While it's not unusual for a dining venue to pair up with an art gallery to offer patrons another dimension of sensory stimulation, a visit to OSHA--the captivating modern-Thai eatery located in the heart of Bangkok's tony diplomatic quarter -- is like peering through Salvador Dali's Kaleidoscope after licking a hallucinogen-secreting toad.
Although OSHA Bangkok is related to the popular San Francisco-based Thai restaurant chain, this Motherland spinoff of the original brand marches to its own conceptual cadence.
The menu is a showcase of Thai classics that seem at once familiar and exotic, masterfully executed and artistically presented in a modernist motif that counts aesthetic intrigue as an essential ingredient -- a defining feature which is boldly carried over into the resto's interior scheme, which we'll get into shortly.
But once seated, diners will find there is plenty going on at their table to distract from the captivating surroundings.
Like a well-timed theatre production, OSHA wastes not a moment of performance time in getting the multi-sensory dining adventure underway, as we found with the arrival of the house-signature Tom Yam cocktail. The cocktail tumbler itself is accompanied by a Champagne flute packed with the actual dry herbs featured in the drink. These are bathed in warm water and dry ice, creating a fog floe bearing the drink's essential aroma -- a mist-ical olfactory preview, if you will.
In case you mist it, the foggy SFX continued with the Yam Som-O pomelo salad (380++) which is served in a coconut husk amid wisps of dry ice-fuelled fog, with sous vide flash-cooked White Prawn and Gac fruit (baby jackfruit) -- reconstituted as tart, curd-like droplets.
Mee Grob (490++), features the familiar crunchy, Caramelize Rice Noodles, served here with tart Som Sa fruit pearls (Thai Citrus) and Crispy Shrimps, while the Beef Cheek Panang (650) is served in a tangy Panang sauce, with Kaffir Lime essence and Coconut Pearls chiming in from both ends of the flavour spectrum.
Though it shares a character set with the acronym for the U.S. workplace safety authority, OSHA derives its name from the traditional word for delicious used in royal courts of centuries past, and tucking into the Dancing King Prawns (380) provides more than ample justification for the title. The paper-thin Prawns Ceviche is artfully presented garnished in Cucumber and Red Radish Carpaccio, with a dramatic monolith of Chili-Cilantro Granita presiding over the gathering.
The Tham Ka Gai (350) is a quintessential East-Meets-West creation, with Chicken Mousse-stuffed medallions of Chicken Breast and Kaffir Lime Foam. The slightly sweet, Coriander Oil infused coconut milk broth is expertly decanted at the table, unleashing a torrent of blended-on-the-spot aromas.
Along with an inspired Mango Medley and deliciously sensual Coconut Crème Brûlée, the Charcoal Glazed Coconut Dome (feat. desserts: 350 each) is a must-save-room-for afters experience, with its Charcoal Glazed Coconut Mousse Dome with Caramelized Coconut filling and garnishes of Coconut Jelly, Crispy Roasted Coconut and Two-Flavour Sauce.
As we mentioned earlier, much of OSHA's appeal can be attributed to the visually stunning interior, with its toweringly high-ceilinged dining area and copious use of gold-leaf gilding. Diners will feel like NYC tourists as they crane their necks to take in the upstairs dining nook façade designed to resemble alms bowls, and the colossally scaled Chada (traditional Thai headdress) chandelier. Overhead, an array of 3-D mapping projectors displays moving images of mythical scenes on the ceiling, providing an uncommonly unique and ever-changing ambience.
OSHA Restaurant Bangkok
99 Wireless Rd.
Open 7 Days
Lunch: 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Dinner: 6:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
(Fri. & Sat. until midnight)
Phone: 02 256-6555
http://www.oshabangkok.com
