3-4:
• Masa Shimakawa of Onyx, LA, USA at Shintaro.
• Victor Quintilla of Lluerna, Barcelona, Spain at Madison.
• Igor Macchia of La Credenza, Piedmont, Italy at Biscotti.

Sep 5-6:
• Diego Irrera of 1884 Restaurante, Mendoza, Argentina at Spice Market.
• Galvin Lim of Les Amis, Singapore at Madison.
• Shiqin Chen of La Rei, Il Boscareto, Piedmont, Italy at Biscotti.

Sep 7-8:
• Robert Schinkel of Dilmah at lobby lounge for afternoon tea (B1,500).
• Jean-Francois Antony with cheese tasting at Spice Market (B3,500).
• Michael Mina of Michael Mina, San Francisco, USA.
• Frederic Vardon of LE 39V, Paris, France at Biscotti.
All events start at 7pm, B5,900.

Suwannawatti

1116/4 Nakornchaisri Rd., Ratchawat, 02-241-4879. Open Wed-Mon 8am-2pm
A.K.A. Guay Tiew Nuea Naa Sapha, the place was originally a zaleng (pushcart) selling beef noodles in front of the parliament some 30 years ago. The guay niew nuea (B30) here are often described as the best in town. The soup is indeed succulent, aromatic and bursting with beefy flavors, while the big chunks of beef are tender and toothsome.

Orawan

Nakornchaisri Rd., Sri Yan, 086-973-0756, 080-973-5772. Open daily 4-10pm
Sat in front of Soi Chantima Theatre, Orawan might seem even grungier than your average stall, but we guarantee a dish of pad Thai (B30) here will make you forget any worries about hygiene. The daughter of the owner told us that her secret lies in the top-notch ingredients they use, such as real tamarind sauce. It shows. The result is a powerful flavor with pitch-perfect balance.

Nai Ma Yod Pak

775 Nakornchaisri Rd., Ratchawat 02-241-1860. Open Mon-Fri 11am-2pm; 5pm-12:30am
The yod pak rad na (B50) here contains only young kale leaves and they peel off the skin of the kale, which is pretty darn impressive for a basic rad na (noodles in thick gravy) shophouse. Nai Ma has been in the business for more than 50 years and now his son continues with the same recipe—with no added MSG (for those who care). Another thing we like is the delicious, tender and juicy pork. We suggest you opt for the kao lao pad see ew (stir-fried pork and kale with soy sauce, B60) and khao pad prik kana (stir-fried pork and kale with chili served with rice, B60), both equally impressive dishes.

Khao Tom Sri Yan

103 Nakornchaisri Rd., Sri Yan, 02-241-1897. Open daily 5pm-1am
If the charming and nostalgic look of this shophouse cannot attract you to walk in, their food certainly will. The place focuses on khao tom (boiled rice) and a brief list of made-to-order dishes that ranges from kha moo palo (stewed pork knuckle, B40) and pad pak (stir-fried vegetables, B40) to pla chon tom khem (steamed catfish in soy sauce, B50). The food might be old school, but what matters is the great taste and the freshness of the vegetables.

Den Sri Yan

In front of S&P Sri Yan, Nakornchaisri Rd., Sri Yan, 089-501-5610. Open daily 5pm-midnight
A few steps from Khao Tom Sri Yan, this stall attracts throngs queuing up for its guay tiew gai toon nam dang (noodles with steamed chicken in herbal soup). The most popular parts are the chicken legs and feet with mouth-watering, fall-off-the-bone meat. The broth is also luscious and that might explain the long waits you’ll have to put up with for a taste of perfection. Prices start from B35 for the chicken leg.

Look Chin Sri Yan

151/1 Nakornchaisri Rd., Sri Yan, 02-243-3537. Open daily 7am-4pm
It’s been here for over 40 years and you’ve probably already heard of it. Look Chin Sri Yan has never opened any branches so this is the only true place to get your meatball and noodles (B35) fix. The look chin here have a bouncy, meaty texture and a potent flavor that indicates very little flour goes into the mix. The clear broth is just as addictive, so that you’ll be tempted to drink from the bowl. Hot tip: do call ahead if you want to drop by in the afternoon as they run out of beef balls pretty early.

Hor Mok Mae Boonma

Near Sri Yan Soi 1, Sri Yan, 081-582-7345. Open Tue-Sun 8am-3pm
The friendly auntie of an owner tells us that she’s been selling hor mok (fishcakes) for some 20 years. With top quality catfish and clown featherback, prices are a bit of a steal at just B20 a piece. Expect generous chunks of fish without the fishy smell. All ingredients are fresh, including the coconut topping. Deep-fried catfish bones are available on Sun, but do call ahead if you plan to visit after 2pm.

