I had the pleasure to be invited to a Chefs Table at Wawee Organic Coffee Learning Center Doi Chang. Getting there is not an easy task, and those who get motion sick should prepare accordingly. The road up is small and winding, with sharp curves but along the way, you get treated to some great views of the jungles. There are plenty of rest points for those would like to take some pictures of the majestic views.
Once I arrived Wawee Organic Coffee Learning Center, I went to my room to decompress and surprised with these big charming windows that perfectly framed the sun as it was setting. I immediately threw everything on my bed and just took a minute a appreciate the moment.
Trips like these help reset the mind and make you want to disconnect and escape from the modern world. It’s an excellent site sitting at the top of Doi Chang. The view was breathtakingly beautiful, while the design of the accommodations is a mix of traditional and industrial designs. The building gives a warm but upscale type of look and feel.
After getting a chance to unwind, I was ready to sit down and enjoy the dinner Chef Black had prepared for the evening. Chef Black is known for always working with local ingredients and experimenting with the unexpected. He engages with his dishes from the idea to completion. He has to know where every spice, and where every meats origin. Delicious, innovative, tantalizing and experimental is what comes to mind when talking about Chef Blacks culinary expeditions. His dishes aim to not only to shock the sense but always pleasing to the taste buds.
The meal, of course, lived up to the expectations but for me, two main dishes stood out the most. The first was a plate that rice from Pattani (southern province) served with marinated shredded chicken with herbs, fermented catfish nam prick (chili paste) and vegetables poached with shrimp paste juice. The catfish nam prick just please every taste bud. Savory, spicy, with the aroma of turmeric, delighted my sense of smell and taste. It was so good I couldn’t help not only to ask for seconds but thirds as well!
For dessert we had a Black Tea Meringue served with Longan sorbet with a drizzle of coffee & dark chocolate sauce and red roselle, mulberry and bitter lime compote. Now I will be frank… I am not a fan coffee deserts or meringue. But this was just delightful. The crisp texture of the meringue felt like a wafer while instantly melting in your mouth reminded of eating cotton candy without the intense sugar rush. Logan ice cream gave it subtle fruity notes that popped but was brought back down and blended with coffee/chocolate sauce. I can not believe that I was enjoying coffee in my dessert. When I expressed this sentiment to my surprise Chef Black also responded that he’s also not a fan of meringue. But just because he doesn’t like a particular dish doesn’t mean he shouldn’t give it a try at making it, after all, that’s the puzzle he’s always trying to solve when using ingredients that don’t follow the norm.
As the sunset and the cold came rolling in, the alcoholic beverages came out also. The romantic setting and atmosphere. At the base of the grounds, they had a section for a campfire that was quickly put to use as the sun disappeared. The fire was roaring, and the flames warmed our bodies as we just talked about nothing and everything into the early hours of the morning.
In the morning I got a tour of the Wawee Plantation. We were treated to trip up the mountains to see the vast, what almost seems to be an infinite amount of coffee bean trees on the top of the mountain. But there we got to see how the work it goes into collect the beans to make the cup of coffee we enjoy. It was undoubtedly a big eye opener for me and made me appreciate more the cups of coffee I am very fortunate to enjoy every day.
For those interested in staying a night at the Wawee OrganiCoffee Learning Center, know that any trip you plan is tailor-made to suit your needs. For a Chefs table, there need to be more than ten people booked for the night. The Chefs Table would include two meals. For those interested in exploring the surrounding area, you can quickly take a bike to explore the local town. If you are interested in staying at Wawee Coffee Organic Learning Center when the coffee berries are in full bloom, it is best to book before the end of February.
Booking Call: 081-673-3784
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