Erawan

Asia's Finest Restaurants 2013

2013-01-24T12:46:00.000+08:00

Thank you again for making us
Asia’s Finest Restaurants &
2nd from Top 5 Best Restaurants in Malaysia 2013
Today, we would like to thank you for all your votes. For the third consecutive year
2011, 2012 and 2013 we have been listed in The Miele Guide Asia’s first truly independent and authoritative guide.

We would not have done it again without your constant support, encouragement and valuable comments.

This will be our constant reminder that we have to continue to improve in our
Food, Service and every aspect of our restaurant

Once again a BIG thank you from both of us.
Anan and KoRN
Erawan Classic Thai & Fusion.

Erawan on Astro 706

2012-08-08T02:49:00.007+08:00

2010-08-19T13:39:00.012+08:00

Jim Thompson House
The Jim Thompson House is the home of James H.W. Thompson, a self-made American entrepreneur who was the founder of the world renowned Jim Thompson Thai Silk Company. Thompson's achievements during his 25 years stay in the Kingdom of Thailand have won him much fame as the "Legendary American of Thailand".For his contribution to the development of the Thai Silk industry, Jim Thompson was awarded the Order of the White Elephant, a decoration bestowed upon foreigners for having rendered exceptional service to Thailand. Thompson's success story in Thailand has become one of the most popular postwar legends of Asia.

In 1967, Jim Thompson went on holiday with friends to the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. There he set out for a walk in the surrounding jungle but never returned. Thus began the Jim Thompson legend. Since his disappearance in 1967, little has changed in the home that was the 'talk of the town' and the 'city's most celebrated social center'. Even today, the charming Thai style house continues to be a key stop for visitors to Bangkok.

The Jim Thompson House is located on Soi Kasemsan (2) Song, opposite the National Stadium on Rama I Rd. Opening Hours : 09:00 to 17:00 everyday with the last Guided Tour at 17:00*

Getting to the Jim Thompson House: Located in the center of Bangkok, it is conveniently reached by car, taxi, Tuk tuk, or the Sky Train (Bangkok Transit System).
Admission : Adult 100 baht; Students 50 baht

For Taxi: บ้านจิม ทอมสัน ซอยเกษมสัน 2 ตรงข้ามสนามกีฬาแห่งชาติ มาบุญครอง (สถานีรถไฟฟ้าสนามกีฬา)

Visit Bangkok with us (Place to visit 1)

2010-03-23T00:16:00.014+08:00

Golden Buddha

Wat Traimit Wittayaram Voraviharn (Traimit Royal Temple) This temple is where the World’s Biggest Golden Buddha, aged more 700 years and was built in Sukhothai’s era, has installed with dimension of 12’5” width, 15’9” height and 5 tons weight and entitled Sukhothai Traimit “Image”
Thicket fare all in 140 Baht (rm14) 2 sections 40 Baht and 100 Baht (40 to visit the Golden Buddha only and 100 to visit the exhibition) The exhibition will tell you everything about the golden Buddha and history of Chinese people from China how they came in to Thailand and Southeast Asia.(This temple located in China town)

Golden buddha open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Exhibition open Tuesday - Sunday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 Travel by subway (MRT) station to Hua Lamphong then the bus lines 5, 73 or 507
For Taxi: วัดไตรมิตร วรวิหาร แยกหัวลำโพง

Thai Food Article : The History of Thai Food

2010-01-09T00:23:00.006+08:00

Picture from Flavours Magazine by chef Korn

Thai food is famous all over the world. Whether chilli-hot or comparatively bland, harmony and contrast are the guiding principles behind each dish. Thai cuisine is essentially a marriage of centuries-old Eastern and Western influences harmoniously combined into something uniquely Thai. Characteristics of Thai food depend on who cooks it, for whom it is cooked, for what occasion, and where it is cooked. Dishes can be refined and adjusted to suit all tastes. The 'Tai' people migrated from valley settlements in the mountainous region of Southwest China (now Yunnan province) between the sixth and thirteenth centuries, into what is now known as Thailand, Laos, the Shan States of upper Burma, and northwest Vietnam. Influenced by Chinese cooking techniques, Thai cuisine flourished with the rich biodiversity of the Thai peninsula. As a result, Thai dishes today have some similarities to Szechwan Chinese dishes.

