A taste of the east
The best of Trat’s cuisine now in Bangkok
Afew years ago, the native cuisine of Trat, Thailand’s east coast province, was rather unknown by gastronomes in the country’s capital.
But the situation has started to change thanks to a few eateries opening in Bangkok to celebrate the culinary distinction the low-key province has on offer.
One of them is Sri Trat, a 10-week-old restaurant on Sukhumvit 33.
As its motto “from kongkang (mangrove forest) to klang krung (metropolis)” suggests, Sri Trat focuses on authentic recipes of a long-established cuisine that makes full use of indigenous vegetables, herbs and fruits (especially cardamom, cha-muang and salacca), as well as oceanic harvest and well-preserved artisanal produce.
Dishes are prepared to the owner’s ageold household recipes without any twist or MSG. Curry pastes are made in-house and coconut milk is freshly squeezed on a daily basis. Despite the fact that this warm and homey restaurant uses as many as 18 people to run its kitchen, the food is presented humbly as a tribute to comforting tastes and heartfelt generosity of homecooked fare.
“We want to treat our customers like our family’s dining guests,” Sri Trat’s owner said.
To go with the culinary concept, the restaurant’s interior is thoughtfully designed to depict the home of a Trat woman in the 60s (Sri Trat’s logo portrays the owner’s mother who was a local beauty queen). The dining room, a cheerful marriage between cobalt blue and crimson red hues, takes up the ground floor — supposedly the family’s open-air veranda — and showcases nostalgic furniture such as a faux leather sofa and vintage wooden panels.
The meal is enjoyed in a family sharing style with unlimited jasmine rice (40 baht per person) as a main staple.
One of the best-selling dishes to go with rice is moo sub pla khem or minced pork and anchovy cake (190 baht). It features a large patty of salted fish-seethed minced pork, pan-fried to get a slight crustiness and charred whiff on the outside while retaining a moist and succulent meaty centre. The briny patty, which came on a bed of finely-sliced fresh cabbage, was
lent a zesty enhancement by thin flosses of fresh kaffir lime leaves, shallots, bird’s eye chillies and lime juice.
Nam phrik rakam koong wan (220 baht) was another highlighted dish. Served in a small wooden mortar was a Thai-styled chilli dip prepared with shrimp paste and salacca. The pungent, reddish-brown dip was given a sweet contrast by crispy caramelised prawns and a fresh vegetable assortment, on the side.
Among the east coast’s most well-known specialities is gaeng moo cha-muang or
sour and spicy pork stew with young leaves of garcinia cambogia (aka brindleberry or cha-muang), a native plant of the eastern province celebrated for its medicinal property and sour taste. Sri Trat’s rendition of the classic dish (220 baht) proved scrumptious boasting tender lean pork loin and fatty pork belly in a thick curry with the soft and tangy brindleberry leaves.
Fans of lhon (coconut cream dip) might not want to miss the whole mud crab and crab roe dip (540 baht). The sweet and chunky dip, prepared with coconut cream, fermented soy bean, crabmeat, crab roe and herbs arrived in a home-style enamel kettle pan and was complemented by an assorted platter of vegetables.
For those in need of a solid seafood fix, I recommend the tiger prawns with chilli and salt (450 baht). Three sizeable prawns shelled and panfried to exhibit their firm white meat were complemented by a rich and tasty sauce made with garlic, green onion and chillies.
Should you look for a quick personal dish, don’t miss khao khuk nam
phrik kluea or as the restaurant describes it, fried rice with spicy seafood sauce accompanied by various condiments (220 baht). The wok-tossed rice came laced with a sour and spicy sauce — a mixture of garlic, coriander, lime juice and fish sauce — and was garnished by springy streaks of pork belly, steamed prawns, boiled egg, crispy pork crackling, deep-fried dry shrimp and garlic. Despite a dreary appearance, the dish was extraordinarily flavourful and addictive.
When it comes to home-style Thai meals, “appetisers” are usually omitted. But to cater to guests looking for light bites, the restaurant offers a decent selection of starters. Recommended is the assorted Thai appetisers (350 baht), which features taro fritters, deep-fried tofu, crispy spring rolls, chicken wings and fish cake.
Sri Trat’s dessert options were as interesting, exotic and distinctive as its savoury fares. Worth-sampling are sakhoo namtan oy or brown sugar sago with young coconut (100 baht), and khai tao nam kathi or rice flour balls with mung bean filling in warm coconut cream (100 baht).
Complementing great food was pleasant service by a team of well-trained staff.
Sri Trat Sukhumvit 33
Call 02-088-0968
Open daily, noon-11pm (closed on Tuesday)
Park on the premises and valet Most credit cards accepted