Issue 14: 31 October 2014

Toulouse may be more famous for its rugby than Thai cuisine, but one Frenchman has put Thai food firmly on the map.

Baan Siam, bringing authentic Thai food to Toulouse

When Bernard Cormon returned to his native Toulouse having lived in Bangkok for fifteen years, he was determined to establish an authentic Thai restaurant in his home town. Having set up and managed a restaurant in the Thai capital, his first concern was whether there were sufficient Thai herbs and spices to create an authentic flavour.

“I checked beforehand that it was easy to find all products and herbs fresh which are needed for Thai cooking,” he explains. “There is a significant Asian community in this area which offers all the products, so we have no procurement problems through different businesses in Toulouse.”

Cosy and intimate – like a good French bistro – Baan Siam opened in January 2004. At the time, it was the only restaurant in Toulouse offering 100% genuine Thai food. This was important in a town where clientele know a thing or two about good living, especially good eating.

“We are looking to satisfy our clients with a high standard service and cuisine, which are both homemade,” says Cormon. All recipes are made from fresh products from the markets and fresh Thai herbs and spices.”

Located in a small alley near the Carmes area – a lively area of Toulouse at night – the restaurant is compact enough to be intimate, homely and romantic at the same time; the décor is a well-balanced fusion of traditional French furniture and Thai style. The formula has proved so popular that it’s best to book ahead most nights.

Cormon says that it is no wonder that the Kingdom’s cuisine has proved so popular in France.

“French people like Thai cooking because of its different flavours and smells, its fresh products used to cook and the reputation of Thai cuisine as being one of the best and most flavoured in the world,” he says.

This explains why Pad Thai – that great Thai staple with its wonderful mix of flavours and textures – is the most popular dish sold at Baan Siam. Both prawn and beef red curries also come highly recommended.

However, it is at the end of the meal that the restaurant has provided an almost audacious French twist, the popularity of which Cormon claims has spread like wildfire around town.

“Our signature dessert is chocolate spring rolls,” he says. “An eccentric dessert which we were the first to offer in Toulouse, and is now copied in other Thai restaurants. We serve it with mango ice cream and whipped cream.”

Whether it’s traditional Thai dishes or quixotic desserts, next time you are in the southwest of France, Baan Siam is certainly well worth the visit.

Baan Siam
12 Rue Maletache, 31000 Toulouse, France
Tel: 05 6226 5303
www.baan.fr

Ingredient Tips:

Thai basil or Asian basil is a type of sweet basil native to Southeast Asia that has been cultivated to provide a distinctive taste. Its flavour is more stable when cooked at high temperatures or for extended periods than sweet basil. Thai basil has small, narrow leaves and purple stems, with a mauve (pink-purple) flower.