Bangkok--1 Jun--Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit
At basil, our talented culinary team invites you to embark on an unforgettable journey through the four regions of Thailand. Using the finest ingredients, traditional techniques, handmade spice pastes, and an extraordinary wealth of knowledge, chefs at basil have created one of Bangkok's most memorable Thai dining experiences.
Dishes highlight key ingredients and seasonings from each region. The menu of enticing local appetizers, fragrant soups and curries, and traditional desserts are served with genuine warmth in basil's stylish contemporary setting.
Distinctly Thai
The astonishing diversity of Thai cuisine makes the country one of the most exciting places in the world to dine. The Thais' love of eating together is perhaps best illustrated by the frequently heard greeting "kin khao yang?", or "have you eaten yet?" - the English equivalent "how are you?"
Thai cuisine encompasses dishes from four distinct regions; the central plains, the north, northeast and the south. The unifying factor is the way each uses elements of spicy, sour, sweet and salty to create vibrant and balanced flavors. Key ingredients include the ubiquitous chili. Fresh, dried or ground, the chili is used to add fire to almost every main dish. Lime juice and tamarind provide the sour taste while sweetness comes from palm sugar. The salty taste is added using fish sauce, known as nam pla, as well as kapi, shrimp paste, and in the landlocked northeast, fermented fish paste known as pla ra.
Rice is the staple of Thailand; a grain that has shaped the landscape and defined the culture. Served at every meal, the preferred choice is jasmine rice, also known as fragrant rice due to its floral aroma. In the north and northeast sticky rice is more popular. Sticky rice also features in a number of desserts and many sweets are made using rice flour.
Central Thailand
The cuisine of central Thailand tends to be sweeter than elsewhere and can be rich in coconut milk. Classic dishes include gaeng keo waan, green curry, tom kha, coconut milk soup, and tom yam, a fresh, flavorsome soup and a wonderful example of how a skilled chef can make hot, sour, sweet and salty work in perfect harmony with each other. Central Thailand dishes also include gaeng liang, a shrimp and vegetable curry spiced with white pepper and wild ginger, and haw mok, banana leaf cups of a souffle-like mix made with red curry paste and coconut milk, poured over fish and herbs and then steamed. The region is also renowned for a wide variety of nam prik – dips that add spice and flavor to a simple serving of rice, steamed vegetables and a grilled fish.
Northern Thailand
Unlike central cuisine, northern curries do not use coconut milk. They do, however, use an array of vegetables and indigenous herbs, making them a healthy and delicious choice for diners. Northern favorites include sai oua, a pork and herb sausage often served with other regional dishes such as nam prik num, roasted chili paste, nam prik ong, tomato and pork dip, and kairb moo, crispy pig skin. Other notable dishes are gaeng hang lay, a Burmese-influenced pork curry that uses spices such as cumin and coriander, and gaeng kare, a spicy herb-rich curry which uses dok kare, edible flowers from the hummingbird tree.
Northeast Thailand - Isan
The fiery food of Isan is as distinctive as the people, who migrated from Laos many years ago, and their culture. Som tam spicy raw papaya salad is the most well-known dish from the northeast, and perhaps the most well-known in Thailand. The dish is accompanied by the equally famous gai yang, grilled chicken and sticky rice. Other Isan dishes include larb, a spicy salad with mint, shallots and ground rice that can be made with minced pork, beef, chicken, duck or fish, and tom saeb, a delicious hot and sour soup with pork ribs.
Southern Thailand
The food of the south is strongly influenced by its Muslim heritage. It is also spicier than the food of other regions. Renowned southern dishes include massaman, a rich and fragrant beef or chicken curry traditionally served with pan-fried roti bread, gaeng tai pla, a tasty and often very spicy fish and bamboo curry, gaeng leuang, a sour fish curry with deep yellow color from red chilies and turmeric. A tasty vegetable dish is pad ped sator, petai beans stir fried with red curry paste and shrimps. With its extensive coastline and islands, seafood caught by local fishermen features strongly in southern cuisine.
Using local seasonal ingredients and traditional recipes passed down through the generations, chefs at basil create truly authentic Thai dishes, each beautifully prepared and presented with contemporary flair. The "Four Regions" menu is a culinary adventure and a truly memorable experience. Enjoy the journey!
"Four Regions" Menu
basil's fresh new approach to Thai cuisine highlights the incredible diversity, quality ingredients, and authentic flavors of Thailand's four distinct regions; the central plains, the north, northeast and the south. Highlights on the epicurean tour of Thailand include sai oua sausage from the north, som tam papaya salad with grilled chicken from the northeast, roast duck in red curry with apple and basil from the central region, and spicy snapper soup with turmeric and herbs from the south.
A regional set menu starts from THB 1,600++ per person, or choose your preferred items a la carte.
The Grande Club and SPG members enjoy special privileges.
Make a reservation through the online store and get 30% off dinner set menus.
For reservations, please call 02 6498366 or email
[email protected]