Originally, Thai cooking reflected the characteristics of a waterborne lifestyle. Aquatic animals, plant and herbs were major ingredients. Subsequent influences introduced the use of sizeable chunks to Thai cooking. With their Buddhist background, Thais shunned the use of large animals in big chunks. Big cuts of meat were shredded and blended with herbs and spices. Traditional Thai cooking methods were stewing and baking, or grilling. Chinese influences saw the introduction of frying, stir-frying and deep-frying. Culinary influences from the 17th century onwards included Portuguese, Dutch, French and Japanese techniques. Chillies were introduced to Thai cooking during the late 1600s by Portuguese missionaries who had acquired a taste for them while serving in South America. Thais were very adapt at adapting foreign cooking methods, and substituting ingredients. The ghee used in Indian cooking was replaced by coconut oil, and coconut milk substituted for other dairy products. Overpowering pure spices were toned down and enhanced by fresh herbs such as lemon grass and galanga. Eventually, fewer and less spices were used in Thai curries, while the use of fresh herbs increased. It is generally acknowledged that Thai curries burn intensely, but briefly, whereas other curries, with strong spices, burn for longer periods. Instead of serving dishes in courses, a Thai meal is served all at once, permitting diners to enjoy complementory combinations of different tastes.

A proper Thai meal should consist of a soup, a curry dish with condiments, a dip with accompanying fish and vegetables. A spiced salad may replace the curry dish. The soup can also be spicy, but the curry should be replaced by a non-spiced item. There must be harmony of tastes and textures within individual dishes and the entire meal.

By Andrew Hall

The History of Benjarong Porcelain

2009-03-31T00:16:00.007+08:00

The Benjarong is a traditional form of Thai porcelain. The style of multi-colored enamels on a white porcelain base came from Ming dynasty China. The name “Benjarong” was derived from Bali and Sanskrit words Benja and Rong, meaning literally “Five Colors”. “Five Colors” really means “many colors” because the hand-painted pieces are usually decorated in three, five, eight colors, or even more.

Benjarong porcelain can be easily recognized by distinctive design features:

. The decoration is densely painted and very delicately detailed. Most patterns are symmetrical base on geometrical designs.

· Benjarong wares were enameled with relief glaze, emphasizing the background color, while the Chinese wares were thinly painted and never emphasize background color.

· Dazzling attractiveness be used of lavish gold.

Patterns include traditional Thai motifs, such as flora, plant and flame designs, as well as cultural symbols, such as The Garuda (the half-man half-bird mount of the god Vishnu and a symbol of Thai royalty), the emblem of the Thai kings

In the 13th – 18th century, Benjarong porcelain was exclusively made for the royal court. Later its use extended to aristocrats and wealthy merchants; today people of all nationalities use Benjarong for formal ware.

Benjarong bowl with craved pumpkin at Erawan by chef Korn

The Legend of Thai Celadon

2009-03-26T09:14:00.008+08:00

The Legend of Thai CeladonGoes back more than two thousand years in time. Celadon is known as the aristocratic Oriental ancestor of the pottery family and takes its name from the elegant glaze developed by the master potters of China to duplicate their beloved jade. This exquisitely glazed Celadon was known only to the Far East until the 9th century A.D. when a few pieces found their way to Europe to be displayed with the most priceless treasures on the continent.
Later on, the stoneware that arrived in the Near East was credited with miraculous powers. In this ever turbulent part of the world where violence was a part of daily life, it was believed that poisoned food would change color when it was served on Celadon…and the demand was tremendous!

