A taste of Isaan
The latest member of the Baan Ying family offers such northeast flavourites as ant eggs salad abd fried frog
HE SPENT MUCH of his students years in the UK preparing food for his hungry classmates and now Songsorn “John” Junsunjai is feeding peckish office workers and students in Bangkok from his Baan Ying Cafe & Meal at CentralWorld.
The son of a local restaurateur, he returned home three years ago and rebranded his mother’s well known eatery, which was destroyed by fire during the 2010 clashes between red shirts and the army in and around Siam Square.
“I love cooking,” enthuses Songsorn. “I’ve wanted to run my own restaurant for as long as I can remember and at Baan Ying, we offer a range of Thai fusion dishes made to family recipes as well as home-made desserts and coffee.”
Business is booming and last month, Songsorn launched Baan Ying Isaan & Grill on the third floor of CentralWorld, serving a selection of traditional northeast dishes under the concept of “urban Thai-Isaan cuisine”.
The restaurant is spacious and friendly with room for 280 diners. The plain wooden tables and chairs are offset with colourful cushions covered in vibrant pa khao ma and the walls are lined with shelves laden with Isaan-style kitchenware.
The food is authentically Isaan and is drawing in the Northeast’s foodies desperate for a taste of home.
Among the most popular orders are the spicy ant eggs salad (Bt160), Australian grilled beef with jaew dip (Bt155), sticky white corn salad (Bt80), fried sticky rice with Thai-style sausages (Bt120) and fried frog in hot sauce (Bt180).
Popular desserts include shaved ice in red cream soda syrup topped with a choice of jackfruit, red bean, taro, black jelly and green rice noodle for Bt50 and sticky rice steamed with pandanus leaf and served with sweet mangoes in coconut milk.
Songsorn also serves a collection of cocktails made with seasonal fruit, among them the Isaan Passion with fresh passion fruit, and jasmine with pandanus. Each glass is Bt220.
SAY CHEERS
>>Baan Ying Isaan & Grill is on the third floor of CentralWorld. It’s open daily from 10am to 10pm.
>>Baan Ying Cafe and Meal has branches at Siam Kitty building, Siam Center and Terminal 21. Check out Facebook/Baanyingcafeandmeal.
