A good number of modern-day chefs are trying to unify sustainability with fine dining. For understandable reasons, however, many of them have later taken a detour.
But over the past four months, one very bold and relentless man has successfully combined human's biological responsibility with the highbrow gourmet, creating a culinary utopia out of his 380m² residence garden called Haoma.
Haoma, a restaurant tucked in a sub-Soi off Sukhumvit 31, is the brainchild of Indian chef Deepanker "DK" Khosla.
Every detail here, from visual design and cooking to engineering and horticulture, reflects his deep respect for nature.
The name of the restaurant is inspired by a divine plant in Persian mythology, whose distilled juice is very nutritious for the soul and is said to offer eternal life. You can say that Haoma is where science and spirituality seamlessly merge.
The dining area is spread across a 32-seat air-conditioned dining room and a 38-seat alfresco terrace in the backyard.
Haoma's backyard garden currently boasts more than 40 variations of edible plants. All feed only on natural nutrients, some grow on organically treated soil, some via aquaponics -- and not a typical hydroponic -- system.
The restaurant takes pride in using sustainable approaches to deliver environmentally-friendly gastronomy through refined craftsmanship. The kitchen, manned by an international crew of cooks, is wholeheartedly devoted to a zero-waste principle. Its cuisine stays true to the current season and the characteristics of each ingredient, and doesn't stick to any particular culinary region.
Of the current Monsoon Season menu you shouldn't miss Stick to the Roots (370 baht), a signature entrée that represents perfectly the restaurant's passion and standpoint.
What was served before me was a photogenic, upside-down exhibition of nature-inspired artwork. It was comprised of a variety of organically grown root vegetables, arranged so that the roots point upward. Each of the colourful ingredients, including baby beetroot, turnip, heirloom carrots, jicama, lotus root and burdock root, was cooked differently to best express its genuine and characteristic taste profile and mouthfeel. Garnishing the dish were burnt feta meringue, beetroot purée sauce and soil-like vegetable charcoal powder, which lent a distinct touch to the crunchy fare.
Haoma's chef-proprietor Deepanker Khosla: "We grow what we cook, and we cook what we love."
Chef DK has taken one of the world's simplest salad recipes, Caprese salad, to an upgraded level, without being ostentatious about it.
The dish, dubbed Burrata and the Bubbles (390 baht), proved among the most delicious Capreses I've ever had.
Of it, a freshly pulled, creamy-centre home-made buffalo cheese together with multicoloured heirloom tomatoes and candied Job's tears millet came underneath a cluster of pinkish-red bubbles made with tomato skin purée. The salad was dressed with balsamic-fermented tapioca pearls and chimichurri pesto made with coriander and Italian basil freshly plucked from the backyard to give the refreshing salad a peppery punch.
Duck Liver Rediscovered (400 baht) is Haoma's compassionate rendition of the highly-prized yet much-disputed French foie gras delicacy.
The chef makes blocks of velvety liver paté from local duck. He matches it with reconstructed bacon, brown bread sorbet, roselle and orange peel dust. The latter three ingredients reflect his strong approach to defeat food waste.
The chewy, caramel-coloured sorbet was made with bread trimmings and gave the liver paté a frothy sweet complement. The roselle -- represented by its tangy fresh leaf and bark gel -- was proof that practically every part of the fruity plant is edible.
My favourite dish of the evening was Secret of the Woods (580 baht). It might not be the best-looking creation on the table, but it definitely offered irresistible palate pleasure and promises to send all mushroom connoisseurs to culinary cloud nine.
A sizeable piece of al dente-skinned, soup-filled ravioli came in a thick pool of truffle emulsion. The pasta dumpling was garnished by chewy slices of charred wild mushrooms, succulent morel, crisp and salty grated Parmesan cheese, dusty burnt garlic and mock-truffle shavings made from dried mushroom purée.
Other main courses on the current menu are salmon mi-cuit, duck breast, roasted lamb, beef goulash and vegetarian rolls.
I, however, settled on a dish called Hogs Belly (690 baht) and found myself pleasingly amazed by the kitchen's attempt to honour the nose-to-tail principle.
A lengthy piece of roasted pork belly came thoroughly leavened in a sweet glaze. The soft and fatty pork was given a nice contrast of taste and texture by fibre-ish sous-vide okra, fresh petals of nastrasium flower, pickled baby corn, roasted potato wedge, heirloom peppers, purple cauliflowers and broccoli crisps.
Yet there was another significant element of this scrumptious dish not listed in its description, and that's a crispy black pudding. The delicacy, made with pork blood jelly and chopped pork ear, provided to the meaty centrepiece a crumbly, mildly sweet and buttery biscuit-like complement.
Three dessert options were on offer. I passed the likes of lanzan panna cotta and the sorbet of the day, and went for the pastry chef's proud rendering of Black Forest cake (390 baht). It proved a brilliant decision.
Arriving was a glossy Belgian chocolate mousse wrapped in crispy cacao tuile redolent of a wooden log with loose bark and a dry tree stem made with 18ct gold coated roselle leaf. It's a heavenly plate of a very silky, dense but not at all overly sweet chocolatey treat and fruity support by roselle gel and sorbet.
The restaurant also takes pride in the craft of mixology. Its bar offers a decent list of house-made cocktails based on the kitchen's excess fruits and vegetables. However -- blame it on my refusal of alcohol -- the strawberry mocktail I had was nothing but tedious.
On the Thursday evening that I visited, the restaurant was dynamically populated by an international clientele of food-aficionado millennials. The service by English-speaking staff was attentive, amiable and knowledgeable.
