Orchid Cafe buffet

29

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Orchid Café @ Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel

Our Ratings (1 to 5 the higher the better): Orchid Cafe buffet has [3.6]
(Ratings are based on Food, Service and Ambience, with Price taken into account in relation to Quality) Food =3.5, Service=3.5, Ambiance=4, Money Worth=3.5
Details: Open daily 6:30am-10:30pm; Dinner buffet: 6:30-10:30pm


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Pavilion buffet

28
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Pavilion @ Dusit Thani Hotel Bangkok

Our Ratings (1 to 5 the higher the better): Pavilion buffet has [3.4]
(Ratings are based on Food, Service and Ambience, with Price taken into account in relation to Quality) Food =3, Service=3.5, Ambiance=3.5, Money Worth=3.5
Details: Open daily: Lunch buffet: 12:00 – 2:30pm; Dinner buffet: 6:30-10:30pm; a la carte menu also available
Pavilion Cafe @ the Dusit Thani Hotel Bangkok, Rama 4 Road, Bangrak, Bangkok.



MDS
The writer can be reached at thaisclub@yahoo.com
Copyright © 2007 MDS. All rights reserved.
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Next2 buffet

27
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Next2 Café @ Shangri-la Hotel

Today I tried the scrumptious Seafood dinner buffet at Next2 Café and Terrace, Shangri-la Hotel Bangkok, quality wise it was good but not impressive, but the price at B1,590++ was high-so(ciety). Take a look!

Our Ratings (1 to 5 the higher the better): Next2 buffet has [3.8]

(Ratings are based on Food, Service and Ambience, with Price taken into account in relation to Quality) Food =4, Service=4, Ambiance=3.5, Money Worth=3.5

Price range for two without drinks (incl. local water) in Thai Baht = BBBBB (B=below 200, BB=201-500, BBB=501-1,000, BBBB=1,001-2,000, BBBBB=over 2,000)

Best dishes: pan-seared foie gras, Mongolian grill, tomyum goong

Wine list: good selection of wine

Best table: terrace seats by the river

Details: Open daily a la carte dining open 24 hours; Lunch buffet: 12:00 – 2:30pm; Dinner buffet: 6:30-10:30pm

International Lunch Buffet (Monday-Saturday) B850++

Interactive Dining Experience with Mongolian Grill (Sunday-Thursday) B1,450++

Seafood Extravaganza Nights (Friday-Saturday) B1,590++

Fun-filled Family Sunday Brunch B1,350++

Next2 Cafe at Shangri-la Hotel, 89 Soi Wat Suanplu, New Road Charoen Krung), Bangrak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand. Tel.: 02-2367777 http://www.shangri-la.com/en/property/bangkok/shangrila

Lord Jims buffet

26
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Seafood Sunday Brunch
Lord Jims @ Oriental Hotel Bangkok

Excellent food quality, excellent service, and good price buy Lord Jims probably the best value seafood buffet and Sunday brunch in Bangkok. B950++ weekdays, and B1,200++ Sunday.

The scene-

My dishes-

Our Ratings (1 to 5 the higher the better): LJ buffet has [4.5]
(Ratings are based on Food, Service and Ambience, with Price taken into account in relation to Quality) Food =4.5, Service=4.5, Ambiance=4, Money Worth=5

Details: Open daily for Lunch (buffet and a –la-carte): 12-2:30pm, and Dinner (a-la-carte only): 6-11pm
Lord Jims @ Oriental Hotel Bangkok, Soi Oriental, Charoenkrung Road, Bangkok; Tel: 02.659.9000
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Four Seasons Hotel Sunday brunch

25

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Sunday Brunch
Parichart Court @ Four Seasons Hotel

The Sunday Brunch at Parichart Court of the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok is a desirable one among Bangkok high-so(ciety) and expat diners. This famous Sunday brunch was the first one that includes pan-fried foie-gras and free-flow Martini and wine in the buffet scene in Bangkok later adopted by most competitors.

The plentiful selection of food including a salad table with Caesar salad, marinated salad and organic leaves, assorted cold cuts, Prosciutto di Parma, homemade smoked salmon, asparagus tip salad with shaved parmesan cheese, mixed mushroom salad, marinated green and black olives, and more…

On the cold appetizer station we found Australia rock oysters, sea crabs, Tasmania blue mussels, tiger prawns, rock lobsters, red claw lobsters, scallops and a wild range of home-made dipping sauces and condiments.

