Bangkok doesn’t lack for fine dining. These days, you can barely throw a chopstick without hitting a Michelin plaque. But step into Khum Hom at the Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort, and you’ll feel something different stirring in the air, not just lemongrass and kaffir lime, but memory itself.

Here, Chef Ian Kittichai, Thailand’s culinary son, has turned nostalgia into art. His new à la carte menu, launched in early October, isn’t about reinvention but remembrance. He’s gone rummaging through the country’s lesser-known corners, dusting off recipes that once thrived at family tables, temple fairs, and royal kitchens, but which time and convenience have nearly left behind.

“This menu reflects our ongoing commitment to highlight Thailand’s regional diversity while honouring the ethos that makes each dish remarkable,” said Kittichai, with the quiet pride of a man who knows he’s doing something important. “These are flavours that tell stories — some nearly forgotten, but all worth preserving for future generations.”

A Kingdom Revisited – One Dish at a Time

Every dish here has a passport and a past. Take the Yum Nung Mhoo Hoi Shell, for instance, crisp pork crackling pairs with plump scallops, dressed in roasted coconut, lime, and fresh herbs. The balance is pure Thai theatre: a little heat, a lot of heart, and that audacious crunch that could wake a monk from meditation.

Then comes Gaeng Ra-waeng Short Rib, a semi-dry curry that once graced the kitchens of King Rama V. It’s a dish with gravitas, slow-cooked beef ribs in a spice paste that sings of lemongrass, galangal, and old-world patience. One bite and you can almost hear the clatter of silver bowls in a bygone palace.

There are Gaeng Chued Ngo Yad Sai Gai rambutans stuffed with minced chicken floating in a crystal-clear broth from Surat Thani. It sounds improbable, yet it works beautifully. Sweet, savoury, and fragrant all at once, it’s like discovering an old family photograph tucked in a book.

The Soul of the Provinces

Kittichai’s menu doesn’t just borrow flavours; it honours their origin stories. The ingredients are sourced straight from their native provinces: Songkhla’s freshwater seabass, Surat Thani’s river prawns, and Amphawa’s rich coconut milk. Each proudly brings a piece of the Thai landscape to the city table.

The Saeng Wa Goong Mae-Nam Pla Fu is an ode to the river. Grilled prawns and crispy seabass meet in a zesty dressing that dances between sweet and sharp — the sort of dish that reminds you why Thailand’s rivers have always been its lifeblood.

Then there’s Nua Khem Tom Kati, a slow-simmered stew of sun-dried beef and coconut milk that speaks softly of farm kitchens, smoky fires, and hands that know when to stir without a clock. It’s simple food, elevated by reverence.

Sweet Nostalgia, Served Gently

When you think you’ve travelled as far as the palate can go, dessert arrives like a graceful encore. The Kanom See Tuai, a wedding sweet seldom seen outside ceremonies, makes a nostalgic return, a little sticky, sentimental, and wholly delightful.

Meanwhile, the Khao Mao I-Tim Kluai Khai combines toasted young rice with banana ice cream, the taste of Thai summers before air conditioning. But it’s the Kanom Kho, filled with organic Mahachanok mango ice cream from Sukhothai’s organic farms, steals the show. It’s both homage and innovation, a dessert that smiles at tradition without mocking it.

The Man Behind the Menu

Chef Ian Kittichai isn’t new to this culinary crusade. Having helmed kitchens from New York to Singapore, he’s returned home not to modernise Thai food, but to remind his countrymen what makes it magnificent in the first place.

He’s part historian, part craftsman, the sort of chef who’d rather perfect a humble curry paste than chase the latest gastronomic gimmick. His dishes speak softly but carry generations of flavour.

And Bangkok, ever the city of reinvention, needs that reminder. Amidst the neon noodles and celebrity chefs, Kittichai’s Khum Hom is a quiet, fragrant rebellion, proof that progress must not come at memory’s expense.

Dining Details

Khum Hom Restaurant is located on the lobby floor of Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok, 2 Wireless Road, Lumphini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330.

Open daily:

• Lunch: 12.00 PM – 2.30 PM

• Dinner: 5.30 PM – 10.30 PM

For bookings, visit www.khumhomrestaurant.com or call +66 2 666 3311.

Members of ALL – Accor Live Limitless and Explorer can enjoy 30% off food for up to 10 guests, making it the perfect excuse to gather friends, loosen belts, and toast to the rediscovery of a nation’s flavour map.

Because, as Joom might say with a knowing grin, “Thailand doesn’t just feed you – it tells you stories. And at Khum Hom, Chef Kittichai is making sure we keep listening.”

By Supaporn Pholrach

BIO:

Supaporn Pholrach has never been content to watch from the wings. From her early years selling airtime when advertising meant handshakes and deadlines scribbled on paper, she’s been right in the thick of the action. With a bachelor’s in general management and a Diploma in Marketing, she married training with tenacity, quickly earning a reputation as a professional who gets results without losing her humanity.

Fifteen years at Bangkok Shuho proved her stamina in a business where many burn out. Now, as Sales Manager with Global Travel Media, she steers tourism brands through the noise with a steady hand, a touch of humour and the kind of personal warmth clients remember. Supaporn doesn’t simply close deals; she builds connections in the old-fashioned way with trust, loyalty, and heart. Little wonder she has become a quiet anchor in a restless industry.

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