Yes, we can! (Really?) Some restaurants need not to pursue a culinary excellency to survive in the game, if they have unlimited fresh fund from the holding companies or from their families and armed with massive pr works. Unfortunately such scenario is overflowed in Bangkok's restaurant business.
Obama's presidency campaign might have borrowed an idea from those Bangkok's high-so restaurateurs - "Yes, we can"! There is a trend that local high-so second and third generations like to open their experiment restaurants to see if "they can" or not!
Kitchen Paradiso, owned by a quality spa products supplier and exporter also one of my favorite aroma massage oil brands, rolled out her debut in the Erawan Plaza Bangkok many years ago. The first time I visited there was 4 years ago, that was my only attempt on her food.
Last year Kitchen Paradiso moved to Siam Paragon. The location is so much better when compares to her old shop. Well-off students and lost tourists may settle at Kitchen Paradiso while the opposite Starbucks is full. Like I encountered few days ago, unfortunately!
duck leg confit failed to reach the mark! i didn't feel like sample confit that were carefully prepared in timely process the Gascony way! this one is bland, no layer of flavor, and lack of texture, i wonder if the chef deep-fried it before serving to yield crispy touch instead of slowly poached in oven then stored the leg in her fat .. strange some reviews claim that Kitchen Paradiso a duck specialty restaurant (thanks to paid pr works!) but my found is far from authentic.
Kitchen Paradiso ** 3/F the Siam Paragon 991/1 Rama I Road Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 Tel.: 02.610.9709 Kitchen Paradiso
Open daily : 10:30 am - 9:30 pm Pay (food only for two): expect THB 3,000
HuaSengHong in Yaowaraj is one trusted Thai-Chinese restaurant with specialties of shark fins soup and Thai-Chinese delicacies for half a century. Due to its location (I always avoid that dirty and messy Chinatown) and my habits of no-fins dining, this outstanding Yaowaraj restaurant doesn't earn my blessing. Nevertheless, it is a blessing to me that HuaSengHong operates a number of sister branches in major shopping malls, as Hong Min.
This all-day-dining venue serves scrumptious Hong Kong dimsum, light meal, hot-pot and Chinese cuisine in a Thai-Chinese accent. Food is pretty good in local standard, or compare to her competitors in similar cuisine in Bangkok, Hong Min is definitely a standout from them. Currently, Hong Min offers live crab at THB 288 per crab. You may ask the chef to prepare your crab in stir-fried with curry powder, or black pepper with chilies, while I had mine in stir-fried with phadprikprao (fried pungent chili paste). Surprisingly it was one of the best crabs in prikprao sauce I have sampled. Hong Min (@MBK branch) earns my applause.
Hong Min by HuaSengHong香味 **** Shop#3A09-11, 3/F MBK Centre (also a branch on G/F near Tops Supermarket) 444 Phayathai Road Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Open daily : 11 am - 9 pm Pay (food only for two): Around THB 150 for noodles/one dish menu, or THB 600 for full course
You have choice! You don't have to sweat under heat to eat your bowl of spicy boat noodles. On Siam Square Soi 6, Loom Thai Boat Noodle serves authentic Ayutthaya boat noodles, in the comfort of air-conditioning room and hygiene.
Minimized decor Shanghai Yi-jai Ging Chinese Bistro is where we crave for authentic home-style Shanghaiese cuisine but not luxury dining. From my favorite Shanghaiese wonton soup to fear-factor dishes, they have them all.
1. shredded radish with jelly fish salad 2. stir-fried river shrimp with "lon-jen" tea leaves 3. braised white eel in casserole 4. fried whole live frogs on sizzling hotplate 5. stir-fried silk gourd (buap-liam) with Shanghai hairy-soybeans 6. steamed sea bass in heavy meicai sauce (preserved vegetables) 7. Shanghaiese wonton soup 8. deep-fried sweet sesame balls in red bean fillings Yi-jia Ging Chinese Bistro 上海一家親小館 ***1/2 128/7 Silom Soi 6 Silom Road Suriyawongse, Bangkok 10500 Tel.: 02.634.4175
Open daily : 11 pm - 12 am Pay (food only for two): around THB 600
Ever think of having ice cream in a Thai restaurant after a feast at an exquisite French bistro?
