27 MAR - A Timeless Culinary Voyage: basil Celebrates 30 Years with Blue Elephant From Royal Heritage to Modern Bangkok
To mark three decades of culinary excellence, basil at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, a Luxury Collection Hotel, presents an extraordinary one-night dinner titled “Bangkok: A Timeless Culinary Voyage – From Royal Heritage to Modern Bangkok.” Created in collaboration with Blue Elephant, the event takes place on 27 March 2026 and is priced at THB 2,800++ per person.
For this milestone occasion, basil is honored to welcome Master Chef Nooror Somany Steppe, founder of Blue Elephant and one of Thailand’s most celebrated culinary figures, alongside Executive Chef Manachai Konkangplu. Together, they bring to the table two distinct but deeply complementary visions of Thai cuisine — one shaped by four decades of championing royal traditions on the world stage, the other by a commitment to innovation rooted firmly in heritage.
Together, their chefs have crafted a tasting menu that moves through the historical eras shaping Bangkok’s culinary identity — from the royal kitchens of early Rattanakosin through to the flavors defining the city today. Each course is a chapter; together, they tell the story of how Bangkok became one of the world’s great food cities.
The journey opens with two amuse-bouches rooted in the royal court tradition of early Bangkok: Blue Elephant’s Crispy Catfish Prawn Salad — pairs seared “Ratchaburi” GI freshwater prawn with the bright sweetness of “Nakhonnayok” GI Marian plum, combined with crunchy catfish, Thai herbs, and a delicate “Phetchaburi” GI tamarind dressing — alongside basil’s Mhee Krob Rajawong, the classic crispy vermicelli brightened with bitter orange and citrus. To open the evening, the Allegrini Soave DOC Oasi San Giacomo 2023 sets a graceful tone — its delicate floral notes and crisp minerality a gentle, luminous companion to the brightness of Marian plum and the subtle richness of river prawn.
As the story moves forward into the River Trade Era, the tasting menu takes inspiration from the movement of people and ingredients that once shaped life along Bangkok’s waterways. Blue Elephant’s Blue Crab Hor Mok is crafted from sweet “Surat Thani” blue swimmer crab, gently folded with betel leaves and southern curry paste, enriched with “Chiang Rai” organic hill tribe egg, and served with a lively dip of “Phuket” GI pineapple — a reminder of the maritime connections that defined the city’s cultural and culinary exchange. The Collavini Il Grigio "Royal" Rosé NV mirrors this sense of cultural confluence — its lively effervescence and fruit-forward elegance dancing effortlessly alongside the aromatic complexity of southern curry and the sweetness of Phuket pineapple.
The soup course pays tribute to Thailand’s royal culinary revival: basil’s Royal Consommé Siam is a refined reinterpretation of Tom Yum, built from river prawn essence and aromatic herbs, enriched with young coconut and Yamabushitake (Lion’s Mane) mushroom. Few wines navigate the vivid tension of Tom Yum with as much poise as the Selbach Saar Riesling Kabinett "Tradition" 2023 — its signature off-dry freshness and electric acidity bridging the heat of the chili and the richness of prawn fat in perfect equilibrium.
The main course embodies the bright, expressive flavors of contemporary Bangkok. Blue Elephant’s “Manao” Snow Fish is steamed with Thai herbs and topped with pickled “Sri Saket” GI garlic, lime‑chili dressing, and bursts of “Saraburi” lime caviar — a dish that speaks to the city’s present‑day clarity, freshness, and bold character. A refreshing Bengal Currant Sorbet follows, offering a sweet‑tart pause in color and brightness — finds a uniquely fitting companion in the Cuvée Siamoise Blue Elephant Label 2024, a wine born of the same culinary vision as the dish itself, its character shaped by the same Thai spirit that defines this era.
The journey then deepens with basil's Choo Chee See Krong Nua — 48-hour braised Wagyu beef short ribs bathed in a luxuriously creamy choo chee curry sauce, with sticky brown rice finished in gold leaf. The Condado de Haza Crianza Ribera del Duero D.O. 2020 rises to the occasion — its structured tannins and dark fruit intensity a powerful yet graceful counterpart to the deep, aromatic richness of the curry.
