Even the pickiest of eaters should have things they enjoy on the table. This has long been the guiding philosophy for Nanthaporn Janchalia Seributra when cooking up a feast for family and friends at home.
After thriving in an educational consulting career for several years, Nanthaporn is now focusing on her passion for cooking by teaming up with the celebrated founder of Fondue House to open a home-cooking style eatery in Phrom Phong called Gather Eatery & Barg.
A talented chef -- as her husband, son and friends of hers will attest -- Nanthaporn believes that the best meals should have the broadest appeal, meaning there's something for everyone being served up.
Gather was thus developed as a place for foodies to spend quality time with loved ones to indulge in a festive, well-rounded meal, which comes loaded with delicious fresh produce.
Gather is tucked at the back of a small alleyway on Sukhumvit Soi 49/14.
The restaurant serves up a menu ranging from Thai to international cuisine and fusion.
According to its owners, Gather was intended as an eatery for those who believe in the value of spending time around the table with loved ones, while bonding over great food.
All the dishes were adapted from Nanthaporn's homemade recipes previously enjoyed exclusively by family and friends.
The concept is simple, but the food at Gather offers an exciting array of flavours for diners.
Gather's signature Farmhouse Board is a delightful platter of treats that complement each other perfectly. The board features luscious sweet and sour sticky BBQ ribs as its grand centrepiece, available both in full and half rack. The ribs offers a perfect bone-to-meat ratio and marbling, and come generously seasoned with homemade BBQ dry rub, which gives the dish a tender, sticky, melt-in-the-mouth texture topped off with a tasty kick of onion.
The honey and soy sauce fried chicken wings also star as a worthy sidekick on the platter. The wings possess a pleasant balance between the crisp outside, glazed with the natural sweetness of honey, and the tender meat inside.
Meanwhile, the fries boast a pungent yet irresistible flavour that pairs well with the rest of the platter's offerings.
The board is also served with Gather's in-house coleslaw, mashed potato and three different types of dips, making it a well-rounded order.
For those seeking a standalone dish, worry not. Having grown up in Chiang Mai, Nanthaporn has long been acquainted with northern cuisine -- particularly through the baby-sitter that worked with her family for over 40 years.
With Gather, Nanthaporn wanted to use this inspiration from her childhood and recreate her nanny's Hinlay curry in a more health-conscious way.
At Gather, the use of grease is kept to a minimum. Unlike the traditional Hinlay curry that uses pork belly as its main meat, Nanthaporn opts for chewier and more tender baby ribs, while still maintaining the lush combination of Hinlay spices and cubic sugar cane plucked from her family's residence in Chiang Mai.
The stew-like thickness of the curry is paired with a match-made-in-heaven black sticky rice sprinkled with sliced ginger on top, providing a juicy explosion of flavour of which nutritionists are bound to approve of as well.
Customers at Gather can graze from fondue fare and several other dishes that cater to all taste buds. The restaurant is all about being flexible to different types of appetite, while encouraging its diners to engage with each other and relax in its cozy, rustic setting.
Besides the food, the restaurant is a stylish space, featuring a chic-looking liquor bar and sizable outdoor garden that can accommodate up to 300 people.
Gather opens 11am-10pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday (closed on Monday). Closing time of the restaurant is extended to 11pm on Friday and Saturday. Parking is available.
