Houston fine dining Thai restaurant MaKiin will host a memorable meal this Monday, October 19. Chef Chumpol Jangprai — chef and owner of Bangkok's two-Michelin-starred R-HAAN — will serve a seven-course, $250 menu that blends his contemporary Thai fare with Texas ingredients.
A look inside MaKiin.
Upper Kirby restaurant MaKiin will host a very special meal on Monday, October 19.
“To me, Chef Chumpol is the best Thai chef working today,” MaKiin owner Lukkaew Srasrisuwan tells CultureMap in an email. “He isn't just cooking; he's an artist who has turned Thai food into art. This dinner is a rare chance for Houston to see Thai culture through his eyes, and having him cook here is a true honor.”
Srasrisuwan adds that she began patronizing Jangprai’s restaurants even before it captured Michelin’s attention. It turns out that she and the chef had friends in common, forming the basis of a personal and professional relationship that led to Monday night’s dinner.
Rather than a collaboration, the meal blends some of chef Jangprai’s signature items with his take on Texas fare. One course is Tom Jiew, a veal soup that Srasrisuwan says her grandmother made but that she’s never eaten at a restaurant. The final savory course is Black Angus beef with khao buri and three curries. Other dishes include Thai vegetable salad with chicken, lobster phla, and barramundi with Thai prik khing.
“Chef Chumpol’s restaurant serves contemporary Thai, and the menu he’s created for this dinner goes further into true Thai gastronomy using modern techniques,” Srasrisuwan explains. “At MaKiin, everything starts from traditional Thai dishes. We keep the flavors and techniques intact, then elevate them with premium proteins and refined plating, but it’s always still Thai. Seeing the two approaches side by side is part of what makes this evening special for me.”
R-HAAN is one of eight restaurants in Bangkok to hold two Michelin stars, which indicates “restaurants where the team’s personalities and talents shine through in expertly crafted dishes, with food that is both refined and inspired,” according to the guide’s website. As a reminder, no restaurant in Texas has earned two stars, making the dinner a rare opportunity for Houstonians to experience this style of dining without getting on a plane.
Then again, maybe it will become slightly less rare. “This is just the beginning,” Srasrisuwan adds. “Chef and I are planning to work together more, so stay tuned. I can’t share details yet, but something exciting is coming.”
Reservations for Monday night’s dinner are available via OpenTable. An optional wine pairing is available for $90.
