Review

Locus Native Food Lab is located within a luxury villa estate surrounded by rambling countryside, within a humble Lanna-style house, in homage to chef Kong’s Northern roots. The dining table allows a view of the kitchen at work. Chef Kong switches effortlessly from Thai to English as he narrates the story of each plate, its ingredients, the cooking technique, and the reason for its place on the tasting menu. The menu changes every two months, a labour-intensive exercise chef Kong relishes. His wine pairings have become a point of note in exploring matches, moving from the classic to rare. Menu highlights include nam prik nam pak of prawn and radish cannelloni in fermented mustard green butter, tom som pla with chayote vine, and an innovative tom som sabayon. Fish bought from local artisan producers remains paramount. A contemporary take on classic khao soi gai and an equally standout ghang hung lae of glazed pork belly with banana, ginger, and peanut have featured on recent menus. A recently introduced course of a mini version of each menu dish is a genius evening recap. Remaining on the menu year after year is amethyst, a combination of bualoy, krongkrang, and tuptimkrob, which should be on every food lover’s bucket list.