Sadly Baan Boran closed it's doors
Since March 19th, 2009 a new venue opened it's doors in Chaweng, the Baan Boran located close to Chaweng lake.
Yesterday evening was the first time I visited and it was a very nice experience, done in style and interesting to boost!
It's a concept where you dine in a very nice, air conditioned spacious room that can seat up to 150 people and during your meal some puppet shows will be performed.
The whole place is done in a very nice and professional way, starting with a nice parking area in front, which in Thailand is not necessarily a give fact and nice, Ayudhaya style building.
The nice set up continues inside with a spacious dining room and nicely set up diner tables and a very attentive staff who take care of your needs nicely.
In one corner, to the left of the stage are these beautifully traditional style masks made into a small shrine.
The puppet show is rather remarkable and interesting to see. The show is performed by a troupe of traditional Thai puppeteers who learned the art of traditional Thai puppetry from Thailand’s legendary puppet master, Mr Sakorn Yangkhiawsod, one of Thailand’s most distinguished artists in the performing arts. It takes 1-2 years of training to perfect the art-form, and preserves the original form and style of the puppet play using finer and more complex techniques than most puppet dramas. Each puppet requires the synchronized efforts of three puppeteers dressed in black who control the puppet’s spindle, arms and legs to produce highly animated and life-like movements. The synchronized gestures are gracefully performed in conjunction with a lively medley of different stories from the Ramakien epic, Japanese and Korean songs and lively Thai folk dance.
My wife told me that she learned this at her school, back in the days and right now, unfortunately it seems to be a dying art tradition.
One of the puppets at close range, with the male troupe/3 puppeteers behind the puppet. This Yak remake puppet scared the living hell out of my kids, strangely enough all the other (Western) kids weren't fazed by this puppet at all!
On to the food, there's the option for an a la carte menu, currently at 1.300,-THB and a set menu, which we had for the same price. This is the starter of mentioned set menu consisting of
Kratong-Tong; A healthy menu Grade A “Mieng” tuna tartare, limestone tartlets, peanut, ginger and lime and Moo Nam Tok; Northern Thai pork salad with long beans and roasted sticky rice.
This was followed by a choice of soup of either; Tom-Yam Goong, a Koh Samui Spicy and sour seafood soup with kaffir lime leaves, bird-eye chili and tomatoes or Tom Kha Gai, a Coconut galangal soup with organic chicken and straw mushrooms.
The set menu had 5 options and you could choose 2 options. This is a lovely tasting Geang Phed Ped Roasted duck breast, pineapple, tomatoes in rich red curry sauce.
Goong Pad Kra Pow Wok-Seared Tiger Prawns with oyster mushroom and Thai hot basil sauce.
Desert was a treat as well and very nicely served, consisting of Banana Spring Rolls and Jasmine Flower Flan, although the flan tasted like soap, due to the jasmine I guess.
All in all an excellent way to spend your evening, they open their doors at 7 pm and the first set of two shows finishes at 10 pm, followed by a another show between 10pm and midnight.
Highly recommendable and enjoyable.
Camille
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