In the pond of the Parichart Court there was a set-up for the ‘Caviar in Pool’, including cod roe, salmon roe, black vegetable caviar, whitefish roe, trout roe, lumpfish orange roe, and condiments such as wheat blinis, sour cream, lemon and boiled egg.

The Japanese station featured sushi, California roll, eel teriyaki, and chilled soba; while the Chinese station featured assorted dim sum (ha-gar, siu-mai, …), shark’s fin soup, barbecue whole duck, barbeque pork (char-siu), barbeque marinated baby pork rib, …

Asian specialties didn’t stop here. An Indian corner of traditional chicken tandoori, marinated fish tikka, shish kebabs, plain and garlic naan, potato samosa, chicken salad (chard ra ja wab), prawn salad (gin ka razed), and curries such as chick-pea curry, aloo kobe matta, paneer curry and vegetable curry, were all included.

The breakfast station featured waffles, fruits and berry pancakes, assorted Danish pastries, croissants, bread rolls, muffins, toast, cream cheese, butter, jam, homemade pâté, and an egg station with choices of smoked ham, sausages, bacon, tomato, and mushroom, while I put caviar in my omelet.

Came to the best buffet foie gras in town, the foie gras corner had choices of pan-seared foie gras with port wine sauce, foie gras sausage, terrine de foie gras and foie gras custard with truffle oil.

By this time we were half full, the grilled seafood and steak from the Madison Grill were awaiting us to sample. They included tiger prawns, rock lobsters, fresh trout, salmon steak, John Dory, snow fish, tuna, lamb chops, beef medallion, sirloin steak, spiced pork and veal sausage, assorted grilled vegetables, baked potatoes and sauces. Also there was a carving station for roast duck, crispy pork loin, roast beef and roast chicken.

To save some room for desserts, we didn’t sample the pasta and risotto prepared by the Biscotti, and the Thai corner prepared by the Spice Market, which featured with four kind of spicy salads including som tum, charcoal grilled pork ball dumplings with chili dips, marinated tradition chicken, and Issan sausage (sai krok Issan), steamed prawn soufflé (hor mok goong), and northern style egg noodle curry with chicken (khao soi).

Couldn’t be missed in a prominent buffet scene is the cheese board. Four Seasons prepared for us the Swiss cheese, goat cheese, Roquefort, Brie, blue Stilton, Grana Padano, Provolone, Asiago, Scamorza, Gorgonzola, Taleggio Cheese, with condiments such as dried fruits, dates, apricots and walnuts.

The Dessert Station, not extensive but impressive, included tiramisu, brownies, strawberry trifle, peach crème brûlée, chocolate praline, fresh fruit tart, pistachio raspberry cake, Sacher cake, Ticino cake, cheese crêpe, cherry crumble, banana and Grand Marnier soufflé, crêpe suzette, ripe mango, fresh fruits and ice cream.

The cost for this plentiful buffet treat is B2,200++ included free flow of wines (6 red and 6 white), beers, Martini cocktails, fresh squeezed fruit juice and soft drinks.

Enjoy!



Our Ratings (1 to 5 the higher the better): Four Seasons brunch has [3.7]
(Ratings are based on Food, Service and Ambience, with Price taken into account in relation to Quality) Food=4, Service=4, Ambiance=3, Money Worth=4

Details: Sunday brunch open on SUnday 11:30am - 3:00pm

Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok, 155 Rajadamri Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; Tel.: 02-2501000

The Med brunch

24
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Sunday Brunch
The Med @ Westin Grande Sukhumvit Hotel


Bangkok’s hotels are in heavy competition of good quality Sunday brunch. The Med at the Westin Grande Sukhumvit Hotel is the first one I am going to show you, it is not the best, but it is well worth the price (THB850++) though. Oh it was full house on the day I visited.

Theme of today's Sunday brunch was seafood. The seafood selections included rock lobsters, fresh Aussie oysters, smoked salmon, N.Z. mussels, herrings, seafood tidbits, and lots more on the cold; followed by barbequed sea prawns, baked salmon, pan-fried sea bass with butter sauce, cooked N.Z. mussels with tomato sauce on the hot. In addition to the seafood there were a variety of salad and vegetables, cold cuts, choices of cheese, foie gras, parma ham, roasted beef, roasted lamb leg, roasted baby pig, pizzas, Thai dishes, and desserts. Missing was the popular Japanese specialty such as sashimi, sushi and tempura as in the Bangkok buffet scene.

Pictures tell a thousand words. Enjoy!

