Sorn, 3*, #17 in the World, Bangkok

One of my favorite tasting menus anywhere in the world is Sorn and it was one of my favorite meals from the past year. Sorn is a Southern Thai restaurant that has 3 Michelin stars (the first in the world) and is #17 on World’s 50 Best, but it’s a very different experience than what you might expect at a restaurant like this.

First off, the flavors are super punchy, some dishes are quite spicy (which is rare in fine dining), others are quite intense, and Sorn pushes back on the fine dining trope of delicate and subtle flavors by leaning into a distinctly Thai flavor profile. Second, the style of service is much more casual here, it just feels much more homey than the uptight service you get at some fine dining restaurants. But do not let that distract you from the fact that the food is some of the best in the world.

A few highlights:

• The main course is one of my favorites ever. It centers around perfectly cooked rice with a number of sides to complement it. You have different curries, condiments, a bread, crab omelette, and vegetables that keeps this main course extremely varied and it’s almost like a treasure chest of flavor that you keep digging through and discovering new things

• Sorn is well-known for their high quality seafood and its hard to pick out a favorite, but I will say the spiciest dish of the night is their crab claw with a chili paste and crab roe on top – just a flavor bomb that lingers in your mouth beautifully

• Additionally, their trio of raw seafood is so unique because of the textures. They had a bit more of a bite and chew to them which I found to be really interesting (in addition to the natural sweetness of the seafood itself).

• I think Thai salads are among the best in the world and Sorn’s (which is prepared tableside) is no different, a perfect balance of flavors, a bit of acidity, spice, umami, and it just hits every flavor and textural note in a single bite

Sorn is everything in a fine dining restaurant that I’m looking for nowadays. It’s deeply connected to its location, it’s a style and cuisine you really can’t find elsewhere in the fine dining world, it teaches you a lot about flavor and food along the way, and of course, it's downright delicious. In a city of amazing fine dining, Sorn stands head and shoulders above the rest. If you can only go to one nice restaurant while in Bangkok, it absolutely should be Sorn.