Sakkwa สัก-กะ-วา

Four floors above Charoen Krung Road, Sakkwa feels comfortably removed from the bustle of Bangkok's old Talat Noi neighbourhood. Steel and glass blocks recall the area's industrial past, while tropical greenery, curved banquettes and an open kitchen lend the dining room an easy, convivial atmosphere. It's a welcoming setting for a chef with a rather impressive culinary CV.

Worathon “Tae” Udomchalothorn helped establish Bangkok's acclaimed Le Du before opening Kavee, his own fine dining restaurant. Kavee means ‘poet’, while Sakkwa takes its name from a traditional form of Thai verse, once performed in spirited exchanges. The literary connection is deliberate, although the sequel is considerably less formal. Elaborate tasting menus have made way for generous dishes to share, with all the technical finesse intact.

Tae draws on childhood favourites and sometimes forgotten regional recipes, finding inventive ways to bring them back to the table. Raw tiger prawns arrive tucked into hollowed makrut limes, fragrant with herbs and citrus. Boneless chicken wings come with a punchy fermented fish papaya salad, while Khao Yai duck is aged for fourteen days before being smoked and grilled, its crisp skin accompanied by tender bamboo shoots and a rich duck sauce. Even dessert has a local twist, pairing grilled pineapple and ice cream with jelly made from *sato*, a traditional Thai rice wine.

For all this culinary ambition, Tae and his wife, Am, have a pleasingly simple idea of what Sakkwa should be: somewhere people return to on an ordinary evening, without requiring an excuse to celebrate. One can quite imagine becoming a regular. Though deciding what to leave for the next visit might take some discipline.