Previous Toot Yung and Pandora Art galleries is now home to Cuisine de Garden, Ekkamai’s nature-inspired standalone establishment. This is where chef and co-owner Leelawat “Nan” Mankongtiphan works his magic to create a six-course set menu that he defines as modern cuisine; a combination of French cooking techniques, Thai wisdom and a dash of modern gastronomy.
Using quality ingredients sourced from the Royal Project farms and local producers, chef Nan recreates the beauty of nature on the plate, which does not only surprises the taste buds with creative twists — it is also an artistic masterpiece that calls for instagram snaps.
Ambience
Nestled quietly in the street of Ekkamai Soi 2, the jungle themed restaurant has been airlifted from Chiang Mai and landed in one of Bangkok’s trendiest areas. With bare tree trunks popping up from the darkwood flooring and black granite tables, with magical fairy lights reminiscent of a starry night or a sky flooded with lively fireflies, the setting of Cuisine de Garden was designed to create an imaginative garden that complements the concept of the restaurant.
The dining room is consisted of a simple yet elegant bar and a wine cellar, featuring an extensive selection of great wines and drinks that will undoubtedly elevate the meal. Those who want to savour the nature-inspired dishes surrounded by nature will enjoy an al freso dining experience in the back garden of the restaurant.
Food
Divided into four main chapters, this six-course menu tells the stories behind each dish by placing side by side the descriptions of each course and pictures of nature that the dishes took inspiration from.
We started off the meal with Coast to Coast, an exquisite selection of appetisers composed of the best produce from the sea; shrimp, mussel, salmon, and blue crab, all seasoned and flavoured with the key ingredient in Thai cooking, kaffir lime.
Next up was Soil, a mashup of sweet and savory flavours thoughtfully layered with chopped beef tartare mixed with shallots to add extra texture to the dish before it was seasoned with restaurant’s special sauce. And instead of having it topped with a velvety yolk like traditional beef tartare, the whole thing was buried in powdered charcoal ice cream. Simply delicious. We took several wonderful bites and wished it would never end. Garnished with crispy beetroot and an underrated northeastern vegetable “Pak Kayang”, we almost felt tricked into eating actual soil, in an elegant way, of course.
Another standout was Nest. Presented deceptively like a real nest where a mother bird lays eggs, the dish was delicately made with crispy rice vermicelli, topped with pulled chicken and an intact onsen egg. And no, don’t expect the egg to be cracked — we had to break the egg on our own and surprisingly, it was quite a satisfying experience.
For the next dish, chef Nan impressed us with unimaginable ways of using different parts of a banana. Using mashed unripe banana, crispy fried banana stalk, and smoky grilled banana leaf sauce to pair with grilled miso-marinated halibut, Gluay was surely a creation surprised our palates with the simplest ingredients.
For dessert, lovers of pandan should try Catus. A new take on canelé, this cactus-like French pastry was filled with crème anglaise, pandan gel, preserved pumpkin and dusted with pandan powder. Creative and packed with vanilla flavours from the pandan leaves, this marks the perfect finale of the four chapters.
But we didn’t forget about the last course of the set menu: Stone. Served with a tray filled with actual smooth stones, we had to find out which ones were the chocolates camouflaged among them. Be careful though, as we didn’t expect the roselle and tamarind fillings to be in liquid form, which caught us off guard when we bit into it.
Verdict
Cuisine de Garden truly captures the essence of nature in its six-course menu, and those looking for a genuine dining experience in the heart of Bangkok should not miss out this hidden oasis. Bold flavours and confidence with adventurous cuisines make Cuisine de Garden one to try, led by the expertise of chef Nan. While the experience can get a bit gimmicky at times, the restaurant hits the target where it counts the most: a reasonably priced set menu that deliver on big flavours and presentation. For casual group dinners or a switch up in your weekly date night routine, Cuisine de Garden is a solid new option for a night out on the town.
Opening Hours : Mon-Sun, 6pm–11pm.
Price : From THB 1500++, excluding drinks.
Noise Level : Quiet.
Service : Friendly and knowledgeable.
Cuisine de Garden Bangkok, 12/6 Ekkamai soi 2, Bangkok, +66 61626 2816
Kankanit Wichiantanon
Writer, Bangkok
Kankanit is a writer by day and a baker by night. If there’s one thing you should know about her, it’s that she can wax poetic about food 24/7. Her daily routine is writing, cooking, eating, repeat. They are the things that inspire her from morning 'til night.
