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Baan Suan's Timeless Pleasures
The charm of Baan Suan Restaurant is not simply that it is along
the Ping River. Indeed, there are many restaurants, pubs and music
halls that have staked out their piece of the main water artery
that cuts through Chiang Mai. No, the difference here is that Baan
Suan Restaurant is along a bend in the Ping River, six kilometres
north of town, far from other attractions. This, believe it or not,
makes all the difference.
"Usually the river goes straight all the time," said
Owner and Architect Chulathat Kitibutr. "So we were looking
for land with a curve and that had a mountain view. We found many
places, but none of them were interesting … except for this one."
Obviously, the discriminating diners of the north agree. Since
their move from the Le Grand Lanna area seven years ago, where the
restaurant was located in a garden (hence the name in Thai), Baan
Suan has been attracting publicity and notable clientele including
members of the Thai Royal Family and, most recently, the President
of Singapore.
The view, for sure, is one of the top reasons to come, especially
at sunset, when the colours of the sky outline the mountains in
the distance and plays off the slow moving waters of the river.
Occasionally, at this time, a fisherman will make their way by paddle
canoe down the river, providing the perfect pastoral scene for an
evening meal. There is a huge open porch space, including both sitting
and dining areas and a multitude of private enclosed rooms for private
parties, so there is never a scramble for good seating. All these
areas have access to this marvellous view.
But Baan Suan offers two other obvious strong cards, the architecture,
a local tradition championed by the owner and the food, a half-and-half
fusion mix of Thai and foreign seasonal treats.
Khun Chulathat, who was also responsible for the design of the
famous Four Seasons, explained the concept behind the structure,
which took one and a half years to build, starting with the landscaping
and gardening. It is related to Lanna architecture, but even simpler,
using mostly wood and terra cotta tiles, among other natural materials.
He imported a team of wood craftsmen from a local village to help
with the construction. Similar to some of the older buildings along
the river, especially in the Wat Gate area, Baan Suan's design of
multi-levelled porches and gazebos is uniquely local.
"This kind of architecture is from the local people, from
the village," Khun Chulathat said. "Normally, we can only
see this deep in the countryside."
The food is the final drawing card and it is this element that
I come to savour later in the evening, after the sun has set and
the stars come out above the porch. Chefs Nittaya Manee and Decha
Hiranlayo have been with the restaurant from the beginning and have
worked their magic mix of European and Thai favourites into an appealing
blend.
Our menu is a four-stage event, starting with an arranged plate
of appetizers and ending with coffee and dessert.
The first stage is naturally, a mix of things, fried New Zealand
mussels with spicy red curry paste, crispy guava salad and deep
fried sweet pork sausage. These are followed quickly by the peppery
sharp Chiang Mai-style "local" chicken soup, also known
as Chiang Mai Tom Yam. The mussels are a luscious treat and with
a glass of red wine, a perfect way to start the meal.
More and more diners have come as the evening moves along and there
are several larger groups enjoying dinner out on the porch of Baan
Suan on this random weekday evening. The main course arrives and
it is another mix of seasonal specialties. Fried Chiang Mai sausage
has been mixed with "Pak-Kee-Hood," a local vegetable
and this has been partnered with sweet pieces of snakehead fish
with lemongrass glaze. Chiang Mai-style pork curry, the famous local
"Gang Ong-Lay," and fried rice with crab round out the
main dish.
The fried rice is cleverly arranged in a folded banana leaf, which
is standing up straight on the plate. I noticed this earlier as
well with the water glasses. The banana leaves form a natural and
cleverly decorative seal for the glassware.
My final course is an espresso with a Granite de Saint-Emilion
with mango, or mango topped with red wine ice layers. How appropriate
to end the meal with this crisply sweet dessert underneath the canopy
of stars on the porch.
As I leave, I admire once more the understated elegance of the
local architecture, this time under torchlight. It is many kilometres
back to town and I follow the Ping River all the way back southward
to the bright lights of the big city.
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