Issue06 : 23 June 2014

The soothing atmosphere in Taling Pling

Thai SELECT award winning restaurant Taling Pling has withstood the test of time for almost 30 years. Horizon Thailand discovers that the secret to its success lies in striking the right balance.

A lot of Bangkok residents will recognise the name Taling Pling. The original restaurant occupied a space on Thanon Pan near Surasak for many years before branching out into several of the city’s top malls, including Siam Paragon and Central World. Their latest endeavour has involved turning the owners’ old family home on Sukhumvit Soi 34 into a charming laid back eatery. The stately Thai house is now fronted by an add-on featuring an Alice in Wonderland Tea Party chess floor along with a glasshouse overlooking the garden. Not only is the setting enticing to diners, but Taling Pling still dishes out some of Bangkok’s most authentic and tasty traditional Thai food.

Taste the delicate taste of gaeng khua het poh

Catching up with Praethip Chanyavongse, or Cake, the daughter of the founders of the  restaurant, she enlightens me as to just what has given Taling Pling such longevity in a town where ‘out with the old and in with the new’ seems to be a catchphrase. “Traditional Thai cooking is all about balancing flavour, taste and health; learning how to combine salty, sour, sweet and spicy using fresh herbs and ingredients that all complement each other and produce wellbeing,” she says.

With this in mind, the focus of Taling Pling has been to pass down recipes and cooking from generation to generation. In the Chanyavongse family’s case, this starts with Cake’s grandfather, who wrote newspaper columns about good food, as well as having a green finger evidenced by the garden of fresh spices and herbs grown for the restaurant’s use, as well as a selection of fruit trees. In fact the name of the restaurant comes from a fruit tree in the garden, taling pling, a member of the star fruit family, which is used as a souring agent to balance a dish.

Nam prik is a traditional and creative dish. Each cook has his own variant.

Signature dishes abound on the large menu, but the yam pla salit, a crispy fried fish salad that is made with taling pling and lemongrass so finely sliced you can eat it like rice, is a standout. The dish shows off the perfect balance of Thai cuisine – sour, sweet, salty and spicy. Also on the must list is their version of nam prik chilli dipping sauce, made with shrimp paste, crab roe and crab meat, and served with seasonal vegetables. The gaeng khua het poh curry shows off Taling Pling’s focus on Central Thai food – not firehouse spicy and incorporating more coconut milk – but added to this curry are the melt-in-your-mouth mushrooms that feature in northern Thai cooking.

The setting is elegant, the prices are more than reasonable, and the food is no frills knockout. It doesn’t get much more balanced than this, and it looks like Taling Pling has yet another winner to add to their already stellar repertoire.

Taling Pling Savoury Thai Cuisine
25 Sukhumvit Soi 34
Tel. +66 (0)2 258 5308-9
http://talingpling.com/

Words and Photos by Dave Stamboulis

Thai Select 

Realising the importance of maintaining high standards, the Thai Government has responded with this seal of approval. Thai Select certifies not only the quality of the food, but also the restaurant's ambience and service. Chefs must be fully trained in the preparation of authentic Thai cuisine. Becoming accredited with the Thai Select seal is not easy, the bar is set high and the guidelines are strict.

Through training and inspections, the high standard of Thai restaurants worldwide is ensured. So wherever you are on your travels, look for the Thai Select seal of approval. It assures that great Thai food is being served in a pleasant atmosphere with the world-famous Thai smile. It's not just a meal it's a journey into Thai culture.

Thai Select or Thai Select Premium certification identifies Thai restaurants that offer at least 60 percent authentic Thai food on their menus. It also implies that these restaurants employ the same or similar cooking methods as used in Thailand and may import ingredients from Thailand. However, the certification neither rates the food nor endorses the quality of the restaurant. It merely indicates the authenticity of the Thai foods prepared.

For more information and finding Thai SELECT restaurant nearby, please visit http://www.thaiselect.com/main.php?filename=intro_thaiselect