The White Menu dining experience observes zero waste principles (All photos: ORI9IN)
Clean eating takes on a whole new meaning at ORI9IN, Thailand’s first gourmet organic farm. The joint venture between Banyan Tree Group and sustainable farmers James Noble and Khun May is an expanded version of the couple’s own agriculture business — The Boutique Farmers — that grows on-demand produce for professional chefs and restaurants on a contractual basis.
Championing local procurement and sustainably sourced food is the core of ORI9IN’s focus. At the heart of the 350 acres of land is the ORI9IN restaurant, which offers a White Menu dining experience that observes zero waste principles and educates guests on food provenance.
The menu is built upon seasonal ingredients available at the farm and the dishes are made using traditional culinary techniques such as solar baking, 16-hour earth oven roasting, fermenting, sun-drying, pickling and curing. Some ingredients are sourced from local cooperatives, including fishermen, livestock farmers and artisans located within a 30km radius.
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“Luxury is changing,” said Noble, who was a chef at a two-Michelin-star restaurant. “Fine dining is changing. What people want from the new norm is to know where their food is coming from.”
The White Menu offers guests an unorthodox dining experience as dishes are made specifically for them. “All the guests just write their preferences on a white piece of paper,” Noble explained. “They love the surprise factor of seeing what I’m able to come up with between that and when I put the dish in front of them. It’s in the moment, yet incredibly considered.”
ORI9IN works with local farmers to employ biodynamic farming methods and distribute high-quality organic products to restaurants and hotels as a means for import substitution to reduce carbon footprint. It features farm rental spaces to grow specific ingredients as well as to test and plant overseas products for over 15 top Michelin-starred chefs from Thailand’s best restaurants and hotels.
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Families can also rent land, take part in farming and harvesting activities at ORI9IN and have fresh produce delivered to their homes weekly. Ticketed activities include the highly-anticipated Maize Maze, touted to be Asia’s largest. Guests can explore three organic corn mazes, which will be decked out on themed nights such as Halloween, Songkran and Christmas. Venues suitable for weddings, meetings, conferences and exhibitions are also in the pipeline.
ORI9IN will be officially opened to the public in October this year from 9am to 6pm daily.
