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30.09.2023 - 14:25 / nationalgeographic.com
A Thai princess and her entourage sweep through the glass-atrium foyer of Time Kaan, past tall cabinets stuffed to the ceiling with antique tomes and recipe books, to take a seat for dinner. Dutiful waiters are lined up against the wall waiting to be called forward, and the mingled fragrance of cinnamon, pepper and coconut drifts from the kitchen. A flash-happy photographer buzzes around the dining room, capturing the royal arrival, while, behind him, a large clock with golden hands counts down the minutes to the first course.
After opening in December 2022 in Bangkok’s Khlong Tan Nuea district, Time Kaan — its name meaning ‘according to time’ in Thai — quickly became the talk of the town. Restaurant critics have admired the subtle flavours and balanced dishes, while social media pundits have fallen in love with head chef Pornprom (Pol) Laomanutsuk’s theatrical presentation. It’s little wonder the princess has been drawn here tonight.
The signature seasonal 14-course set meal features versions of dishes that graced humble tables long before King Vajiralongkorn’s ancestors founded Bangkok in 1782, and even before the founding of the Kingdom of Sukhothai, in what’s now north-central Thailand, in 1238. Dining here promises to transport the princess back in time through the eras, conquests and dynasties that shaped Thailand, by exploring how and what Thai people ate.
When co-owner Tripradap (Pui) Wangwongwiwat greets me at my table, she is cool and composed and seems utterly unfazed by the royal spectacle that has just rolled in. It’s a demeanour she perfected over many years spent working under pressure in Michelin-starred restaurants used to receiving celebrity and millionaire diners.
For two years, during the Covid-19-induced border closures, Pui fastidiously collected as many books about Thai cuisine as she could find, forensically tracing the origins of dishes and ingredients through the pages of diplomatic diaries, poems, archived newspapers and dog-eared cookbooks. Most were found in libraries and antique bookshops, but others involved missions across the country to find forgotten texts gathering dust on family bookshelves.
The resulting library is contained in locked glass cabinets, which Pui shows me on an impromptu tour around the restaurant. There are well over a thousand books here, but I’m taken aback when Pui slides open the door of an unused function room to reveal hundreds more books haphazardly scattered across a large table, still waiting to be properly catalogued.
Joining us on the tour is chef Pol. After settling on which dishes would be resurrected to create Time Kaan’s menu, Pui called in Pol to shape her findings into the restaurant’s signature menu. The two had become friends while
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