Michelin-starred restaurants rarely venture beyond their home cities for temporary residencies, making Saawaan’s four-night appearance in India a notable departure from Bangkok’s concentrated fine dining scene. Chef de Cuisine Saritwat “Earth” Wanvichitkun and Chef Pâtissière Chayanin “Pond” Tanapradit will helm exclusive dinners at Rim Naam, The Oberoi, Bengaluru on February 20 and 21, followed by India Jones at Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai on February 25 and 26.
Saawaan earned its Michelin star in 2023, just three years after opening in Bangkok’s Wireless Road area. This recognition came during a period when Bangkok’s Michelin Guide began spotlighting restaurants that prioritized regional Thai cooking over fusion approaches. Chef Earth’s menu at Saawaan emphasizes ingredients sourced from specific Thai provinces, a philosophy that will be presented to Indian diners through an eight-course tasting menu built around seasonal produce and traditional techniques.
Charcoal grilling, steaming, stir-frying, and fermentation form the technical backbone of the menu. Raw mango salad appears alongside Ranong blue swimmer crab, while steamed squid gets paired with som saa citrus fruit and kaffir lime. Slow-cooked broths, mushrooms with roasted rice, and a coconut curry infused with banana stalk represent different regional styles from across Thailand. Desserts include ginger flower tart, lychee tart, and coconut ice cream, with Chef Pond bringing her pastry expertise to ingredients that rarely appear in Indian Thai restaurants.
“I enjoy bringing people together. Be it a family sitting down to share a meal, a couple connecting over a candlelit dinner, or chefs travelling across continents to collaborate with esteemed peers. Food has a unique power to strengthen connections and create new bonds of understanding,” Chef Earth said.
Housed in a traditional Thai wooden pavilion surrounded by trees and positioned on a water body, Rim Naam at The Oberoi, Bengaluru, mirrors the immersive dining environment of fine dining Thai restaurants in Bangkok.
Mayan Dhawan, General Manager of The Oberoi, Bengaluru, said, “Rim Naam has always presented an authentic Thai experience wrapped up in traditional Oberoi hospitality and has won accolades and appreciation for the last three decades. Hosting Saawaan is a natural extension of this unique vision.”
International chef residencies have become more frequent in India’s luxury hotel segment over the past five years, particularly in metros like Mumbai and Bengaluru, as diners want to experience newer or more authenticity-led experiences. For diners, these four evenings represent access to a level of Thai culinary technique that remains uncommon in India’s restaurant landscape, even as Thai cuisine itself has become widely available across the country.
