Starting a restaurant straight out of cooking school takes some serious chops. But that's something "just call me" Nan, the bubbly primordial force behind NaN Charocal Grill, has in spades.
The magna-cum-laude graduate of the top-top Ecole Ritz Escoffier, Paris, and her same age head chef Carlos, who she met through a mutual friend in Singapore, are on a mission to enhance the array of Spanish cuisine in general and put Basque cuisine on the map in Bangkok in particular. And indeed, after opening in late May, it is already not far-fetched to imagine that when the Michelin Guide to Bangkok gets going its reviewers will be taking a serious look at this light, homely restaurant arranged around its open kitchen alter.
Why Basque? Well the region boasts almost 40 Michelin-starred restaurants and has been spreading to food-forward cities like Spanish summer wildfire.
Featuring meats and seafood cooked over apple wood and hot charcoal flames, the menu also visits a wide spectrum of Castilian culinary concepts. Emphasis on the best authentic produce, along with prime, sustainably sourced local produce where it's a straight swap, such as seafood direct from Ranong, means the dishes aren't cheap but the low-key location and ambience keep it all affordable for foodies.
They don't have a liquor licence due to school proximity but you can bring your own whatever (corkage: 250). Or stick with the in-house slushies.
The corner unit is fringed with plant troughs sprouting a burgeoning urban garden of herbs and bright edible flowers used to make artful plates that would not shame Ferran Adrià. Inside more greenery hangs from the ceiling amid bare brickwork, slate, steel and wood, chic chairs and simple tables. Singles can keep company at the kitchen counter beneath menu suggestions written bistro style on a Perspex pelmet. The soundtrack is unpretentious pop. You can park out front after 7.30 pm and around the back anytime.
A lot of their early customers hadn't heard of "tapas" so they created their own lexicon of "for bites" and "small portions". These include finger foods such as lberico Croquette, breadcrumb coated béchamel filled with finest Jamon Iberico de Bellota 8 (they only use the official world's best, aged 48 months) blended with guinea fowl, served on tangy mayo (125). One could munch these until the black pigs came home.
Upturned shitake mushrooms filled with diced mushroom, caramelized onion, shrimp and machingo cheese (6 pcs 190) are addictive. Then there's definitively Basqian soft and smoky Charcoal-Grilled Spanish Octopus on Confit Potato (450) seasoned with Spanish pakrika and Italian parsley.
Charcoal-grilled Iberian pork presa (shoulder) (520), served medium, has tender texture more like the best beef than the pork we're used to. Earthy garlic paste kisses, powdered leeks (who else does that?), espellette pepper and a few blooms create "the garnish".
With the grilling, they use a Josper oven so it comes out authentically Basqian smoky.
Local tiger prawns (they're the freshest) are simply sautéed with dried chilli, garlic, olive oil and Italian parsley. And it would be remiss not to mention the Classic Seafood Paella (395) made with genuine Bomba short-grain rice, chicken, cuttlefish, shrimps.
Other options include baby New Zealand lamb (550), Salmon Tartare Avocado with Almond Sauce, and Cuttlefish Noodle with caramelized onion and tomato.
We concluded by sharing wicked Lemon Tart, Whiskey Tart and Choco Coco Ball.
The passion to create great cuisine is blowing through NaN like the Mistral. Don't miss.
NaN Charcoal Grill. 1124-1124/1 Soi Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra 17. Tel. 081 939 8389 http://nancharcoalgrill.com.
