When new chefs come in to take charge of the kitchen of a restaurant, expect them to infuse into the menu the kind of food they cook. This is exactly what is happening in the kitchen of AzuThai right now.

Thai chef Kanjana Kosidaphan, the new culinary maestro of the award-winning Thai restaurant, has just launched six new and exciting dishes inspired by her recent trip home to Thailand. All authentic Thai flavors, yet all new and exciting for the palate to “discover.”

“Chef Kanjana recommends to guests to just order from the whole new specials menu and promises that they won’t miss their old favorites. She wants to present to AzuThai regulars new interpretations of their favorite Thai dishes,” says chef J Gamboa, who owns and runs AzuThai with his sister Malu.

And, yes, for those who have tried the six new dishes, they did not disappoint.

There is moo ping, or Thai-style grilled Kurobuta pork skewers with cucumber achara (four pieces in an order). It is a typical Thai pork barbecue that you would find grilling on the street corners of Bangkok. Slightly sweet and savory at the same time with that char-grilled flavor, the dish has been upgraded at AzuThai with the use of Kurobuta pork, which gives it an added richness offset by the sweet and sour cucumber pickles that it comes with.

Also a meat-and-salad pairing is som tam moo grob, or crispy pork with spicy papaya salad. Two dishes, spicy papaya salad and crispy pork belly, have been combined to create a great match of flavors and textures.

The thod man kai, or fish cake wrapped eggs with sweet chili sauce, is one truly exciting dish, as it offers fresh and vibrant flavors and a beautiful play of colors. The boiled egg halves are like Scotch Eggs, Thai version, as they are wrapped with a fish cake and sausage “crust” and deep-fried.