Perfectly cooked steak is served simply with red wine jus and truffle and Maldon salts
Tucked away in Phahol-yothin Soi 9 is a charming glasshouse, home to a restaurant that has been delighting foodies in the Ari area since March 2016. Offering casual fine dining, Flat Marble features an intimate chef’s table style in which diners are presented a theatrical view of the open kitchen and the chefs at work. Sharing platters of beautifully cooked steaks and pastas are served across a single marble counter. With three sittings per evening, each accommodating just 11 covers, bookings are required.
Flat Marble has room for just 11 guests
While working their gastronomic magic, owner-chefs Fahmanunya Chatraphuti, or Yingsita, and Peechaya Sukviboon, or Aum, explain how Flat Marble came about. “Aum and I and our two business partners, Dissapong Prasitruangsuk and Thamonwan Vichit, used to enjoy cooking up casual feasts for family and friends at our condos,” says Yingsita. “The meals were always well received and after encouragement from those close to us we decided to take the plunge and open a restaurant serving the kind of fare we like to make for each other at home.”
Chef-partners Peechaya Sukviboon and Fahmanunya Chatraphuti
Their mutual love for beef is reflected in the menu. A range of imported cuts, all hand-selected by the chefs, includes Australian rib-eye wagyu and Japanese akita tenderloin. While steaks are the stars at Flat Marble, the restaurant also dishes up photogenic pastas with extravagant toppings and regular monthly specials to keep the menu exciting.
We begin with perfectly seared Hokkaido scallops, the natural sweetness of which marries exquisitely with the earthy notes of a truffle cream sauce and porcini mushrooms. To balance this blast of richness we also try an energising seasonal salad of fresh strawberries and gooseberries with rocket and sweet basil. Tossed in a luscious lemon vinaigrette, the vibrant mix is finished with pieces of brie, passion fruit and caramelised walnuts for added textures and flavours.
Pan-seared Hokkaido scallops are complemented by a delicate truffle sauce, porcini mushrooms and slices of fresh black truffle 
Al dente capellini topped with plump pan-seared scallops, grilled river prawns, flavoursome ikura and creamy uni
Aum then presents a huge pasta platter loaded with glossy capellini aglio e olio dramatically topped with more seared Hokkaido scallops, grilled river prawns, ikura and Bafun uni. “I threw this together for friends after service one night. It was basically whatever we had left over in the kitchen,” she laughs. “Many customers saw pictures of it on Instagram and started askingd for it, so we put it on the menu.”
Of course, no meal at Flat Marble is complete without a juicy steak and the chefs recommend we try a piece of strip loin, to which they add a lovely sear and then briefly cook to a perfect deep pink. Incredibly tender, it requires nothing more than pinches of truffle and Maldon salts and a drizzle of rich red wine jus. Deeply satisfying, the beef is followed by a childhood treat, Yingsita’s homey version of buttery beef fat fried rice with homemade chilli fish sauce. A dessert of chocolate creme brulee finally rounds off a repast worthy of applause.
Chef Yingsita’s deliciously buttery beef fat fried rice
Flat Marble’s enduring popularity is a testament to its culinary savoir fair. “More than half our clientele are repeat customers,” says Aum. “Having a single counter and an open kitchen enables us to connect with them and get valuable direct feedback that helps us to improve.” And what next? Yingsita’s time as a contestant on Top Chef Thailand Season II has inspired her to venture into Thai cuisine, particularly samrub (sharing) dishes, and plans are coming together to open a single table per night restaurant called Supaluck Suparos by Yingsita just a few metres from Flat Marble.
Flat Marble
Phaholyothin Soi 9
Open daily 5pm-midnight
06-1695-9666
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