Bangkok Restaurant Review: Namsaah Bottling Trust

Amazing Thailand

Housed in a renovated bungalow with a 100-year pedigree, Namsaah Bottling Trust is half house museum and half restaurant. The East-meets-West menu is reflected in the restaurant’s eclectic interior design.

From the outside, the restaurant would look right at home in a leafy residential neighborhood in the United States or Europe.

The interiors, meanwhile, have been lovingly restored, with a careful balance between historical accuracy and modern playfulness. I was, in fact, so charmed by the design that I didn’t spend much time chatting with my dining companions while waiting for the food to arrive.

Instead, I wandered about the place checking out the furniture and the furnishings, the artwork and the knickknacks. I couldn’t help but fantasize about living in such a place. Realistically speaking, I will have to be satisfied with dining in one.

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The Food

The restaurant is divided into two levels. The ground floor is a bar, which serves classic cocktails, innovative cocktails, and bar bites – usually with an Asian twist.

Upstairs in a more formal dining area, with an essentially pan-Asian, a la carte menu. The focus is on Bangkok-style street food that has been re-interpreted, classed up a notch, and plated with a stylish and sometimes whimsical touch.

There are a few concessions to Western preferences such as the spiced pomme frites, or spicy French fries, and the Chiang Mai sausage with mashed potatoes.

Starters

Sriracha-aioli popcorn shrimp, fresh duck spring rolls, chicken-shrimp coconut relish, turmeric chicken, moo, tuna cerviche, shrimp escabeche, and salmon tartare wonton “tacos”.

Shrimp Escaheche – sauteed shrimp with garlic, fresh long red chil pepeper, sea salt and coriander. THD 320.

Salmon tartare wonton tacos – salmon tartare with chili-line tamato dressing in a crispy wonton skin. THB 330.

Soup

There is only one soup on the menu, a spicy and sour clear chicken soup with Chinese-Thai herbs, shiitake mushrooms, spring onions, and coriander. THB 240.

Salads

Caesar soft shell crab, banana flower salad – Vietnmaese styled, duck confit noodle salad , calamari salad, free range chicken salad Namsaah style, and crispy pork belly yum salad.

Crispy Pork Belly Yum Salad – Pork belly with Chinese broccoli, fried garlic, fried shallots, mint and coriander in a long red chili pepper dressing, THB 320.

Mains

Kee-Mao drunken lobster, seafood nasi goreng, duck and mushroom, sweet and sour pork ribs, Japanese Iwate beef steak, Chilean seabass in a white soy-ginger broth, slow-cooked beef red curry, kung pao prawn, tangerine chicken, Andaman tuna curry, black pepper lamb shank, and Namsaah Phad Thai.

Namsaah Pad Thai – Pad Thai with foie grae, bean sprouts, garlic chives, dried shrimp, tofu, and peanuts. THB 490.

Vegetables and Sides

There are several vegetables and sides on the menu. The green market clay pot and Himalayan momo vegetables are the chef’s favourites.

Desserts

Kaffir lime “pie”, passion fruit panna cotta, Thai coffee cream brulee, Lamington cake, passion fruit parfait, and banana roti.

Banana Roti – crisp pancake topped with banana brulee. THB 200.

The Wine List

The wine list includes 21 reds by the bottle, 17 whites by the bottle, and three roses by the bottle. There are also four reds, three whites, and one rose by the glass.

French wines dominate the wine list, but Argentinean, Australian, Californian, Chilean, German, Italian, New Zealand, and South African wines are also represented.

There are also four French champagnes and one Italian sparkling wine by the bottle. The Italian wine is also served by the glass.

Cocktails, Mocktails, and Bar Bites

There are more than 30 cocktails on the drinks list, and they run from never-say-die classics to innovative concoctions, which have a distinctly  tropical twist.

Expect Asian flavours paired with premium spirits. Numerous bar bits are also available.

Interior Design

With a 100-year pedigree, the building started out as a residence for someone with royal connections. It then became an office for a soft drinks brand. Namsaah means “sparking water” in Thai – thus the name.

In its most recent incarnation, the villa serves as headquarters for a now defunct bank. The structure underwent a complete renovation – both inside and out – before reopening as a stylish eatery.

You eat at the restaurant as much for the ambiance as for the food. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

The Verdict

I’m not sure which I enjoyed more: the yummy food, the charming atmosphere, or the warm hospitality of our hosts from Country Group Development.

They picked out some of the best restaurants in town and also ordered some-watering dishes. I’m afraid I put on a few pounds on this trip.

I particularly liked the phad thai with made with foie gras, the crispy pork belly yum salad, the shrimp escaheche, and the salmon tartare wonton tacos. The presentation was especially creative.

I’m a big heritage buff, and having dinner at Namsaah Bottling Trust was a bit like dining in a house museum.  This would be the perfect spot to take visitng tourists from out of town.

Our dinner was hosted by Country Group Development, which flew me from Hong Kong to Bangkok preview the Chao Phraya Estate project.

Where

Namsaah Bottling Trust – 401 Soi Sirijullassayvok (Silom Soi 7) Silom, Bangrak, Thailand.

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