MAP The Northern Thai village where Nane was born has always benefited from its proximity to the porous border with Burma, through which customs, languages and goods pass freely back and forth. So when Nane opened for business in Nishi-Ogikubo he chose to celebrate this cultural fusion by naming his Thai restaurant Shwedagon, after Rangoon's revered pagoda. Two years later, Shwedagon has gained a reputation not only for its northern twists on popular Thai dishes, but as a restaurant that offers more than just a place to eat.
First impressions can be misleading.
Nane's wife, Keiko, has managed to offset this expensive image with Thai artifacts and pictures brought back from their regular trips, but the proof remains in the menu where few dishes extend into the JY1000 price bracket. At JY850, its lemon, coriander and chili tang is ideal either as a party dish for spice-lovers or as an accompaniment to a chilled beer at the bar. Nane excels in introducing fresh herbs into almost all his dishes. Any one of these goes particularly well with fried chicken, the dominant meat dish. Chicken appears also in the curries, without which no Thai menu would be complete.