The tide is high. The moon is waxing. And pretty soon it will be Loy Krathong. But who among us will spend the evening fulfilling that inner yearning to actually set sail? Those who secure a top table seat aboard the Baan Khanitha dinner cruise on Friday, November 3, for some.
As uncountable krathongs are launched on the moonshine- and neon-lit river, Baan Khanitha, a gentle giant among them, will be plying up-river to beyond the Grand Palace, and returning downstream to its point of embarkation/disembarkation, by the gay godowns of Asiatique the Riverfront, including the local branch of the illustrious Baan Khanitha Thai fine dining restaurants. And that's only part of the lightshow the passengers will have privileged viewing off. Just wait for the fireworks fusillade!
Though the cruises are newish, Baan Khanitha needs no introduction among fans of uncompromising royal Thai cuisine, as edited by Khun Khanitha Akaranitikul, whose impeccable taste defines every aspect of the presentation, from the bespoke Celadon tableware to the captain of the vessel's natty pith helmet.
And after doing it for nearly a quarter of a century, her currently five-outlet-strong brand (Sukhumvit 23, Sathorn, Sukhumvit 53, Asiatique, and Cruise) has perfected the craft.
This is dinner cruising the River of Kings at its finest, from the moment you step aboard the luxuriously refurbished rice barge and are handed a fragrant Puang Malai garland, through the epicurean dinner, to the return to base in a state of light-headed happiness.
There's a choice of menus, among which the Platinum Set Dinner is the ultimate. As architecturally distinguished riverside buildings from centuries present and past roll by, and the river traffic takes on a party flavour, the first dish to arrive is talented chef Sompong's amuse bouche, a playful Miang Kham arrayed on chaplu leaves awaiting a dollop of tamarind sauce before rolling and popping into one's mouth. Khun Khanitha's perfectionism is legendary and this dish is exemplary.
Next is a plate of four appetizers: deep-fried shrimp cake/plum sauce; deep-fried spring roll/plum sauce; spicy pomelo salad/shrimps/chicken; steamed chicken-filled purple Chor Mwuang dumpling, each ambrosial.
Arguably the ultimate Tom Yam Gung, with an enormous river prawn, follows, though Khun Khanitha will never give away her secret recipe or techniques.
After a palate cleansing lime sherbet artfully presented in a swirl of dry ice, a whole, giant, lean and meaty Ayudhyaya river prawn, grilled on-board in the full, air-conditioned kitchen (all the cooking is done during the voyage and it shows in the freshness of each dish), is served in the shell with its roe whisked into a creamy sauce complemented with Khun Khanitha's secret recipe sweet-spicy seafood condiment.
Next are the main courses: Roast duck and grapes in red curry, served in an ornately carved pumpkin; succulent deep-fried sea bass fillets/spicy-sweet-sour sauce; stir-fried baby bok choy/eringi mushroom/oyster sauce; accompanied with hot lidded bowls of steamed jasmine rice and riceberry.
Conclude with the ultimate mango-sticky rice with coconut ice cream, followed by tea or coffee and very tasty Thai mignardises.
Choose from upright, plush antique-style seating at tables for 2-8, and a long banquette in the stern. With the windows wide open and the Baan Khanitha flag a-flutter, the gem-like interior frames every vista with vintage aura.
The service is noble, the restrooms are spotlessly elegant, and the WiFi's reliable.
And it all goes for Loy Krathong or any evening as Baan Khanitha raises the bar for dinner cruises on the River of Kings year-round.
Tel. 063 474 6857, 063 474 6858. Email: info@baan-khanitha.com Online reservation: www.baan-khanitha.com