The journey concludes in the creative present of New Bangkok. A Jasmine Pistachio Cake brings together dates and the crisp richness of “Chiang Rai” organic hill tribe egg, echoing familiar textures while elevating them into a contemporary dessert form. Alongside it, a silky lemongrass panna cotta is served with pomelo, chili‑lime caramel, and crispy basil — a final harmony of aroma, sweetness, and gentle spice that closes the evening with a distinctly modern Thai signature. To close, the Mouton Cadet "Reserve" Sauternes AOC 2019 — one of Bordeaux's most celebrated dessert wines — brings the evening to a golden finale. Its honeyed richness and notes of apricot and vanilla embrace the warmth of pistachio and the aromatic sweetness of lemongrass, lingering long after the last spoonful.
Event Details
Bangkok: A Timeless Culinary Voyage – From Royal Heritage to Modern Bangkok
Date: Friday, 27 March 2026
Time: From 6:30 PM onwards
Venue: basil, Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok
Price:
Food Only: THB 2,800++ per person
Wine Pairing: THB 4,600++ per person (6 tasting portions)
Reservations: https://sheratongrandesukhumvit.info/ATimelessCulinaryVoyage
02 649 8888 | BKKLC-Dining@marriott.com
Recommended. Limited seating available.
About the Chefs
Master Chef Nooror Somany Steppe – Blue Elephant
Born in Chachoengsao province, Master Chef Nooror Somany Steppe grew up surrounded by the rich aromas and traditions of Thai home cooking. Her mother — renowned locally for her exceptional curry pastes, particularly her treasured heirloom Massaman curry paste — became her first and most enduring culinary inspiration. She went on to study in Belgium, where she met her husband Karl Steppe, and together they opened the very first Blue Elephant restaurant in Brussels in 1980.
What began as a single restaurant has grown into one of the world’s most recognized Thai culinary institutions. Today, Blue Elephant operates restaurants in Bangkok, Phuket, Malta, and Copenhagen alongside a renowned cooking school and a premium ingredient line distributed to over 45 countries. Throughout it all, Chef Nooror’s guiding principle has remained unchanged: “You cannot make good Thai food without good Thai ingredients.”
Over four decades, she has been a tireless advocate for Thai cuisine and culture on the global stage, honored with an Honorary Master of Arts degree from Kasetsart University, a Prime Minister Exporter Award, and in 2024, the Officer of the Order of Leopold Royal Decoration — conferred by the Ambassador of H.M. the King of Belgians to Thailand — in recognition of her role in spreading Thai culinary soft power internationally. The Michelin Guide has recognized Blue Elephant Bangkok with a Michelin Plate, affirming its standing as one of the city’s great dining institutions.
Chef Manachai Konkangplu – Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit
Executive Chef of basil at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, Chef Manachai Konkangplu represents a generation of Thai chefs for whom tradition and innovation are not opposing forces but natural partners. Deeply rooted in the heritage of Thai cuisine, he brings to each dish a precision and creativity that reflects both his classical training and his personal culinary vision.
Chef Manachai’s cooking draws on a profound respect for Thailand’s regional culinary traditions — from the aromatic curries of the south to the delicate preparations of the royal kitchen — while embracing the ingredients and techniques that define contemporary Thai fine dining. His cooking bears the unmistakable influence of the late Ajarn Srisamorn Kongphan — the revered guru of Thai heritage cuisine who not only mentored Chef Manachai but also played a pivotal role in shaping the very concept of basil when the restaurant first opened 30 years ago. It is this shared lineage that makes the collaboration with Master Chef Nooror, who trained under the same great teacher, so deeply resonant.
Under his stewardship, basil has continued to be recognized as one of Bangkok’s most respected destinations for authentic Thai cuisine — a restaurant where every dish tells a story, and where the spirit of Thai hospitality is felt in every detail. His collaboration with Master Chef Nooror on this 30th anniversary dinner is, in many ways, a reunion — two chefs, two institutions, one shared lineage, and one enduring devotion to the Thai kitchen.