Kanom Krok Kao Wang

Across from Ratchawat Market, Ratchawat, 081-916-0974, 02-241-3840, 02-591-5998. Open daily 5-11pm
Once you’re done with the savory highlights, treat your stomach right with some dessert, like kanom krok (coconut pudding). This stall is plastered with pictures telling of royal visits, hence the name Kao Wang (“Enter the Palace”). The kanom krok is very light, fresh and crunchy, while the coconut milk is so superb you may just gobble everything up instead of bringing some back to your office or family. Get the original flavor (28 pieces for B40) and avoid bagging the hot box so it doesn’t get soggy.

The casual dining scene is fickle, and many restaurants seem content to simply ride the trends, dressing up chain food fodder as something more sophisticated. Some do it more convincingly than others. And then there are those that can lay genuine claim to be setting the trends. Thanaruek Laoraowirodge, co-owner of the hip bistro Minibar Royale (established 2008), tells BK that the latest food trends hardly come into consideration when he and his partners look to open a new restaurant. “We’ve always found some hole in the market, focusing on niche areas and being different from what else is around.” Instead, he says they prefer to concentrate on mastering their recipes and getting the taste, quality and presentation of their food just right. “Always exceed the customers’ expectations,” he concludes.

Kulapat ‘May’ Kanokwatanawan, owner of the extremely popular dessert café After You (first opened 2007), puts much of her success down to being a foodie pioneer. “People will come if you’re the only one who’s doing a certain thing and doing it right,” she says. “Then again, if 90% of people suddenly started counting calories and prioritizing their health, I’d have no hesitation in reassessing my direction.”

We’ve seen it all too often, that once one restaurant starts getting popular, a slew of others quickly pop up regurgitating the same old ideas, whether it’s the décor, the menu or the drinks. “That’s just how the world is,” May shrugs. “All we have to do is maintain our standards. People keep coming back because they like the taste of our products, first and foremost. Then they tell their friends, often through Facebook and Instagram, so our clientele just keeps growing organically.”

On rival start-ups, Win Singhapatkul, owner of Wine I Love You (established 2010), says he doesn’t look at other wine bars, including the closest imitators, as competitors. “I think they’re just helping to grow the wine bar market even more. And, in fact, my restaurant is not so much in the business of selling wine; we’re more focused on the food.” Instead, he sees the mass chain Sizzler as his restaurant’s main challenger in the Western food sector.

Ask any restaurateur what the biggest challenges are to running a restaurant in Bangkok, and one of the most frequent answers is sure to be staff recruitment. Win and May both agree that it’s not easy to find skilled and dedicated staff to provide not only good service, but also fulfill the vision they have for their brand. This is because working in the food industry requires so much attention to detail. May says she faces difficulties in training up competent staff. She has to deal with each and every one of her employees, and she tells them that if they’re willing to learn, she will be there to help them. “We just can’t afford a proper training school for our staff, and we can’t teach them to simply read our mind, so, of course, instances of human error crop up all the time.” As Win explains, “Working in a restaurant is among the most tiresome jobs you can have. This is an ongoing concern for me: who would prefer serving food over, say, sitting around in a clothes shop all day?”

With two Wine I Love You branches, in Mega Bangna and CDC, as well as the popular dining spot Chocolate Ville, to deal with, you might wonder how Win manages to maintain consistency across all restaurants. Factor in that the menu features more than 300 dishes spanning a range of international cuisines, and things could quite easily become a logistical nightmare. But Win explains that some of the food is prepared in advance before being distributed to the various venues where the finishing touches are added. Not only does this save time, but it also means fewer cooks are required at each of the eateries. “I think we’re doing pretty well with our products. A cool, dark décor won’t do it alone,” he points out.

Bangkok's Restaurant Updates

Kulapat ‘May’ Kanokwatanawan, owner of After You

“Initially, I wanted to do something new with a whole different concept, but in the end I decided just to focus on After You. I have some plans to expand the franchise to places like Dubai, Korea and Singapore. I’ve had some interest, but I’ll have to find the right person who really understands the concept.”

Win Singhapatkul, owner of Wine I Love You, Wine I Love You II and Chocolate Ville

“We’re opening a new branch of Wine I Love You at A Square (across from K-Village) in Aug and it’ll be our biggest space yet. We’re also working on a new product line, possibly something to do with frozen food or tea. It should be around by next year.”

Thanaruek Laoraowirodge, co-owner of Minibar Royale, Minibar Deli and Somtam Der

“We’re opening a restaurant focusing on traditional Thai cuisine in Thong Lor soon. The recipes will come from the restaurant Krua Supanniga by Khunyai in my hotel property in Khon Kaen. As for Minibar, we’ll open another one or two branches, while Somtam Der is going to be expanded to Singapore and KL.”

Smith wasn’t even officially open yet and it was already packed with Bangkok’s beautiful people. But instead of serving the best, most finely marbled sirloin, or cuts of fatty foie gras, Bangkok’s current it-restaurant’s menu boasts such dishes as calf’s tongue and burger buns made with squid ink and intestines. Next month, Quince will open and its chef, Jess Barnes, has demonstrated his love for all-things-porky at a series of pop-up events held at Bed Supperclub and Opposite, where he served bone marrow, head cheese and even a chocolate mousse featuring a touch of pig’s blood.

