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Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Le Pre' Grill


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Bouillabaisse Come to Silom

From Soi Langsuan to Chongnonsi, Le Pre' Grill has been in the Bangkok food scene for five years. Its pretty French name hints that what kind of cuisine Le Pre' Grill is on offer. Yes, it is about unpretentious French cuisine with a coffee shop touch. Food taste so-so as the price is modest.



Le Pre' Grill French Restaurant ***
2 Narathiswas Road
Surawong, Bangrak
Bangkok 10500
Tel.: 02.266.5899
Le Pre' Grill

Open daily: Lunch 11:30 am - 2:30 pm; Dinner 6 - 11 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 3,000

Monday, December 28, 2009

Bonjour


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Au Revoir to All That

The name Alain Ducasse, a celebrity French chef who is behind over a dozen of award winning haute cuisine restaurants in the world, took me curiosity to (finally) visit the almost one-year-old Bonjour on Sukhumvit Road.

To be precise, Alain Ducasse has nothing to do with Bonjour. It is chef Thierry Enderlin, who is responsible for Bonjour's kitchen, gave interview to local media that he used to cook alongside with the double three-star chef.

Bonjour is a fine dining French restaurant. So it is wise not to do the walk-in.

The receptionist who took my reservations, couldn't handle it in English so I switched to speak my clumsy Thai and spell my name to her letter by letter in English.

The dining area for this proclaimed fine dining venue is bravely paved with PVC tile flooring, with 'matching quality' furniture probably bought from a night bazaar.

The ingredients, claimed the use of quality free range meats and line-caught fish from France happened to be true. Finished products, eatable though we found no shadow of Alain's on any of our orders. The ingredients were satisfying but the food quality (esp. sauce) not on par with other fine dining French restaurants. So we wondered who did the cooking that night!

Unless you open a bottle, the house wine sold here is of very cheap quality. The owner (claimed to be a wine merchant and sommelier) shall stock better house wine for choices. Indeed, who minds to pay a little more if the quality matches the bill.


-amuse bouche and bread
(suppose a chef to show off his culinary skill and enthusiasm on cooking at the begin of a gastronomic journey, our amuse bouche was something without efforts)

-organic green salad Baht 380++
(weird presentation we ever got from any fine dining French restaurant)
-mushroom soup infused with truffle oil Baht 890++
(most pricey soup in BKK, even Reflexions of Plaza Athenee and Normandie of M.O. no soup over Baht 700++; mushroom soup is nice, but no trace of any aromatic from truffle; so we paid $32 for just a bowl of mushroom soup without truffle? crazy!)


Gl. Alexis Merlot

- roasted duck breast with confit of its leg Baht 1,350++
(quality duck, breast nicely prepared, confit of leg & sauce didn't live up to expectations)
- slow cooked Bresse pigeon Baht 1,980++
(Bresse pigeon, good preparation, nicely slow cooked, good flavor, best shot that evening)


- chocolate fondant Baht 290++ vanilla ice cream Baht 180++
(chocolate is of so-so quality; ice cream not Bonjour's home-made)
-petit four (complimentary)
(something anyone can get from the Siam Paragon)

The restaurant, gave us absolute privacy to enjoy our meal, as we were the only table served on a Tuesday (whole) evening. Service (by a junior waitstaff and a busboy; as the waiters and manager maybe busy in the office making calls, and sommelier was not on duty) is sincere and friendly though not professional.

Thanks to Bonjour! Now I may reconfirm that the Normandie is consider a bargain in fine dining, making the rest in Bangkok not comparable. Of course for a bit informal yet romantic choice I always buy Le Banyan, and for home-style cooking that shall be Le Bouchon.

Bonjour French Restaurant ** 1/4
1217/2 Sukhumvit Road
(behind Fullerton Condo)
Wattana, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.714.2112
Bonjour

Open daily: 11am - 10 pm (lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner)
Pay (food only for two): expect THB 7,000




Wednesday, December 23, 2009

La Truffe


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Secret service on duty

Another paparazzi-free eatery in Bangkok. But press the doorbell won't grant you access to this restaurant if your name is off its White-House-style guess list.

I am talking about La Truffe. The house restaurant set inside the mystery Ma Du Zi, a self-proclaimed 5-star hotel without (openly) public access. Only hotel and restaurant guests with advance reservations will be escorted to the restaurant through the embassy alike closed gates.


La Truffe offers French cuisine of Provence accent. The Baht 650++ lunch set is not of best value in Bangkok but quite good in quality. If you are interesting for her dinner, please don't leave home without your platinum black credit card.


