At the recently launched Jaja French Bistrot, diners are invited to take a captivating culinary journey with Chef Marc Vasseur – a journey that’s accompanied in spirit by his paternal grandmother.
Chef Marc Vasseur, whom Bangkok gourmands will remember from his days at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Côte by Mauro Colagreco, and most recently at Alpea Bistrot
If you’ve paid a recent visit to Baan Turtle, the stately building at the top of Soi Suan Phlu 2 that’s home to multiple fine dining venues, you’ll have no doubt noticed that the space formerly occupied by Keller restaurant has been transformed into Jaja French Bistrot. And the gentleman now manning the kitchen here is none other than Chef Marc Vasseur, whom Bangkok gourmands will remember from his days at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Côte by Mauro Colagreco, and most recently at Alpea Bistrot.
For this latest project, Chef Marc draws upon his more than 15 years of global culinary experience to create a bistro-style French restaurant that, as he puts it, is an “homage to my grandmother, who sparked my passion for cooking.” The restaurant was even named in her honour – “Jaja” is her nickname – which illustrates the depths of this family bond.
The restaurant is, as the chef puts it, an “homage to my grandmother, who sparked my passion for cooking”
“She’s 90 years old,” Chef Marc says, showing me a photo of her on his phone. “She just stopped running her bed and breakfast business this year, because she lost her husband, my grandfather.”
When I ask him which side of the family she represents, his answer provides a slight surprise. “She’s the grandmother on my father’s side. My grandmother on my mother’s side is Vietnamese. I’m one-quarter Vietnamese. But I haven’t really explored that heritage in my food… not yet, anyway!”
He goes on to explain how his dishes combine elements of his grandmother’s cooking, but also reference his own global travels. “I worked for only two years in France before going to London, where I worked with Olivier Limousin at the two-Michelin-starred L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon. Then a little bit in Belgium, and Switzerland, and Singapore, before I moved to Bangkok. I’ve been in Thailand now for 10 years, married with two kids, so my life is here.”
The “Chef’s Recommended” sea bass ceviche
As our attention turns to the restaurant’s compact one-page menu I spot a few items that sound pretty tempting, although I let Chef Marc guide my hand as well. After we settle on the evening’s courses I turn my attention to the wine list, which offers a selection of whites, reds and sparkling wines by the bottle – two dozen in total – as well some by-the-glass options. I opt for a glass of 2021 Domaine des Grange de Mirabel, Viognier, which pairs very nicely with the first few starters.
The first course to arrive is the “Chef’s Recommended” sea bass ceviche, and I can heartily second that recommendation. This deliciously zesty dish showcases locally sourced sea bass done in a lime and coconut dressing, with fragrant coriander and Thai red chilies, all resting atop a smooth base of avocado cream. Garnished with fresh kumquat slices and crisp radish, the dish is accompanied by a small side plate of Mexican-style corn chips, which can add a little crunch if you like.
Slow-cooked egg, served with mushrooms, Albufeira sauce, and sourdough bread croutons
The chef admits that this particular creation is inspired less by Jaja, and more by his travels to The Philippines, specifically in Mindanao. “They cook amazing ceviche over there with the local fish, so it was inspired by that visit.”
The next dish, however, does bear the mark of Marc’s grandma, albeit slightly reinterpreted. “It’s a slow-cooked egg, which we do at 62 degrees for one hour. It’s served with mushrooms, Albufeira sauce, and sourdough bread croutons,” he explains. “My grandmother was doing this with a poached egg, and with sautéed mushrooms and more like a mushroom soup. I adjusted that recipe a little bit.”
Beef tataki mosaic, which, as the name implies, is Japanese inspired
Our third starter is the very Instagrammable beef tataki mosaic, which, as the name implies, is Japanese inspired. “There’s a lot of texture in this dish,” Chef Marc points out. “The strips of tenderloin are marinated in teriyaki sauce, and it’s all wrapped in nori, with chipotle mayonnaise on top to add a little bit of smoky flavour. We use US grain-fed beef, which has less fat, and that’s important because I serve this dish cold. There’s also rocket on top, pickled mustard seed, dried chili from Mexico, and lime gel to add a little punch. And the green surrounding it is chive oil.”
It’s a superb culinary creation, delivering a bounty of amazing flavours that burst forth in every bite. For me, personally, it’s also nice to have leaner beef for a change, and even nicer that it’s not simply presented tartare-style (a culinary trend of late which I hope to see put on the backburner for a while).
Fregola Sarda: Clams cooked Mariniere style, fregola pasta, Parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and black olives
Next up we tuck into the first of our three entrées, which are distinguished on the menu as either ‘From the Sea’ or ‘From the Land’. We begin with the Fregola Sarda, which features clams cooked Mariniere style in white wine, homemade fregola pasta, grated Parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and black olives – all floating dreamily in a fluffy cloud of smoked shellfish emulsion foam.
For those unfamiliar with fregola, it’s a type of pasta from the Sardinia region of Italy, which is rolled into small circular balls and then sun-dried. It’s not all that common in Bangkok, so it was a treat to find it on the menu here, done nicely in a risotto-style.
Oven-roasted chicken paired on the plate with polenta chips, Albufeira sauce, corn purée, and char-grilled baby corns
We follow this with a lovely oven-roasted chicken – the bird fresh from the Klong Phai organic farm in Khao Yai – which comes paired on the plate with crispy polenta chips, Albufeira sauce, corn purée, and char-grilled baby corns. It’s rustic comfort food given an elevated flourish.
From the wine list we then switch to red – a 2021 Domaine Roche Audran, Côtes du Rhône – in anticipation of the upcoming lamb rack course. Accompanied by roasted carrot slivers, a drizzle of lamb jus, and a pleasant Romeco sauce (a Spanish specialty that combines roasted tomato, roasted capsicum, almond, cherry vinegar, and a little bit of anchovy), our three pieces of Australian lamb are expertly cooked and delightfully tender.
The lamb rack course, with roasted carrots, a drizzle of lamb jus, and a Romeco sauce
From the side dishes on offer I also request a mesclun salad – gotta get my greens somehow – which is bathed in a tangy lemon dressing. It’s tart and tasty, and balances things beautifully. Add that to the “recommended” list.
As we pace ourselves with a short break before dessert, Chef Marc adds to the backstory of Jaja French Bistrot. “We are doing it as an extended pop-up, which is open for lunch and dinner. I’ll be here until January, 2025, and after that my concept will be slightly different. I want to have a more open kitchen restaurant, and a French-style rotisserie to do chicken, lamb, suckling pig, and even goat – all these types of things which you rarely see on menus in Bangkok.”
Banoffee, the chef ’s signature dessert
He also tells me that while the restaurant’s interior is not a drastic departure from what it was when it was Keller, there have been some renovations done – most notably the welcome addition of more neutral shades on both the walls and in the upholstery.
To end our meal, we’ve chosen the banoffee, the chef ’s signature dessert. It’s a yummy chaos of caramelised banana slices, chunks of brownie, and caramelised pecan nuts, which are strategically placed amongst daubs of three different cremeaux: banana, chocolate, and pecan mousse. Served alongside a scoop of caramel ice cream, it’s a sweet send-off as our evening winds its way down.
Chef Marc, who admits he has big plans for the future of Jaja French Bistrot
Of course, I can’t imagine that banoffee is one of granny’s specialties, and the chef dutifully acknowledges that fact. “In France we don’t have banoffee. It’s something I discovered in Asia.” Regardless, it’s pretty much a given that Jaja is immensely proud of her grandson’s latest culinary venture.
baanturtle.com/restaurants/jaja-french-bistrot
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.