Smith and Quince are hot on the hoofs of the global nose-to-tail trend, which refers to eating every part of an animal, not just the prized cuts. Trotter, liver, marrow, tail—you name it, these chefs will cook it. Resurrected by the St. John restaurant, in London, where Chef Fergus Henderson became renowned for his earthy, classic British recipes and local produce, the movement was then popularized by his book, Nose to Tail Eating: A Kind of British Cooking.

What’s all the fuss about, you might ask. As a Bangkokian, you’re no stranger to the odd chicken foot poking out of your soup, a chunk of clotted pig blood or a bit of liver. (And even in Europe, nose-to-tail never completely went out of fashion.) But the return of these lowly animal parts to the world’s top kitchens, the renewed interest in how to best prepare them and the environmental concerns propelling the movement definitely mark a new direction.

For Smith’s chef, Peter Pitakwong, nose-to-tail eating is primarily driven by the customers’ desire to reconnect with their food. But Dylan Jones of Thai restaurant Bo.lan, who has been connecting chefs and small-scale pig farmers, believes it’s also powered by diners’ constant craving for novelty. “It’s more popular now because it is seen as new and adventurous for people to eat outside their comfort zone. And for the chefs and restaurateurs, it’s more fun and challenging to cook and it’s a great way to showcase your creativity and skill,” says Jones.

Joe Sloane used to work as an executive chef at a five-star hotel’s steakhouse restaurant, here in Bangkok. After quitting his job to focus on his family, he couldn’t help but crank out sausages in his backyard, at first for friends and family only. Demand was so strong that he’s now supplying restaurants and launching an online shop at www.sloanes-sausages.com, where he sells head cheese and blood sausage alongside his range of classic sausages.

“The hard thing for me is to use all the bits in a different way to create a nice product,” Sloane says. Speaking of head cheese, Sloane adds, “It’s actually really nice, but it’s one of those things people go, ‘Urgh!’ In England, we usually call it brawn because head cheese just doesn’t sound that appealing.”

Bo.Lan chef Dylan Jones adds that the movement is also in tune with urbanites’ newfound environmental awareness: “It’s based around what’s in season, available locally, utilizing everything to its full potential and not being wasteful.”

“The world is getting more and more bizarre,” says Pitakwong. “Why waste so much [meat] when you can actually do something with it? The good thing about these cuts is also that you don’t have to fight over them. You’re getting very low prices for something like the lamb’s kidney that no one’s buying except a few chefs.”

Another common theme among these chefs is that their interest in butchering has brought them closer to local farmers. “We don’t tell farmers what we want,” says Peter. “Instead, we ask them what they have. They know their product and I have trust in them. When I learn that some wonderful Thai produce is getting exported to other countries like Malaysia, it pisses me off. Some stuff never makes it to Bangkok because people consume only the imported ingredients or things they are familiar with.”

Sloane and Pitakwong now purchase whole animals. When we last spoke, Sloane had a pig hanging in his fridge. But he only buys what he calls “happy pigs”: “It’s a big thing for me when working with the farms. The pigs must be treated in a humane way—living in a big and clean area and given organic feed. And one of the nice things with small farms, is that they’re very transparent about how they raise their animals. The big farms won’t tell you anything.”

So next time you’re tucking into a baby calf’s tongue, or munching on the heart of a little lamb, enjoy the warm fuzzy feeling of eating in a restaurant where the chefs care about the animals they serve—not to mention the great flavors. “Whether you believe in the ethical treatment of animals or not, ethical farming, without a doubt, makes for a far tastier product,” says Jones.

HOW TO

Make Head Cheese

1. Get yourself a pig. Slaughter it. Keep the head.
2. Brine in salted water overnight. You need plenty of salt in the water.
3. Your pig head looks like a drowning victim by now. Put in stock with wine and bay leaves and all that stuff. Cook it for 8 hours.
4. The brain will liquify. The cartilege will liquify. The stock will get thicker. Pull out the head.
5. Reduce the stock.
6. Meanwhile, pick at the head. Pull out the tongue, remove the skin on the tongue. Take the meat off the pig’s giant skull.
7. Mix the meat with herbs in a terrine dish. Pour in the reduced, gelatinous stock.
8. Stuff it in the fridge overnight. Serve. Enjoy.

Where to find Nose-to-tail Cooking in Bangkok

Joe Sloane
www.sloanes-sausages.com
Bo.lan
42 Sukhumvit Soi 26, 02-260-2962. www.bolan.co.th
Smith
1/8 Sukhumvit Soi 49, 02-261-0515-6
Quince
Sukhumvit Soi 45, 02-662-4478 (not yet open)