在英國要吃泰國菜不難找，但要吃到擺脫英式泰菜框架的餐廳，那就少之又少。英國人愛吃 Pad Thai、冬陰功湯、各式椰奶咖哩等等，但是 Som Saa 成功跳出了這個舒適圈，在東倫敦 Spitalfields 開展出讓味蕾迸發的創意泰菜，就連我唸書時認識的一群泰國人都讚不絕口。​ ​ ​ 吃了兩次 Som Saa，都在去年疫情稍微緩和的時候，二訪時還幸運約到了共同創辦人 Tom George 為我們介紹，得到了許多寶貴的知識，雖然很想早點把這個口袋名單交出來，但中間疫情實在起伏太大，一直在等待好時機，最近疫苗打得差不多，夏天也快結束（哭），適合在不能旅行的日子回味泰國風情。​ ​ ​ 去年初正好去泰國度假了一趟，回來倫敦後特別想念幾道在台灣都不常聽見的泰國菜，沒想到全部都可以在 Som Saa 找到，特別是我心心念念的泰北香腸和泰北咖哩雞腿湯麵 (現在好像沒了)。吃慣了台式香腸和香港臘腸後，再頭一次吃到 Sai ua 泰北版本真的驚喜滿滿，是截然不同的清新香料風味。​ ​ ​ Som Saa 的兩位英國主廚 Mark Dobbie and Andy Oliver 曾師從西方泰菜圈名廚 David Thompson，加上曾在倫敦 Hawksmoor 和其他餐廳有豐富工作經驗的 Tom George，這個名字取自東南亞一種苦橙的可愛餐廳就此誕生。餐廳原本是老布料倉庫，因此還保留了很有味道的老木地板和內裝。​ ​ ​ 幾道前菜：Tod mun la 紅咖哩炸魚餅充滿滿滿的海味鹹香，配上餐廳自製的甜辣椒醬清爽開胃。Miang Kham 是我第一次聽到的菜，檳榔葉包著海鮮和辛香料的一口吃料理，在東南亞各地有不同的作法。Som Saa 家選用了英國 Dorset 的螃蟹，配上柚子、烤椰子、魚露、薑黃、辣椒等等，一口入舌能吃到海味和濃濃的南洋風情。「叢林式」的泰式沙拉 Dtam Baa，有青木瓜、蓮藕、鮮竹筍、椰子肉、酸菜、魚露等，辣度沒有在客氣調整成英國口味，值得嘉許。想念台灣蝦鬆吃法和肉燥飯味道的人，可以試試看 Laab，是泰北經典菜之一，散著濃濃油蔥香的炒絞肉包進去新鮮生菜裡一起吃，超級過癮！​ ​ ​ 幾道主菜的表現都超級讚，尤其還有蒸糯米和泰式香米一起配著吃，餐廳招牌菜酥炸全鱸魚讓人驚艷 (nahm dtok plaa thort)，魚皮跟內骨都炸得酥脆可入口，肉質卻不會過老，底下鋪得醬汁拌飯我可以連續吃三餐不會膩。​ ​ ​ 咖哩也是在倫敦少見的口味，點了 Beef Massaman (gaeng massaman neua)， 咖哩醬汁濃郁，搭配的馬鈴薯選得是 ratte potato，有種綿密柔滑的口感，與牛香搭配得很好，美中不足是牛腩部位稍微太肥了，吃多會膩。又辣又香的石斑魚綠咖哩 (gaeng baa plaa -jungle curry of stone bass)，燉得軟爛的泰國直送茄子，搭配散發特殊香氣的檳榔葉和打拋葉，好好吃。​ ​ ​ 甜點少不了經典的芒果糯米飯，雖然因為英國難找新鮮甜泰芒，而使用的是罐頭版本，但還是能解解想去泰國度假的癮。另一道棕櫚糖冰淇淋配上煎香蕉很經驗，這兩年對泰式料理稍微瞭解後，才認識到棕櫚糖的美好，不甜膩的淡淡清香轉化成冰淇淋，再搭配焦化香蕉，很棒的收尾。​ ​ ​ 想在倫敦找個有好喝調酒、有好吃泰菜、有創意泰味、有漂亮裝潢的地方，就是 Som Saa 了。​ ​ ​ An English version of this review is available at the link on my profile.​ A huge thank you to @tommggeorge for having us at Som Saa. The stories behind the restaurant are just as good as the food the team brings out. Will definitely visit Som Saa again whenever we crave a hearty Thai meal. ​ ​ ​ -​ #倫敦男子日常 #餐桌風景 #餐桌日常 #倫敦男子食譜 #英國美食 #倫敦美食 #倫敦提案 #倫敦 #londonfood #londonthaifood #londonrestaurants #londonfoodguide #thaifoodstagram #issan #northernthailand #somsaa #thaicurry 🇬🇧 🇹🇭

[post 2/2] Chef's Table at Simon Rogan's Aulis Cartmel ·͜·♡ ⁡ 𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐮 — 𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏 ⁡ 🦞 Native lobster and gooseberry tartlet, Cherry Belle radish, rosehips 🐖 Fritter of Duroc pig and smoked eel, lovage and fermented sweetcorn 🥄 Berkswell pudding caramelised in birch sap, stout vinegar, aged Berkswell 🦀 Snowball turnips, Cornish crab steamed over aromats, pickled pine and smoked pike perch 🥕 Lisse de meaux carrots, scallops from Orkney, black garlic and nasturtium 🥖 Sourdough bread with cultured butter and rendered pork belly with apple, shallots and crispy pork skin 🥔 Ratte potatoes in onion ashes, pickled walnut, melted Westcombe 🍄 Gem lettuce, king oyster mushrooms, toasted millet, thyme leaves and elderflower 🦪 Seaweed custard and beef broth, Porthilly oysters, our blend of caviar 🥬 Duncan cabbage cooked in buttermilk and grilled over binchotan, horseradish and Welsh truffles. 