No. You didn't!
But, I do. I always do!
homemade ice cream - 1. nostalgic flavor vanilla and chocolate, 2. aroma taro homemade ice cream - 3. custard apple, 4. vanilla, kati, and taro ThonKrueng is already one of my favorite Thai restaurants in town since I landed to Thailand, however for almost two decades I never tried her ice cream (as I have a prejudice that most Thai restaurants don't make their desserts and ice cream in-house, they use OEM service and they are always too sweet). Until two years ago I challenged withThonKrueng homemade ice cream due to curiosity, and surprisingly I found my old-school nostalgic flavor there.
A jamais vu dining Although Déjà Vu is not the restaurant I already-seen in a dream, but she is definitely a quality restaurant I expect Accor Hotels should deliver to Bangkok residents (and tourists of course) after my disappointment with its Bangkok flagship hotels F&B venues, Sofitel Silom and Novotel on Siam Square.
Déjà Vu is a trendy bistro cum wine house, pretty large in size with very high ceiling, decorated in modern comfort, tables on red. Cuisine is Continental on the French side. Ambiance is easy going, service is attentive, and the bill is wallet friendly.
On the occasion while France celebrated its 220th Bastille Day (la FêteNationale) on July 14, I joint my friends to Déjà Vu. Unlike previous visits, menu of tonight was tailored, and fun. The 30-course la FêteNationale Tasting Menu was actually 30-mouthful bites (yes, tapas alike) consisting of Starters tasting menu, Soup tasting menu, Seafood tasting menu, Meat tasting menu, and Desserts tasting menu. Accompanied with wines, of course.
The way Deja Vu served the 30-course la FêteNationale Tasting Menu didn't deliver a WOW factor to diners; however, quality of food and taste were marvelous!
Déjà Vu ***3/4 Pullman King Power Hotel 8/2 Rangnam Road Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400 Tel.: 02.680.9999 Deja Vu
Open daily : 7 pm - 11 pm Pay (food only for two): around THB 3,000
I confess. I almost forget a review on one of Bangkok best wine and dine venues, Reflexions. There we expect innovative French cuisine with intense flavors and the use of finest seasonal produce from talented young chef de cuisine ThibaultChiumenti.
The French moderne Reflexions is an exquisite combination of nouvelle cuisine and traditional French fare, with unusual fun on-the-wall and transcontinental vibes as the addition. I enjoyed my evening there with delectable cuisine in a romantic ambiance and incomparably attentive service.
If one feels that French cuisine is insipid in Bangkok, prepare to have ones taste-buds evolve at Reflexions.
1. amuse bouche; 2. sea urchin cream soup with poached oyster and truffle 3. degustationdehorsd'oeuvre - sea bass carpaccio, duck raviole, foiegras terrine, roasted frog leg, and sea urchin cream with poached oyster 4.complimentary tequila vodka sorbet on ice 5. roasted pigeon breast and leg in duck liver pastilla, and black truffle 6. grilled Andaman tiger prawn, Sardinian couscous, fava beans and lobster sauce 7. freshly baked French bread variety; 8. desserts sampler
Reflexions ***1/2 Plaza Athenee Hotel Bangkok (a Royal Meridien hotel) 10 Wireless Road Lumpini, Bangkok Tel.: 02.650.8800 Reflexions
Open Tuesday - Saturday : 6 pm - 11 pm Pay (food only for two): expect THB 6,000
- The passion of contemporary French cuisine is limitless; my food is a culinary journey to discover. ThibaultChiumenti
I like hot pot, shabu shabu, fondue, and even jim-joom (Issan hot pot); but, I don't applause suki (Thai-Chinese hot pot) as they don't emphasize on the ingredients but only the sauce. That's mean you eat some deeply frozen and bloody dead ultra common seafood or meat and not necessary of top quality, but dip those food alike in a small bowl of well-mixed dipping sauce. Any suki restaurant serves good mixer dipping sauce is called a quality suki restaurant!
Among all suki restaurants in Thailand, the half century old Coca Suki Restaurant perhaps the better one in term of variety and quality of hot pot ingredients. And the bottom line is, Coca waitpersons do not sing and dance (the funny way) in the middle of my meal.
