Charm Thai Kitchen & Bar Celebrates First Anniversary in Style

Charm Thai Kitchen and Bar has been opened for a year, and held a special dinner to honor this significant achievement. Charm has evolved since its opening into one of the best restaurants in the Woodlands.

Owners Adam and Wanalee Gorelick pulled out all the stops for this dinner; anyone who knows them knows that excellence is always their goal. Along with Amrina and Phat Eatery, the Charm Team has significantly elevated the landscape for Asian cuisine in the Woodlands area. No longer do Woodlands residents have to drive into Houston when they’ve got a craving for great Asian cuisine.

The Entertainment

Entertainment was provided by a group of very talented Thai musicians and dancers who delighted the guests with their traditional songs and performances. The private dining area of the restaurant was transformed into a stage for the performances.

The Food

The seated dinner included a special menu created by owner Adam Gorelick and the Charm team, including pit master Jonathan Rodgers. The team really showcased their abilities; this meal was one of the most enjoyable we’ve had in a very long time. We’d love to see Charm offer curated tasting menus like this one on a regular basis.

The meal started with the jewel-like Kanom Jeeb Nok – a beautiful steamed dumpling handcrafted into the shape of a tiny bird. The beautiful hue was provided by butterfly pea flower, and the filling of shallot, peanut, sweet pickled radish and palm sugar created a gently sweet, nutty bite that left us wanting to eat an entire flock.

We then were presented with an elegant Pork Belly Bao – a traditional steamed bao bun containing slow-smoked pork belly burnt ends, pickled green papaya, and crispy fried shallots. Pork belly burnt ends are now one of our favorite things; the pit master’s skill was evident in the perfectly smoked bites, and the tangy papaya provided a deft counterpoint to balance the fattiness of the pork belly.

Next up was the stunning Brisket Burnt End “Sushi”. Pitmaster Jonathan Rodgers expertly smoked high quality brisket and seasoned it with the classic Thai jim jaew, a glaze made of fish sauce, lime juice, tamarind, sugar, dried chilies, toasted rice powder and fresh herbs. Presented over jasmine rice, the result was a phenomenal bite that drives the flavor of classic Texas barbecue to the Far East, and the result is delicious. We are huge fans of the culinary bonding of barbecue and Asian flavors, and Chef Jonathan deftly pulled this off.

Now it was time for the mains to debut. The delicate Sea Bass in the Garden combined a perfectly seared filet of sea bass with Thai herbs, and a side of Thai riceberry rice. The buttery, flavorful fish was complemented by the beautiful indigo-hued rice’s mildly sweet and nutty flavor. This was another masterful course by the Charm culinary team.

Next up was the show stopper: Massaman Beef Tenderloin. A slice of expertly sous-vide tenderloin was draped atop a lake of sublime massaman curry, and presented with roasted heirloom carrots and the utterly ridiculous pavé potatoes, which contained countless layers of microplaned potato and butter. The amount of work represented by these humble potatoes demonstrated the team’s dedication to providing a spectacular meal; no effort was spared. The rich beefy flavor of the perfectly mid-rare tenderloin danced with the rich aromatics and subtle sweetness of the curry, and the light buttery crunch of the potatoes provided an artful foil to the tender slab of beef.

We ended this spectacular meal in fine fashion, with Oolong Tea Infused Ice Cream, a cool lush flavor that was the perfect denouement to this spectacular meal.

The Team at Charm Thai Kitchen & Bar presented an impressive multi course meal that celebrated the achievement of their first anniversary; we hope we won’t have to wait another year before they pull out all the stops like this again.

The event also introduced talented pit master Jonathan Rodgers to those who hadn’t met him previously (He was one of the talents behind Tejas Barbecue). Chef Jonathan will be opening the new Charm Taphouse and BBQ, and we can’t wait to sample what he’s creating.