Aromkwan Bangkok – Extreme Malaysian Food! (Smoked Curry + Biryani Mountain)

Aromkwan (smoky atmosphere) is a one-of-a-kind dining experience in Bangkok!

Chef Bank serves what could easily be called Extreme Malaysian foodwhere he mostly uses traditional family recipes, but takes it a step further by smoking everything, and then serves you a mountain of food on a banana leaf.

Don’t wear belts or jeans, but get ready to party and have fun like never before.

Aromkwan (smoking mood)

What is it I love it (smoky mood)?

Chef Bank explained to me that in Thai, aroma means emotion, e kwan means smoke, and romkwan it is the smoking process. As Chef Bank explained, the idea behind Aromkwan is the smoking process that requires a high level of emotion and understanding of fire.

You’ll realize it’s a perfect name for what they do and the food they serve.

To briefly summarize the story, Chef Bank started Aromkwan as a BBQ food truck.

Later, especially during Thailand’s lockdown period, they started delivering orders, mainly their famous smoked pork knuckle biryani. Now they have opened a single table per evening, the Chef’s Table restaurant, just down the street from their home in Bangkok.

Reservations are required. You can also still get delivery (+66884958213, Facebook page, Instagram page)



video by aromakwan

If you have a few minutes, you can watch the video to see the full experience of our meal at Aromkwan.

Where do the recipes come from?

“My father is Malaysian Indian, my mother is Thai Chinese.”

This is literally a combination of 4 of my favorite food groups in the world.

I asked Chef Bank where most of the recipes came from and he mentioned his grandmother in Malaysia. He grew up eating his curry and, over the years, has never found anything comparable.

So he started learning his grandmother’s recipes, trying and experimenting.

Additionally, Chef Bank has always loved barbecue and smoking. And so he thought: Why not take these long braised curries and take the next step by smoking them in a clay pot for another 10 or 12 hours?

And that’s what they do in Aromkwan (Smoke mood).

Chef Bank is extremely friendly, so when you are there you can ask him all about his story and ideas.

But now let’s move on to food.

Bakkwa + Ginger Fizz

The first thing we had was a bite to eat and a welcome drink, Singapore style mashed potatoand a house-made sparkling ginger drink. The bakkwa is quite sweet, but the fire has really caramelized the sugars creating an incredible smokiness and pairs well with the ginger flavor.

Ox tongue skewers

Next, the ox tongue skewers, which were ridiculously tender, melt tenderly in your mouth. Guaranteed to get the juices flowing in your mouth.

I didn’t get a photo, but there was also a snack bowl with crunchy nuts and refried beans, with onions and tomatoes. It reminded me a little jhal muri in Calcutta.

Lay the table

Setting the table is both exciting and part of your experience when eating at Aromkwan (อารมณ์ควัน). Chef Bank really highlighted the importance of an interactive meal, where you not only eat, but feel the food, know where it’s coming from, and share it with the people in your group at your table.

In the greatest table of all time, Chef Bank starts with a base of biryani, then proceeds to pile on everything from quail egg to sambal, smoked bok choy, a whole smoked goat leg and shank of curry pork until you’re faced with a mountain.

Here are all the dishes we ate:

• Biryani
• Asian slaw – salad
• Sambal of quail eggs
• Southern dried shrimp
• Smoked Portabello mushrooms
• Charred bok choy
• Smoked goat leg curry
• Smoked curried pork knuckle
• Homemade curd
• Grilled fish
• Smoked chicken wings
• Crispy pork lard, curry leaves to garnish

Grilled fish

Every time I go to Malaysia, grilled fishor grilled fish with sambal, it’s something I can’t get enough of.

At Bangkok’s Aromkwan (อารมณ์ควัน) restaurant, they smoke King Mackerel, then cover it in a combination of lard and dried shrimp sambal, before wrapping it again and throwing it into the fire. He is wonderful.

Smoked curried pork knuckle

One of the typical and most famous dishes is the smoked pork shank with curry.

Braised pork shank is a popular Chinese Thai street food, but Chef Bank combined this concept into a curry and then smoked it. The cooking process lasts more than 30 hours, so you can imagine how it melts in your mouth.

The layer upon layer of flavor, smokiness and spice harmony was mesmerizing.

Smoked goat leg curry

If I could only choose one dish, I think it would be the smoked goat leg curry.

I’m not afraid to admit that I’ve been a goat since I was a kid.

The curry sauce is incredibly rich and chunky and, literally, you can see the smoky pink rings evident in the meat right down to the bone – and then it oozes into the curry sauce if things couldn’t get any better…

and I don’t think things could get any better.

I think another thing worth mentioning is that part of the joy of eating this extreme smoked curry meal of Malaysian cuisine, is stirring the dishes with your fingers.

Each dish stands out on its own, but at the same time is enhanced when mixed and paired with other dishes in the meal.

The food itself is exceptional and the hospitality and friendliness of Chef Bank and the entire team at Aromkwan (อารมณ์ควัน) is what makes your meal even more memorable.

An exceptional meal, with so much love, passion and dedication in what they do and in every bite of food you taste.

Aromkwan (Smoking Mood) Asian Smokery – Bangkok, Thailand

Reservation required: +66884958213, Facebook page, Instagram page
Address: 297, 2 Klang Alley, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110 (Phrom Phong area of ​​Bangkok, Google Maps)
Opening time: from Tuesday to Sunday, from 5pm to midnight
Prices: Approximately THB 1,850 per person