The third post Covid19 lunch was yet another great success.  Generous and unflappable host Dave Hallam and Chef K. Duandern made this a truly enjoyable lunch for the 19 gourmands attending this venue now for a sixth time.  

With a refreshing white wine as aperitif, Terlan Winkl Sauvignon Blanc 2018 (Terlano, Italy) commended by wine spokesman Jake Meerman, diners devoured the cold cuts and anchovies with relish (food spokesman Jim Morrison was very impressed) before assembling at the long table for the first course of a Terrine of Pork, Duck & Foie Gras.  

This was a hearty start to the meal and I was grateful that the terrine had not been encased in Melton Mowbray style hot water crust pastry.  

Accompanying this we found Terlan Gewürztraminer 2018 (Terlano, Italy), an excellent full bodied dry wine from Alto Adige which did not attract as many compliments as I thought it deserved.  Jake, a red-blooded non-PC Aussie, went so far as to say with tongue in cheek it was a girl’s wine.
The next dish demonstrated Chef Duandern’s skills in abundance.  This was beautifully cooked Brittany Cod, tomato and cardamom; the fish was a huge chunk of tasty cod with bok choy and a delicate sauce. ​

By CK Lee
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Fine dining in Bangkok is like haute couture. The food is a work of art and the chefs; exceptional. Their cooking is an odyssey in itself. Once plated, it resonates like a fashion statement. Each plate portrays a story, every menu crafted from chapters of culinary anecdotes.
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Such is the feeling invoked when dining at The Allium in The Athenee. Those of us who are blessed enough to call Bangkok our home will need no introduction to this hotel. Head up to their newly rebranded third floor for a gourmet experience that is distinctive and unforgettable.
 
The Allium serves European haute cuisine with a contemporary flair. We were promptly seated upon arrival and the experienced team put us at ease and presented the menu. Memoirs from Home is the culinary journey recommended. Crafted by the superbly talented Chef Roxanne Lange, and priced at 3280 Baht per person for 11 courses, this is great value!

​By CK Lee

​Since its launch in August 2017, the amazingly different Made By TODD’s multi-purpose chili sauce has proved so popular that its makers – Father of All sauce Co and its CEO TODD Piti Bhirom Bhakdi – have made it an integral part of their new Made by TODD POP UP Restaurant.
 
Key Product of Made By TODD is Made by TODD Chili Chili (Multi-Purpose Chili sauce) made from Top quality raw materials, the sauce comes in four types, all made from Thai chilies. They include Cayenne pepper, Chili Padi, Yodsun Chili pepper and Bird Chili. Each carries the Made by Todd Brand.
 
The products are distributed online and via modern trade channels. Since its inception, the Made by Todd brand has been widely viewed as the new rising star in the Thai sauce market. Customers love its hot peppery flavor and outstanding taste.
 
The success of Made by TODD Chili Chili has led the company to invest in the development of a new range of products featuring its unique taste, including sweet corn, popcorn and varieties of Mixed Root Chips.
 
Thick and full of creativity, TODD’s Sauce offers a new culinary experience for chefs and regular customers.
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This is now being expressed in the most delicious way at the Made By TODD POP UP Restaurant, whose menu features TODD’s Sauces in many of its mouthwatering dishes. And if the customer loves the sauce, they can buy it at the restaurant.

Highlight dishes include many appetizers, such as Janglon, Samonkung, Crispy Noodles with Coconut Sauce, Coconut Milk Noodles, Traditional Pumpkin Cream Soup and Chicken Curry. Main dishes include HaoDong, Pickled Pork Basil, Pepper Chili Paste Rice, Spicy Seafood Rice, Fried Rice, as well as Sweet and Sour Noodles. Each of these dishes is carefully prepared with TODD’s Sauce. More than 30 other quality dishes are also available. 

Red Sky Restaurant and Red Sky Bar maybe most famous for its towering, multicolored arch that glows high above Bangkok. You may have seen it while gazing up from street-level – or even sipped a cocktail next to it on our 56th floor deck.

To get the full ‘Red Sky Experience’, go for the Seasonal Tasting Menu – a six-course international gastronomic journey curated and updated each season by Chef Christian Ham. 

The journey began with Oscietra Caviar, topped on a smoked salmon tartar, Japanese cucumber salad & saffron toast. For salmon and caviar lovers, this is it! Take the customary photo but think about the hashtag later. Soak in the view outside and pay homage to the plate and pick up your fork...

An amazing new concept that brings dining and entertainment together in one exciting venue has opened in Sriracha, a boom area of Thailand, some 90 minutes from Bangkok and within easy reach of popular destinations along the Eastern Seaboard.

Called FAME, this unique project features food, art, music and entertainment in an attractive lifestyle community space that appeals to people of all ages and background.

At its heart are four spectacular international-standard dining and entertainment venues, each with its own distinctive cuisine and modern design, together with a stunning central piazza greenery outdoor space for al fresco functions. Without question, it is a fantastic and unrivalled hangout venue.
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FAME is located in Khaokhunsong area of Sriracha.

