Bangkok's best restaurants in focus - The BigChilli

Michelin-starred R-HANN introduces ‘Summer Samrub’ – a delicious new menu to thrill the senses

2/4/2020

Chef Chumpol promises a Thai dining experience of the highest quality in a beautiful restaurant with ‘social distancing’ between tables

Bangkok is now recognized as a genuine international city, yet surprisingly there’s only a handful of truly elegant and sophisticated Thai restaurants that live up to this global stature.

One of those is R-HANN, a Thai fine dining restaurant on Thonglor (Sukhumvit 55) whose excellence has caught the attention of the world with a two-star rating by Michelin. That’s an incredible achievement given that this beautiful venue has only been open for two years. It also speaks volumes of its overall excellence.

R-HAAN was founded by Piti Bhirombhakdi and his business partner, Chumpol Jangprai, a talented chef who has spent his entire career perfecting the art of Thai cooking.

Chef Chumpol is passionate about his work and together with his team is committed to the sourcing and selection of the freshest and finest of ingredients. Through skillful preparation, clever seasoning and time-honored cooking methods, these ingredients are transformed into superlative culinary creations. Add in the immaculate presentation of each dish, plus service that’s friendly and attentive but never intrusive, and the net result is a remarkable dining experience with food that Chef Chumpol describes so eloquently as the “Wisdom of Thai Cuisine.”

Summer on a Platter Khao Chae at Siam Tea Room

25/3/2020

By Peter L.

Siam Tea Room definitely does tea and so much more. This deli-inspired outlet spans the culinary divide but its beating heart is Thai.

Siam Tea Room welcoms diners with comfy sofas and is truly an ideal spot for a swift yet supremely satisfying breakfast, lunch or dinner.

The paneled walls are traditional wood. Artistic Thai furniture, classic celadon ceramics from Kanchanaburi Province, Aranyik steel cutlery from Ayutthaya and staff uniforms made using indigenous “mor hom” fabric complete the Thai charm from within.

Many of their main dishes are quintessentially Thai. The special pork ribs and beef noodles come highly recommended. The entire menu is created and overseen by experienced Thai Sous Chef Phukvarun Watchmon who has been in the Thai culinary circuit since a very young age. Chef Phukvarun started her culinary journey at the Royal Kitchen of Klai Kang Won Palace in Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province before joining the Thai kitchen teams at various top hotels.

The Market Restaurant at Mercure Bangkok Sukhumvit 24

12/3/2020

By Peter L.

As the name reveals, the hotel is located on Sukhumvit Soi 24, which is within the pulsating hub of Em District and walking distance from the Phrom Phong BTS Skytrain station. And if you are in the ‘hood for some shopping or well-deserved R&R, check-in to this new hotel and head to The Market Restaurant.

The interior is welcoming. Jars filled with spices and ingredients are lined on the peripheral walls. Magazines and light reads are placed side by side with kitchenware decor. The design is in line with the name The Market - where one can find a potpourri of fresh ‘everything.

The pictorial menu depicts an array of international and local favourites. Order a smoothie to go along with your salad. The Fresh Salmon with Avocado and Quinoa (250) is highly recommended and a hearty meal in itself! Or, chow down on their signature ‘The Market’ Beef Burgerwhich comes with a generous side of fries. Before long, it is time for the perfect reunion - with a glass of cold beer. As the saying goes, it is 5pm somewhere else! (That is, if you are not already here for an early evening meal)

R-Haan: Reach Beyond the Stars

10/3/2020

By Peter L.
When R-Haan first opened its doors, the founders knew it was something special. The recognition from Michelin elevated the brand and the team.

A year later, a second star was awarded and R-Haan cemented its position in the global culinary scene. It was a proud moment for Thai cuisine as a whole.

As a burgeoning brand with a stellar track record, one can onlyimagine the culinary odyssey in the planning. Yet, price has not climbed - a testament to their commitment to diners, friends and gourmands alike. Our strength and success lies with our people, enthused Chef Chumpol Jangprai, the chef extraordinaire in the driver's seat. Going forward, R-Haan will build on their people and grow further. Forging ahead together, is their motto. To deliver a consistent and eye opening dining experience and a culinary journey to every guest.

