Best Dishes to Try in Bangkok This Week: Wana Yook, Clara, and More

With Chinese New Year now behind us, and the promise of a romantic Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s a good time to catch up on all those recent restaurant openings, and new menu launches, going on around town.

(Hero image: Pickled rice field crab braised into a coconut cream at Wana Yook)

Award-winning Clara restaurant introduces their new Winter Tasting Menu
Back in December of last year the Gran Galà della Cucina Italiana was held at the Teatro San Babila in Milan, revealing the ‘50 Best Italian Restaurants in the World’ (an online guide from the Made in Italy brand). The evening’s proceedings included the highly anticipated ‘Special Awards’, which spotlight professionals who have distinguished themselves over the past year, and in this category Bangkok’s very own Clara restaurant was awarded the No.21 spot on the list. Needless to say, Chef Christian Martena and his team were delighted with the news! For local gourmands keen on trying some of the chef’s culinary creations, now is an excellent time, as Clara recently launched their new ‘Winter Season’ tasting menu. Entitled ‘Once Upon a Time in Italy Chapter VI’, it’s yet another imaginative culinary travel through Italy, with the ‘7 Regions Menu’ (THB 3,680++) touching down in Calabria, Puglia, Umbria, Tuscany, Lombardy and more (the 5 Regions Menu is priced at THB 2,680++). In addition, wine lovers can get acquainted with Clara’s new sommelier, Edouard Marquis, by ordering the superb wine pairing option with their meal.
For more information and reservations, visit Clara restaurant.

Don’t miss Chef Chalee Kader’s current set menu degustation dinner at Wana Yook
Set in a gorgeously restored Rama VII era, two-storey house, Wana Yook is a true hidden gem, putting a fine dining spin on traditional Thai khao gaeng (rice and curry) shops. Chef Chalee Kader’s current set menu degustation dinner (THB 3,400++) experience – with all ingredients sourced locally – begins with a three-part amuse bouche, followed by a ‘Daily Relish’ that combines potent shrimp paste with rice, peppercorn and fried gourami, all topped with thinly sliced rose apple. It’s also the first of several servings that come with a featured artisanal rice. Other menu highlights include pickled rice field crab braised into a coconut cream, paired with a vibrantly coloured, powdered tai pla curry, and a fabulous mini-filet of coral grouper, lightly grilled and paired with gaeng omm Northeast-style curry. The mains conclude with a large wooden serving tray populated by multiple bowls and plates containing chicken turmeric and lemongrass soup, grilled calamari with fragrant herbs; pork mixed with salted fish; a tantalising beef curry and, of course, more rice. The meal winds down with hot tea, a yummy coconut dessert, and a trio of petit fours.
For more information and reservations, visit Wana Yook. 

Enjoy elevated takes on modern Euro cuisine at 59 ìm Modern Bistro (ìm En Ville)
Wandering through Bangkok’s old town can reveal some wonderful surprises, and a case in point would be ìm En Ville, a dining space that occupies a unique historic building on Fuengnakorn Road (just a stone’s throw from the iconic Wat Ratchabophit). At ground level it operates as a popular daytime café and dessert bar, but the real find is the stylish upper floor – known as 59 ìm Modern Bistro – which remains open for dinner, serving up elevated takes on contemporary Western cuisine. The atmospheric, IG-friendly interior upstairs mixes deep blues with natural wood tones, all offset by some arty distressed wall finishes and groovy lighting fixtures. As for the à la carte menu highlights, don’t miss the tomato salad with Stracciatella (THB 310), the grilled halibut with ratatouille (THB 499), the classic “hit-the-spot” pork chop with apple jam, mash potato, and peppercorn sauce (THB 519), and the nicely done Australian dry-aged Wagyu ribeye with side sauces (THB 1,759). Desserts are also a treat here, with the lemon meringue pie and the fruit custard tart both tasting as good as they look.
For more information and reservations, visit 59 ìm Modern Bistro.