In the story of “Alice in Wonderland,” the title character finds herself wandering around the woods, where she encounters several bottles and pills with directives like ”Drink me.” This playful and somewhat provocative trope is the inspiration for Bangkok’s highly acclaimed Eat Me, a restaurant influenced by the Australian owner’s native cuisine, as well as those from around the world and around the Thai markets.
The spectacular setting — an outdoor patio, flanked with tall grasses that helped you to forget the bustling traffic just outside — enhanced what was already a delightful epicurean experience.
Encouraged by an enticing menu and a friendly staff, we over-ordered a bit in our attempt to explore the fullness of the offerings. We started with a rocket salad with pears, parmesan and a truffle dressing. Though simple in preparation, the salad played on the freshness and distinct taste of each ingredient. The scallop ceviche with grapefruit and avocado was at once sweet, citrusy and almost spicy. Dubbed nachos by the menu, the mountain bread with gruyere and diced tomatoes resembled more of a fancy bruschetta.
We followed the appetizer parade with two entrees that could not have been more different: spicy lemongrass chicken with mango and penne and clams in betel pesto. When the former was placed on the table, Chaz proclaimed that it looked like pieces of Ratty grilled chicken. But upon further inspection, the local spices used in preparing the dish had soaked into every bite, creating a sensational flavor that paired beautifully with the thinly sliced mango. The penne took advantage of the versatile and rich betel leaf to create a more vibrant pesto than basil lends itself to. Betel, the subject of much fascination here at the checkpoint, is used in everything from sauces to lettuce wraps. Lettuce wraps in Asian restaurants in the U.S. are almost always composed of iceberg or romaine, and the leaves do nothing but serve as a vehicle for the food. Betel, on the other hand, enriches the flavors of whatever is inside.
We finished off our meal with an interesting conversation with Adit, a native Thai who has worked at the restaurant for over a decade. In a soon-to-be posted interview, he provided us with insight into the culinary design of Eat Me and the future of the Bangkok dining scene. Update: The interview is live!
