Though 15’000 kilometres away and on disparate sides of the globe, there are many similarities to draw between the food of Thailand and Mexico.
Both warmly ensconced in the Coffee Bean Belt, with parts of southern Mexico sharing the 19th parallel north circle of latitude with Thailand, the countries share a keen sense of vivacity on the plate.
Chilli, lime and coriander feature prominently, with both culinary cultures placing great emphasis on the cherished communion of a shared meal, whether it’s in the bowl of fragrant jasmine rice that defines the Thai dinner table, or the tortillas so fresh that their air pockets have yet to deflate central to the Mexican one.
The supporting cast, of salsas singing with youthful energy, nahm prik relishes throbbing with umami, of rust-coloured stews and curries cooked low and slow, are all there to make the sharing go further and last longer. Meals are to be luxuriated over, the contents of the next one debated over rice and tortillas.
It’s no surprise, then, that Bangkok boasts some of the finest Mexican restaurants outside of El Tri, with a handful or notable recent openings only raising the gourmand game higher. Today, we’ve endured dizzy heights and savoured delicious bites to check out arguably the best iteration of Mexican fine dining in all of Asia; Ojo, Bangkok.
Ojo
Sitting proud on the 76th floor of Bangkok’s tallest building the King Power Mahanakhon, and seemingly having even loftier ambitions than its 300 metre-high standing, Ojo is one of Bangkok’s most exciting recent openings.
Though the restaurant is still in its infancy, having only been open for just shy of 9 months, it’s already made a big impact on the city, with its provocative, pink ‘space-age, retro glam’ design and intricately composed dishes that fuse Mexican ingredients cooking sensibilities with the odd Thai flourish, making waves and earning raves. A star in the next Bangkok Michelin guide seems almost assured.
The restaurant is the brainchild of boutique hotel group The Standard and chef Francisco “Paco” Ruano, who has already stamped his mark on the food world as chef-owner of Alcade, a forward-thinking, boundary-pushing restaurant in Guadalajara that was last year named the 51st best in the world.
‘Ojo’ loosely translates as ‘eye of god’, though we’re not sure if they’re referencing the vantage point that the restaurant enjoys overlooking Bangkok, the financial clout of the aforementioned boutique hospitality group, or the enigmatic chef’s creative vision. Either way, the results – both in the dining room and on the plate – are pure magic…
Though we’d hesitate to call the food here ‘fusion’, there are certainly some cleverly deployed Thai touches throughout the menu, whether it’s in the khao khua (toasted sticky rice) sprinkled over bruleed, roasted bone marrow, or a young coconut ‘ceviche’ anointed with a gorgeous dressing that combines coconut milk ‘tigre de leche’ and fermented soybeans.
Similarly, there’s the fragrant lift of makrut lime leaf in a perfectly poised octopus ceviche (add sea urchin for an extra 500 THB… You know you want to), and the indulgent addition of white crab meat from the prized Thai blue swimmer crab, alongside ikura red caviar, to the signature Ojo guacamole.
Of course, no punches are pulled in the chilli department, which will be music to the ears of Bangkok diners known for their love of robust flavours, even in the fine dining department.
Speaking of music, the soundsystem here is as rich sounding as we’ve heard anywhere, the slinky grooves of Sly Stone, Teddy Pendergrass and co. seemingly shimmering off the liquid gold walls and sashaying gracefully across a room defined by elegant curvature, the work of internationally renowned designer Nopadon “Ou” Baholyodhin.
Don’t let that distract you from the mains arriving though, with protein-led plates flanked by a whole host of supporting actors, from dips to relishes, pickles to a basket of fresh herbs, and, of course, a steaming basket of freshly pressed tortillas. Fortunately, the generously proportioned round tables afforded to each dining party means all the dipping and assembling is easy going, and no expensive glassware crashes to the ground in the scrum to build the perfect bite.
Though those mains comprise catnip to carnivores (head to tail beef terrine ‘birria’ with burnt onion and fermented chilli, anyone?) and the grilled fish bathed in adobo was certainly enticing, arguably the best dish to land on that spacious table is also the most simple; a take on the Mexican street food snack-cum-salad esquites. Here, a clutch of baby corn cobs arrive coated gently with jalapeno mayonnaise under drifts of freshly grated pecorino. You lift one up by the silks, drag it through the cheese, and pop it back, feeling closer to heaven each time you do so.
Hold on to that high; cocktails, too, boast an impressive parade of world class tequila and mezcal. Created by the celebrated mixologist Milk Thanaworachayakit, who has a reputation for her “no-nonsense spirit forward drinks,” the unambiguous, ingredient-led cocktails and the modern Mexican menu have a seemingly symbiotic relationship, speaking of clarity of flavour, first and foremost.
The This Isn’t Piña Colada, with coconut washed mezcal, pineapple and lime, is refreshing and just a touch sour, whilst still maintaining the essence of its creamy, sweet sibling. Ojo’s signature, sunset chasing Sangre De Mezcal, an adaptation of a drink that’s available at Chef Paco’s Guadalajara mothership, arrives as roselle-rendered as the seat you’re sipping it on; nuanced and invigorating, it’s a must-try.
If your thirst isn’t yet quenched, Ojo’s wine list is equally as considered as its surroundings, with a progressive list of bold, lively wines marked out by three categories; whether they were made by Asian winemaker or brewer, by female producers, or if the wine is raw, with no addition or intervention. Of the latter, we found much to like in the eclectic 2019 Brash Higgins ‘ZBO’, both cloudy and intoxicating, and redolent of white pepper, ginger and mango, all of which feel appropriate for the city where Ojo has found its feet.
A city, it should be said, which can be admired via the panoramic, open-air observation deck directly above the restaurant. With trips up to that deck – the ‘Mahanakhon Skywalk’ – costing punters close to 1000 THB per person, and Ojo offering a complimentary trip up there as part of the restaurant experience, suddenly an admittedly steep bill doesn’t feel quite so vertiginous.
Though certainly not your average neighbourhood taqueria, Ojo has already established itself as one of Bangkok’s premier destination restaurants, and is arguably already Asia’s best Mexican.
That said, if you suffer from a fear of heights, perhaps you might want to stay at ground level…
Not to worry; there’s culinary joy to be found perched on just about every stool, Bangkok streetside. Check out Chinatown’s T&K Seafood for grilled blood cockles, cold ones, and good times.