Here, her passion for authenticity and supporting local farmers truly shines.
By Aiden Jewelle Gonzales
Known for its intriguing private dining concept, AdHoc’s philosophy has always focused on locality, sourcing only local ingredients wherever they can; as well as authenticity, with beloved Thai flavours that have been elevated by original techniques. In just December of 2021, the restaurant invited Chef Pop Pitchakorn Ramabut to helm their kitchen, a young but talented chef who already has several accolades under her belt.
Of Iron Chef Thailand fame, Chef Pop had won the ยุทธภูมิปลายจวัก competition and the 5th Anniversary, The Okura Prestige Bangkok cooking competition between young Thai chefs, which afforded her the opportunity to work under a two-Michelin starred Chef in The Netherlands. She’s brought her wealth of experience to AdHoc’s authentic Thai private fine dining concept, with her PostHoc Menu that marries the best of premium local ingredients, contemporary techniques, and wealth of Thai flavours and textures.
Tucked into Sukhumvit 49, AdHoc is a beautiful three-storey house with classic marble fixtures, crystal chandeliers and warm wood; reminiscent of a cosy but luxe villa. When entering you’re greeted by an open kitchen in front of you, where black-clad chefs carefully construct the dishes that you’ll soon be enjoying. Above, counterintuitively, is a wine cellar with a selection of fine labels that peeks out at you from behind glass.
We began their tasting menu with a selection of entrées, all beautifully plated so as to be both eye-catching and appetising. The first dish was served in a pot on a bed of grass, and comprised of local oysters, ginger gel, and herbs to add texture, with caviar to elevate the experience. The caviar was harvested from the sturgeon farms in Hua Hin, which has recently been gaining renown as a delicious local alternative to foreign varieties. An entrée that I would recommend is their shrimp on coconut cream crumb, which should be eaten on the bueang or crispy pancake, a melt-in-your-mouth delight that’s especially delicious with a squeeze of lime. We then tucked into what was described to us as a deconstructed kanom jeen; a work of art that held all the familiar flavours of this Thai classic, but my favourite of the entrées was the perfectly-prepared Thai wagyu with the trio of AdHoc dipping sauces – I’d recommend the green herbs, which added a piquant kick to the natural flavours of the meat.
In between courses, we tasted their version of Onion soup, quaintly served under a Southern turmeric onion cup, with kaimook e-san chicken and broth poured tableside, a comforting and warming dish before the mains.
The mains were all served in sharing plates in typical Thai style, with two choices of rice – we were offered the quintessential Thai Jasmine rice as well as brown rice for variety. I’d recommend starting off with the Nakhon Pathom organic egg yolk, with a hint of caviar, which was creamy in the best way to spark your appetite. We then tried an embarrassment of riches in the form of a herbaceous and moreish pork neck dish with crispy herbs, Krabi shrimp paste and citrus fruit, my favourite of the night; crab meat served in a jar and immersed in Bon-fai dipping sauce, delicious and with a pleasant peanut aftertaste; a filling prawn and yellow curry dish with that was both tender and juicy, with young coconut to add some crunch; and finally, a salad comprised of sun-dried squid and seasonable vegetables for a refreshing end to the meal.
The next course was an intriguing pre-dessert course comprised of lychee o-eal jelly, with ice cream to cleanse the palate. Next, we sampled their coconut ice cream, dyed with charcoal to give it an eminently Instagrammable grey hue, with Thap sakae makapuno and cashews, for a dessert with a great mouthfeel that will keep you craving more. Finally, we had their Petits four options, comprised of some of our favourite Thai khanoms for the ultimate sweet ending to our meal.
