238
.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 Paragon991/1 Rama I RoadPathumwan, Bangkok 10330Tel.: 02.610.9709Kitchen ParadisoOpen daily : 10:30 am - 9:30 pmPay (food only for two): expect THB 3,000
237
.Filling the hunger Hua Seng Hong 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 Hua Seng Hong 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 phad prik prao (fried pungent chili paste). Surprisingly it was one of the best crabs in prik prao sauce I have sampled. Hong Min (@MBK branch) earns my applause.
Hong Min by Hua Seng Hong 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
234
.Old-school ice creamEver 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
Thon Krueng 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 with Thon Krueng homemade ice cream due to curiosity, and surprisingly I found my old-school nostalgic flavor there.
Bangkok epicurean scene, the crouching tiger hidden dragon!
Thon Krueng Thai Restaurant
(homemade ice cream) ****
239 Sukhumvit Road Soi 55
(corner Thonglo Soi 13)
Wattana, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.391.8703
Thon Krueng
Open daily : 11 am - 10:30 pm
Pay (ice cream only for two): around THB 150
BANGKOK AMAZING GOURMET
.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 Fête Nationale) on July 14, I joint my friends to Déjà Vu. Unlike previous visits, menu of tonight was tailored, and fun. The 30-course la Fête Nationale 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 Fête Nationale Tasting Menu didn't deliver a WOW factor to diners; however, quality of food and taste were marvelous!
Déjà Vu ***3/4Pullman 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
BANGKOK AMAZING GOURMET
.French into Pan Asia affairsI 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 Thibault Chiumenti.
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. degustation de hors d'oeuvre - sea bass carpaccio, duck raviole, foie gras 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 samplerReflexions ***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. Thibault Chiumenti
231
.Eat what they serveI 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.
Besides suki, Coca also serves Chinese cuisine.
Coca Suki Restaurant 可口火鍋酒樓 **1/2
Sukhumvit Soi 39
Wattana, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.234.1957
Coca Suki
Open daily : 11 am - 9:30 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 1,000
