The buzz: Chalee Kader is one of the hardest working chefs and restaurateurs in Bangkok. We’re talking Michelin star winner Wana Yook, balls-to-brains 100 Mahaseth, Frans, Mikey’s Diner, and even one of the city’s top ranking cocktail bars, Mahaniyom. Heck, two months ago he came out with the new Soma. Now, Chalee is cooperating with Gaggan Anand going for the Sukhumvit office crowd with an Isaan izakaya concept. 

 

The vibe: You get to the new E-San by way of One City Centre. Just make your way through the massive O statues to the first hallway and it’s on your right at the end, swarming with the office lunch crowd. Inside, you’ll find a very diner-like atmosphere. The open kitchen is covered by a multicolored roof-like glass awning, and the tables are a sort of homey, traditionalist affair in colored tiles. 

 

 

The food: Before we get to the food, we have to talk about the menu—which doubles as a comic book. Starring an Isaan somtum specialist living in Japan, the character’s wife leaves him and takes their child because she doesn’t like the smell of fermented fish, so he reinvents himself as E-San, the Somtum Champion, becoming one of the world’s greatest chefs complete with fancy cars and watches. So, the moral of the story is love is less important than fame and material possessions, and I think we can all get behind that. 

 

As to the superhero E-San’s dishes, you can expect classic northeastern fare with flair and a touch of Japanese prep. To start off, you may want to dig into the small bites via the tomato and grilled betel leaf, a simple dish plated in a bowl of fish sauce dashi, or the fermented shiitake button mushrooms. The hamachi ceviche comes in a delectable and citrusy base, and if you’re into trying some of the more niche dishes, you’ll find the ant larvae and beef tartare an ideal introduction.

 

 

However, the can’t-miss option from this section of the menu is the chicken wing takoyaki, three fried wings stuffed with shiokara, ginger, spring onion, and nori.

 

For you larb lovers out there, the menu comes with a naam tok and laab section, with the likes of nam tok Wagyu, as well as your traditional larb moo and larb kua nua, but the one you might not consider is the sup normai, a pile of bamboo shoots in a yangang broth served with fried mochi puffs. You’ll also find a very affordable list of skewers at B49 with eight options including chicken hearts and sour pork. 

 

 

From the grilled menu, the chicken kai yaang—a bamboo grilled chicken with lemongrass, orange, and turmeric—is a traditional dish done right and comes with a fun tableside prep.

 

The drinks: For the izakaya drinking side of this affair, you’ve got Asahi on draft for just B99, but there are also soto and umeshu options. For the sake, they’re currently serving up Sensasion Black Junmai and Niida Honke Shizdnshu Jumai Ginjo.

 

 

Why we’d come back: Chalee Kadeer never fails to surprise, and Gaggan, fresh off winning best restaurant in Asia for Asia's 50 Best, has never been more popular. And, while this is currently a spot for the office workers, it’ll likely grow to a destination all its own. And, our comic book hero E-San says he’s coming back to fight for his beloved Dara—so “to be continued.”