1. Lunch set started with amuse bouche - olive mousse on bread (mousse taste good)
2. 1st course - French onion soup


3. 2nd course - N.Z. mussel stuffed with garlic butter
4. main course - pan seared butterfly rainbow trout in Nicoise vinaigrette


5. dessert - blanc manger (French almond pudding)
6. coffee or tea


La Truffe ** 1/2
Ma Du Zi Hotel
9/1 Ratchadapisek Road
(corner Sukhumvit So1 16)
Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.615.6400
La Truffe

Open daily: 7am - 11pm
Pay (food only for two): expect THB 6,000 (Lunch set available at THB 650++)


left- the facade of the hotel; right- La Truffe

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Pasta 54


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Swimming in Olive Oil

This is a no-frills Italian eatery not only hidden in a sub-soi on busy Thonglo Road but also we need to ring the doorbell at gates in order to get access to the house (or if you prefer to call it a restaurant). The restaurant has no obvious shop sign and no shop facade as well. It is owner Mallika Margherita's family house that they live there; and it is the six tables Pasta 54.

Interesting!

Food? Non-commercial home-style recipes from the owner's nanny of Naples, Italy; therefore dishes are of basic kind. After all we felt like eating at our neighbor's house with our neighbors.

Customers? Thonglo hi-so residents and paparazzi-sensitive movie stars.


1. green salad Baht 100; 2. ministrone soup Baht 100 (hearty!)

3. grilled fish with rosemary Baht 200

4. spaghetti with fresh tomato and basil Baht 160; 5. pasta D'estate Baht 180
(great if you love olive oil, plenty of them!)

Pasta 54 **3/4
Soi Saeng Thong
off Thonglo Soi 25
Wattana, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.185.0918

Open daily: 11am - 9pm
(ring the doorbell to grant yourself an entrance)
Pay (food only for two): around THB 900


one of the two dining room inside the family house compound

Monday, December 21, 2009

Vino


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Moving Backward

Since we tried to escape from high-db-noise (noise, not vibe) and congested ambiance at Zanotti, for many years we jump to her sister restaurant Vino di Zanotti (Vino), a wine bar cum pizzeria also sited on the same soi (lane).

Our first visit were five years ago. Satisfactory began with the able young farang manager* who has excellent service manner and knowledge on wine and tapas. We received good recommendation as well as close attention from him and his service team. Later the decent service was gone in alongside with his departure.

A revisit to Vino few nights ago, we found that the restaurant was quite empty instead of the once full-house scene. We further found that the food quality didn't stay while the price flew. Service? We felt that the present manager may enter to a wrong industry!

Lucky that in Bangkok we are never short of good Italian restaurants. An unofficial survey suggests that we are surrounding by some 250 Italian eateries that are either owned by native Italian or ran by Italian chefs, and over 30 of them are quite good. We have choice!



Vino di Zanotti **1/4
Silom Road
Bangrak, Bangkok 10110

Pay (food for two): around THB 2,500

* Ex-Manager Alex Morabito opens his own wine bar and restaurant Opus on Pan Road (off Silom Road), and it is superb (both food, wine and service)

* (Update 2010-Dec-01 : Congratulations! Vino di Zanotti is closed forever. Justice served!)


Saturday, December 19, 2009

Beccofino


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Fine Palette Italiano

Beccofino is an Italian expression of 'fine palette'. The restaurant sits in an area that seems to be fast becoming another little Italy with Italian eateries sprawling all over the Thonglo area.

Beccofino Thonglo has one of Bangkok's best value lunch sets on offer.


Lunch set 1st course - antipesto all-you-can-eat style

Lunch set 2nd course - soup

Lunch set 3rd course - pizza or meat

Lunch set 4th course - dessert and coffee/tea

Beccofino Italian Restaurant and Grill ***1/2
146 Soi Thonglo
Sukhumvit Road (Soi 55)
Wattana, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.392.1881
Beccofino

Open daily: Lunch 11:30 am - 2:30 pm; Dinner 6 - 11 pm
Pay (food only for two): expect THB 4,000 (a la carte); 3-course lunch set THB 360++

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Angelini


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Angelini

After a multi million dollars total face-lift in 2008, the legendary but (once) aging Angelini got its energy back. The revamped venue is bright, expressive and pleasant. The new menu also follows tight to the new theme, therefore light and brilliant. No more one menu for (almost) a decade, now menu changes from seasons to seasons.

If you are into hotel's Italian cuisine, then the Angelini is a must visit dining place. To enjoy scrumptious meal and delectable entertainment at Angelini, make sure your dinner is not in any rush! Food is a celebration, so bring your friends.



Angelini Restaurant and Bar ****
Shangri-la Hotel Bangkok
89 Soi Wat Suanplu
off Charoen Krung Road (New Road)
Bangrak, Bangkok 10500
Tel.: 02.206.8677
Angelini

Open daily: 4pm - midnight
Pay (food only for two): expect THB 5,000