Although these costly high-fired pieces were sought after for several hundred years or so, they eventually were forced off the market by the cheap-to-produce earthen wares from the Middle East and the imitation porcelains from Europe. The great stoneware traditions of China began to die out…and by the 16th century, Celadon had become a rare and precious prize to the Europeans who traded directly with the Orient.
Long before this happened, however, a King of Siam visited China and brought back some 300 potters. Kilns were established and from them emerged the fabulous Siamese Celadons that were known as “ Sankaloke ” . For several generations large quantities of “Sankaloke “ were shipped to the Philippine islands, Borneo, India, Persia, and Egypt. But the kilns of Siam had to be abandoned, too…at about the time that the potters of China were destined to give up their craft. For some 600 years not a single piece of the famous Celadon stoneware was produced.

Until half a century ago this ancient art was revived in Thailand…with a duplication of the old, old methods using the same raw materials. All of the elements needed for this stoneware are from the earth and the jungles…and each piece is finished by hand making Thai Celadon a truly unique work of art.

Celadon at Erawan classic Thai & Fusion

What? is Erawan mean

2009-03-22T02:05:00.016+08:00

The Elephant God, ErawanThis god is known as Airavata or Airawana in Sanskrit, as Erawana in Bali and as Airapot, Airawat or Erawan in Thai. All of these names refer to the action of rain clouds and lightning that results in rain, sent down by the god Indra as he rides the elephant god Erawan across the heavens.

According to Aryan legends, the god Erawan is huge, white and has 33 heads. Each head bears seven tusks. For each tusk there are seven lotus ponds. Each pond has seven lotus pads, each pad has seven lotus blossoms and each blossom has seven petals. On each petal dance seven angels. Each angel has seven ladies-in-waiting. So altogether the god Erawan has 33 heads, 231 tusks, 1,617 ponds, 11,319 lotus pads, 79,233 lotus blossoms, 554,631 lotus petals, 3,882,417 angels, and 27,176,919 ladies-in-waiting.

Our main image of Erawan classic Thai & Fusion

The main duty of Erawan, the elephant god is to serve as Indra’s mount in his travels to different locations in the heavens and on earth, where he observes the varying fortunes of mankind. Erawan is, in particular, associated with the east and the sun’s care for that part of the world. Erawan also serves as Indra’s war elephant in his battles with the demons. Indra, being the chief of the gods and responsible for the world’s weather, uses the lightning bolt as his weapon to fight drought and bring the blessings of rainfall to the world of men. Erawan is thus assigned the task of drawing up moisture from the earth to the sky, whence Indra returns it to the earth in the form of rain. The people of South and S outheast Asia have long had a special regard for the god Erawan due to this life-giving benevolence.

As the beloved companion of Indra, the god Erawan is considered to be the lord of all elephants in the universe. He is, moreover, taken to be a symbol of Indra himself, of virtuous action, and of prosperity. For artistic reasons, he is usually portrayed with only three heads, rather than the 33 heads in the myth.

One of the legends concerning Erawan holds that Lord Shiva gave him as a gift to Indra, and that Erawan was originally a god stationed in the Dao-wa-Deaung heaven. Wherever Indra went, Erawan would follow in the guise of a white elephant. Another story is that Makamanop employed this elephant in building a pavilion on earth. When the elephant died, it was reborn as a god in the shape of an elephant, and then taken by Indra to serve as his mount.

Not only is Erawan, the lord of all elephants and the most powerful, he is said to be as large as a mountain of Indian mythology. So brilliantly white is Erawan that he makes Mount Kailasa , made entirely of silver, look dark by comparison. In the Mahabharata, it is said that “The god Airavata has four tusks and three trunks. He is great in size, and pearly white.”

Translated from the Erawan Elephant Museum and the faith of its maker, Erawan Museum , Samutprakarn Thailand.