My fifth visit to @sornfinesouthern and still one of those reservations I’m always very happy to have secured.

I’m also, without fail, slightly apprehensive about the spice levels before I go in. Southern Thai food is not known for holding back, and @ice_supaksorn Sorn certainly doesn’t. I’ve actually taken to carrying an emergency bottle of coconut cream with me just in case things get completely out of hand.

So far, I’ve never needed it.

They do actually offer a reduced-spice version of each dish, but as I’m usually eating here with my local Thai friends, I’m far too ashamed to take them up on it.

That says a lot about how well the menu is judged. The food can be fiercely spicy, but it is never just heat for the sake of it. Everything is balanced, and the pacing of the meal is particularly clever. After something especially punishing — the signature crab leg being the obvious example — there is usually a cooler, gentler dish to follow, bringing some much-needed relief from the exquisite pain.

And that is really the thing about Sorn. The cooking is uncompromising, but never careless. The flavours are huge, the ingredients superb, and there is a confidence to the whole experience that makes it feel completely its own.

Five visits in, I still find it exciting. I still slightly fear it. And I still leave thinking it is one of the most distinctive restaurants in Bangkok.
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Michelin - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
La Liste - 98.5
OAD - 1 (Asia list)
Worlds 50 Best - 17
Best Chef Awards - 🔪🔪🔪
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#Sorn #BangkokFood #ThaiFineDining #Worlds50Best #MichelinGuide Less