issue 49 - AsiaLIFE Magazine

Koh ThaiContemporary Thai cuisine comes to Saigon via thiselegant eatery. Photos by Fred Wissink.One of the oddities of Saigonis that it is often easier to findhamburgers and pizza than itis to discover the cuisines ofVietnam’s regional neighbours.Fortunately things seem tobe changing, with a spate ofnew Thai restaurants openingrecently, and Koh Thai, locatedin the rejuvenated Kumho Linknext to the IntercontinentalHotel, is aiming to lead the packby styling itself as a chic, contemporaryrestaurant servingfood from the Land of Smiles inVietnam.Koh Thai’s interior offers arespite from the steamy heatand noise of the street outsidewith dark wood, subdued lighting,and lots of purple furnitureproviding plenty of ambience.A rarity in Vietnam, smoking isnot allowed inside, but there isan outdoor porch overlookingHai Ba Trung if you can’t makeit through your meal withouta puff. A long table runs downthe middle of the restaurant, aconcept borrowed from Bangkok,and comfortable booths sitalong the walls.The menu at Koh Thaifeatures a wide array of classicThai dishes presented with amodern twist, from noodles andsalads to curries and dessertspriced from VND 100,000 toVND 300,000. There is also a setlunch for VND 120,000, or VND160,000 with a drink.We start off with the KohThai salad (VND 168,00),a hearty serving of glassynoodles, seaweed, prawns, andherbs that provides a tangy,spicy kick. The delicate salmonsashimi (VND 168,000) is servedin a fantastic green chilli saucewith a touch of wasabi mixedin.Next up is an enormous helpingof Pad Thai (VND 168,000),with several large prawns and aheap of noodles stuffed into anomelette. The dish was boldlyflavoured, with a distinct kickto it. We finished off the bigmeal with the Chu Chi kingprawn curry (VND288,000),which consisted of a simplygigantic prawn slathered in arich, red curry sauce, servedwith rice. Once again the dishwas expertly presented, and thespice level just right.With its variety of Thai dishes,largely focused on seafood,offered at reasonable prices,Koh Thai is a welcome additionto the city. The restaurant alsofeatures an excellent array ofcocktails, and regularly hostsmovie nights, product launches,and even fashion shows in itsversatile space. With the ambitious,creative team at the FineCuisine Group at the helm, KohThai appears poised to becomea a fixture on Saigon’s calendarof events.Kumho Asiana Plaza39 Le Duan, District 1Ph: 08 3823 4423Open daily from 11am to 11pm,kitchen closes at 9:30 Sun-Th,10:30 Fri & Sat42 asialife HCMC