SRA BUA By Kiin Kiin is a one-Micheline house of culinary adventure. Located on the ground floor of Siam Kempinski Bangkok hotel in Bangkok, SRA BUA takes traditional Thai cuisine to a whole new level, curating exquisitely composed dishes coupled with global cooking techniques.
The menu comes as a fixed course that includes three to four different dishes. Sometimes, you can have up to eight dishes offered in a tasting menu.
Every three months, the chef modifies their selection to make sure you have a brand new experience every time you come by. The menu is brought to you by chef Henrik Yde-Andersen and chef Chayawee Suthcharitchan, the head chef of SRA BUA restaurant.
If you’re wondering what it’s like to dine there and how to prepare for memorable high-end cuisine, check out my review below.
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The Waiting Lounge
Upon your arrival, you’ll be entering the waiting lounge first to verify your reservation and waiting on the staff to walk you in.
Homey and inviting with a luxury touch, SRA BUA boats a grand ceiling looking down to a spacious and well-lit waiting lounge. There are a few lotus ponds featured throughout the space, swathed around by high-end furniture and carefully-crafted seatings with fancy upholstery.
Despite being an upscale restaurant, SRA BUA does not sacrifice the relaxing atmosphere of a traditional Asian dining space thanks to the playful use of bright and warm colors with a dark undertone and a wise setup of a lighting system.
The Dining Space
The dining lounge behind the wall is a complete contrast to the waiting lounge on the outside. Soaked in a bold and dramatic dark shade, the restaurant is tastefully spruced up by an exquisitely designed golden pavilion perched on the ceiling.
The Dress Code
As a high-end restaurant, SRA BUA requires a smart casual dress code for all customers. Long trousers and closed shoes are required for men while elegant outfits such as skirts, day dresses, pants, blouses, and shoes.
The Menu
SRA BUA welcomes you with a meticulously curated fixed menu that usually involves three to four courses. The house will spruce up their choices every three months. You can review the menu first upon your reservation which is also accessible via the restaurant’s website. When you are seated, they will also provide you with an electronic menu on a tablet.
The Food Quality
The course includes a welcome drink and tea for each guest as well as a few welcome munchies. Last time I was welcomed with lemongrass tea and it was so refreshing, especially when they paired it with some rich and mouthful baked cashew shortbread.
I added a glass of whiskey on top of the food out of personal courtesy just to wash my throat before the tasteful cuisines come.
The chefs at SRA BUA know that a first impression lasts a lifetime.
They were not wrong.
The first cuisine popping up on the table was a small set of lotus roots hidden inside a stoned bowl, sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar and deep fried. Sweet and crunchy, this is a perfect starter to unlock the palate.
Coming up next was a beautiful plating of vegetable bites with beef cubes, followed by a quirky, magical bowl of seafood salad that “breathes smoke into your table”.
Some of my favorite seafood is scallops and prawns. Only God knows how happy I was when both were served that night. The thick and well-seasoned scallops literally melted in my mouth and danced with my tongue. The beautiful yellow sauce made it a lot more mouthwatering to consume.
As far as the main meal goes, I got some really tender and juicy chicken coming up next by a small serving of rice. The creamy sauce appears as a bathtub with the chicken thigh soaking in it.
If that’s not enough to fill up your craving stomach, get ready to have your mouth watered with some lobster curry and braised pork.
Don’t judge me if I’m that type of girl who likes to have some dark roast coffee as an aprés-dinner beverage. Who cares about caffeine kick before bed when the cup of Joe at Sra Bua is too good to be wasted?
And of course, how can we forget desserts in such a meticulous five-star course? This time, I got myself some chocolate ice cream sitting on top of a bed of what appeared to be coconut flakes peppered with almond slices on top.
If I get a chance to come back to this meticulous restaurant, take my money! From the moment I walked into the dining experience and marveled at the exquisite plating, I would give it 10 stars if I could. Hear me out! You don’t want to miss out on such a delicacy when in Thailand!