Our Ratings (1 to 5 the higher the better): Med brunch has [3.6]
(Ratings are based on Food, Service and Ambience, with Price taken into account in relation to Quality) Food =3.5, Service=4, Ambiance=3, Money Worth=4

Details: Sunday brunch open: 11:30am-3:00pm
The Med @ Westin Grande Sukhumvit Hotel, 259 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok 10110, Thailand; Tel: 02-2078000

* (update on 2009-10-15, The Med had been replaced by the Taste, still doing lunch and dinner buffet)

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Bug and Bee

23
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Failed to fly

At Bug and Bee Cafe, ordering took a timely process; the menu is extensive and informative, history of crepes and the uniqueness of Bug and Bee crepes were written on the menu, and it is customers' obligation to read the encyclopedia alike menu. Choices of crepes and dishes made of crepe noodles are a lot, they are fusion and they are innovation, but failed in cooking process with certain misfire. After ten minutes reading (the menu), I still couldn't launch my verdict on the order, so did my friends; luckily the cafe manager came to our rescue.

He suggested the cafe best selling drink - the mango marvel, consisting of fresh mango and passion fruits blended on a bed of sago (tapioca), to drink the mango juice and suck the sago was how I handled this drink; followed by peachy melo and kiwi cooler, they are funny drinks (taste funny I mean). For crepes, the manager recommended the crepe stuffed with curry crab, Sichuan crepe noodles with prawns, and crepe with grilled duck breast in cranberry ginger sauce. The curry crab (meat) was average, aroma with mild heat of curry married to little sweetness from the crepe, to make this dish eatable, but never remarkable; while the Sichuan prawns had a good recipe and heat but still far from the real Sichuan treat, the prawns, maybe I shall call it small shrimps, were full of frozen taste. The grilled duck breast in cranberry ginger sauce, was indeed few pieces of tough duck meat that would train my teeth, and the cranberry sauce was kind of weird in taste. Perhaps its kitchen is set up for experiment purpose but not to cook for diners!

My friends and I further sampled the seafood (crepe) lasagna, which was unique but not of my fond; and the phad-khee-maow crepe noodles with seafood (with thrifty seafood ingredients), a dish self-proclaimed to be the best phad-kee-maow (stir-fried drunken noodles with basil, garlic, young green pepper, chili and lots of chilies) in Bangkok. (Really? or the owners themselves are drunken 24/7!)

For desserts, I ordered the orange passion fruit crepe with ice cream, my friends opted for the cheesecake parfait with fresh mango (seasonal), Belgian waffle with ice cream, and the shop's signature deep-fried Shanghai date crepe. The cheesecake was a bit too sweet to my standard, but I am sure some people would love it; while the deep-fried Chinese date paste crepe cake was average.

Besides their fusion crepes menu, Bug and Bee also offers a small selections of Chinese fare; they are baked rice Hong Kong style, Cantonese congee, and Hong Kong fried rice. Moreover, there is a full set of all-day breakfast on duty. As mentioned earlier, the menu is BIG, so they are just a few to be named here, from the Bug and Bee's full 'experimental creations'; and the cons is, BIG menu doesn't mean they are good, though!

In order to be benefited from better health through slow eating, I didn't rush my meal at Bug and Bee; our drinks and food didn't arrive promptly after the order had been taken, that given us more time to browse the menu, learn the history of crepes, read a numerous of magazines displayed on two giant racks in the shop, chat to our neighboring table(s), and play with our notebook. Though the restaurant provides free snail-speed wifi service with password access; however, smooth connection is only by luck!

Bug and Bee Cafe **
18 Silom Road
Bangrak, Bangkok 10500
Tel.: 02.233.8118

Open daily : 24-hour (random shortened opening hours without prior notice)
Pay (food only for two): around THB 700



*(update on 2009-10-28 : Bug and Bees' Siam Paragon branch is now a history)
*(update on 2010-05-25 : Bug and Bee's MBK branch is now a history)

Senor Pico

22
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A hot cha-cha salsa night

Senor Pico is a nice Mexican restaurant in Bangkok; it is very popular with high-so(ciety) residents and expatriates who are craving for genuine sizzling fajitas, and other Latin American delicacies.



Senor Pico Mexican Restaurant ***
Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok
19 Sukhumvit Soi 18
off Sukhumvit Road
Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.261.7100
Senor Pico

Open daily : 5 pm - 1 am
Pay (food only for two): around THB 1,300