From Across the Kitchen Table: Bo.lan, Bangkok, Thailand

Bo.lan is a clever combination of two chef's names, Thai-native Duangporn "Bo" Songvisava (Asia's Best Female Chef 2013) and Australian-born Dylan "Lan" James, the power couple behind one of the hottest restaurants in Bangkok. Both met each other while working at David Thompson's Nahm in London.

Bo.lan is exotic, exquisite, sophisticated and complex but it is not for everyone. You either love it or you hate it. The dishes are very spicy and not over-sweetened to cater to tourists because Bo.lan is about authentic traditional Thai food. If you don't like spicy food it doesn't necessarily mean the food is bad, it is just not your cup of tea. Not everyone will appreciate and understand but just try remember to keep an open mind if you are trying new cuisines.

In Bo.lan, they only use organic and locally sourced ingredients. Furthermore, almost everything is made entirely from scratch including the curry paste. They don't use blender, nor can they puree or juice it. According to Bo, the proper way to make curry paste is to pound it. This way, it weaves all the flavours together and makes food taste even better. In Bo.lan they serve you the dishes all at once, because that is how authentic Thai cuisine is ought to be eaten.

I was excited and curious to try Bo.lan. I couldn't wait to explore and try new flavours. Did I like it? Of course! Not only was it delicious, it livens the palate as well. Even our 14-year-old enjoyed it as much as we did, although this wasn't his first time to be introduced to spicy foods. It was indeed a different and special kind of dining experience.
Aroi-mak-mak!