EST. 33 is both a Thai premium craft beer by Singha and also a restaurant with four locations across Bangkok. The first EST. 33 is located in Crystal Design Center. The other three are in The Up Rama 3 (community mall), The Nine on Rama 9 Road and Singha Complex.
 
We visited their original homebase in Crystal Design Center (CDC) on a tranquil Saturday evening and sampled their newest menu: Spicy Accent of Todd Sauce - a selection of six dishes paired respectively to a Todd Sauce. The Todd Sauce is a unique blend specially crafted by Khun Todd himself, the family who founded Singha.
 
Spicy Salmon + Tuna Tartare with Sushi Rice and Tomato Salsa opened our Saturday soiree. A fusion dish made to please! The Dumplings ”Tom Yam Moo Sub” is a marriage between Shrimp and Mushrooms Dumplings and Spicy Minced Pork, paired with Todd’s spicy sauce. The Samosa Hola came hot and is a unique Spanish take on the global icon that is the samosa.

DUE to last-minute confusion in the setting the date of our March lunch, we found ourselves several months ahead of schedule but in very familiar territory.
 
The Chesa team performed wonders by creating a menu for us within thirty minutes of uncovering the mistake and two days later proceeding to feed 16 gourmands in effortless style.
 
Thomas and Rene even were able to match the food to the wines instead of in the customary reverse order, starting with Ottosoldi Gavi 2016 (Piedmont), bright yellow colour and flavourful, and tasty “Snacks at the bar”, with the prawn served on a spoon attracting the most compliments.
 
Stuffed Cremini Mushroom with Foie Gras on Port Wine Sauce was the first dish to leave the kitchen; when asked to identify the stuffing we learned it was to a secret recipe. You have to return to enjoy the taste which had prompted the question, food spokesman Alex Fisken was told.
 
Wine spokesman John Handley was able to be more forthcoming with an excellent presentation of the merits of Tegernseerhof Riesling Steinertal Smaragd 2016 (Austrian) with pale golden colour, and complex nose including apricot and spice. I thought this was the best wine of the day and had been scored 93 by Parker.
 
There followed Poached Snow Fish Fillet on Green Pea Puree and Noilly Prat Sauce, with John telling us perhaps this was the only bottle remaining in Thailand of the white wine based vermouth, made with two wines which are matured separately for a year before a secret selection of herbs and spices are macerated for three weeks. 

IT was our first visit to Tables Grill, the flagship restaurant of the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, where we found both excellent cuisine and great service in well appointed surroundings.

Our special thanks to GM Gordon Fuller, to Sylvain Même, the attentive Manager at Tables Grill, to Chef Hans Zahner and the rest of their highly professional team.

Food spokesman Mark Guthrie took careful note of the surprise amuse bouche - a tasty tomato confit foam over a rich olive oil together with a marinated mackerel morsel on turnip. This was served with an excellent aperitif, Alma Franciacorta Bellavista Brut NV (Brescia, Italy). As usual, the wines were all provided by the Club, and we note with appreciation that Tables Grill never applies a corkage charge to wines brought from outside.

FOR lovers of rustic food with a delicious difference, look no further than Mallard Bangkok, located on Sukhumvit Soi 49. Under the direction of Chef Semet Mehmet of first-class experience in Turkey, Norway and New York. Mallard has created a lifestyle kitchen that sees every dish offering a combination of culinary art, passion and genuine inspiration. The restaurant’s unique rustic identity is built on the use of local ingredients like sweet green strawberries, musk ox and flowers harvested from the seashore. “At Mallard we want to give our guests the same sensation they get whenever they visit their parents’ home – heartwarming food and cozy atmosphere,” says Chef Semet.

Atmosphere
Mallard has indoor and outdoor zones featuring natural decor and rustic cultures. Staff are always on hand to take care of guests and offer advice on menu choices. Join Chef Mehmet and his team to discover why Mallard is the number one Mediterranean-rustic restaurant in Bangkok.

It was our fourth visit to No Idea Café & Gastropub, where we once again enjoyed a warm welcome from Dave Hallam, his wife Chef Duangdern, and the many familiar faces among their staff. 
     Our dining experience began with a generous and tasty selection of canapés, made of Duck Rillettes, Sardines, and fried Anchovies, and accompanied by Anselmo Mendes Alvarinho Contacto 2017 (Portugal).  
     The aperitif was judged by wine spokesman Andrew MacDowell to be a nice, clean, and refreshing wine that showed few signs of four months of ageing on fine lees.  All of the wines were supplied by the Club.
     After sitting down, we were served a Venison Carpaccio with truffle oil, marinated mushrooms, and parmesan cheese.  Our food spokesman, Thomas Boedinger, thought the venison was very lean, and that its typically gamey flavor was balanced by the truffle oil and marinated mushrooms (but he felt the cheese to be superfluous). 
     Andrew was less impressed by the accompanying wine, Neudorf Chardonnay Rosie‘s Block 2016 (Nelson, New Zealand).  He judged it a typical Chardonnay, but suggested Rosie had not improved with age despite the vigneron’s claims.