🐟 West coast Turbot with bay shrimps, Karmazyn broad beans, watercress, verbena 🐑 Texel Cross lamb loin roasted on the bone, Red baron onions and pineapple sage 🧀 Frozen Tunworth cheese, malt crumb, gooseberries, lemon thyme 🍓 Sheep’s yoghurt and Malwina strawberries, farm sorrel and sweet cicely 🍮 “Anvil” — Caramel mousse with our miso, apple and spruce 🍬 Mint stones, honey pastilles, teacake, marigold cornets ⁡ 𝐍𝐨𝐧-𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 (Tim and I didn't choose the wine pairing because of 🚗, but we were blown away by the selection!) ⁡ 🍹 Elderflower cordial and soda 🧋 Milky oolong kombucha 🍶 Sparkling Darjeeling 🥃 Cold brew Longjing 🫖 Puerh, Nannuo Shan cooked Puerh, Lu family and Jin Yu Xuan. Yunnan, China, 2006 🧃Apple and pine juice ⁡ ⁡ 📍Aulis at L'Enclume, Cartmel, Lake District 🇬🇧 #xeriazengland 🍽 more eats in #x𓌉𓇋 • #michelinstar

My first chef's table experience, and I'm glad that I had it at Simon Rogan's Aulis Cartmel! *´ސު｀* It was easily the best dining experience I've ever had! Aside from the food, my favourite part was getting a glimpse into the magic behind the scenes✨ We had a great time talking to the development chef Ben Gallier while he prepped. So much thought, respect, passion have gone into the sourcing, experimentations, and cooking! ⁡ 𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐮 — 𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏 ⁡ 🦞 Native lobster and gooseberry tartlet, Cherry Belle radish, rosehips 🐖 Fritter of Duroc pig and smoked eel, lovage and fermented sweetcorn 🥄 Berkswell pudding caramelised in birch sap, stout vinegar, aged Berkswell 🦀 Snowball turnips, Cornish crab steamed over aromats, pickled pine and smoked pike perch 🥕 Lisse de meaux carrots, scallops from Orkney, black garlic and nasturtium 🥖 Sourdough bread with cultured butter and rendered pork belly with apple, shallots and crispy pork skin 🥔 Ratte potatoes in onion ashes, pickled walnut, melted Westcombe 🍄 Gem lettuce, king oyster mushrooms, toasted millet, thyme leaves and elderflower 🦪 Seaweed custard and beef broth, Porthilly oysters, our blend of caviar 🥬 Duncan cabbage cooked in buttermilk and grilled over binchotan, horseradish and Welsh truffles. 🐟 West coast Turbot with bay shrimps, Karmazyn broad beans, watercress, verbena 🐑 Texel Cross lamb loin roasted on the bone, Red baron onions and pineapple sage 🧀 Frozen Tunworth cheese, malt crumb, gooseberries, lemon thyme 🍓 Sheep’s yoghurt and Malwina strawberries, farm sorrel and sweet cicely 🍮 “Anvil” — Caramel mousse with our miso, apple and spruce 🍬 Mint stones, honey pastilles, teacake, marigold cornets ⁡ 𝐍𝐨𝐧-𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 (Tim and I didn't choose the wine pairing because of 🚗, but we were blown away by the selection!) ⁡ 🍹 Elderflower cordial and soda 🧋 Milky oolong kombucha 🍶 Sparkling Darjeeling 🥃 Cold brew Longjing 🫖 Puerh, Nannuo Shan cooked Puerh, Lu family and Jin Yu Xuan. Yunnan, China, 2006 🧃Apple and pine juice ⁡ ⁡ 📍Aulis at L'Enclume, Cartmel, Lake District 🇬🇧 #xeriazengland 🍽 more eats in #x𓌉𓇋 • #michelinstar