R-Haan will also invest in international marketing and will participate in more road shows. To be given this opportunity to promote the wisdom of Thai cuisine, is one of the highest honour in my life, says Khun Piti (Todd) Bhirom Bhakdi, Director & Executive Vice President at Boon Rawd Brewery Co., Ltd. Khun Piti is an investor and co-founder of R-Haan. R-Haan will remind you of the amazing range of taste that Thai food has to offer. It can be a nostalgic walk down memory lane for some, or a journey of discovery for the rest of us. Plus, as Michelin puts it: Excellent cooking, worth a detour.

Reeling It In- Cafe Fish

2/3/2020

By Peter L.

The large menu at the entrance is blue in colour. So is the restaurant for the most part with nautical theme taking center stage. The restaurant feels like a welcoming deck on a ship, sailing towards a dream destination in the azure waters of the Mediterranean.

Their promise is in the freshness - of their seafood, so we came to try one fine Friday morning. This is Cafe Fish, and their flagship branch is in Siam Paragon. Located on G Floor, steps away from Gourmet Market, this seafood galore is an easy find…

Innovative dining at Park Society

25/2/2020

SO/ Bangkok welcomed 22 diners shedding post-New Year blues to Park Society for the first B&B lunch of 2020. We were rewarded with the great views of Lumpini Park and an innovative meal prepared by personable Chef Ryan Lee and his team.

We started with an Amuse Bouche shrouded in mist featuring Coconut, Lime, Galangal, Kaffir lime leaf and Lemongrass accompanied by a refreshingly different sparkler, Claus Preisinger St Laurent Ancestral 2017 (Burgenland, Austria), which was much appreciated and which I found to be very creamy on the palate.

Dining in earnest began with Nori Cold Pasta, a tasty mélange of Amberjack Tartare, Seaweed Sauce and Angel Hair Pasta which was well matched with Weingut Ziereisen Grauer Burgunder 2016 (Baden, Germany). For once, our Wine Master Thomas Boedinger was entrusted with the task of critiquing the food and complimented Chef Ryan for the delicious explosion of flavours he had unlocked.

Wine spokesman Stan Gierlasynski limited himself to saying he found all the wines excellent to drink having always believed that “tannin” was something one did on the beach.

Felicita Rooftop Bar & Grill

6/2/2020

Kurobota pork ribs

A haven of Thai and European flavors with cityscape views in the heart of Sukhumvit

Located a short walk down Sukhumvit Soi 7 – one of those interesting Bangkok side streets that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves – Felicita Rooftop Bar & Grill is a cool hang-out venue for drinks and a restaurant serving an amazing range of cuisines under the supervision of highly regarded French chef Julien Le Breton.

For lunch, it’s Thai and Asian delicacies with international comforts, while Felicita’s dinner menu includes French Mediterranean dishes with touches of spice and influences from the Middle East, North Africa, Southern Italy, Greece, Spain, Indian and Thai, plus some excellent vegan options.

Together with some really great cocktails and impressive views of Bangkok’s skyline, Felicita offers a dining experience that’s not only thoroughly entertaining and delicious, but also remarkable value.

But that’s not all. The restaurant has an unusual fun theme based around an imaginary spy called Felicita, whose high-powered international lifestyle demands exciting culinary flavors by a talented chef in an exotic yet cultured décor. The choice is thus an elegant sapphire blue interior, or a spacious outdoor bar, where outstanding food is guaranteed.

Deliciously different but still Belgian at Belga

16/1/2020

Guest review by Bangkok Beefsteak & Burgundy

2019 has been a great year for the Club, and it ended in the same way it began – with a visit to Belga Rooftop Bar and Brasserie on the 32nd floor of Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit, where we were warmly greeted by friends GM Oliver Schnatz, Chef Nicolas Bassett, and Manager (Master of Beer & Ceremony) Peter Laird.

Images conjured up by Belga include excellent beers, moules marinière, pommes frites, and waffles, but Chef Nico ignored these staples and instead laid on an innovative five-course menu that still paid homage to the Belgian theme.
Some who arrived early took the opportunity to sample the fine draft beers on offer, but our lunch officially began with tasty seared tuna and cheese croquet canapés accompanied by NV Alma Cuvee Franciacorta Bellavista (Lombardy, Italy), a refreshing and crisp Italian sparkler that all enjoyed.

Moving to the dining table, we were served Poached Canadian Lobster with Cauliflower Textures, Caviar, and Vanilla Dressing. The lobster was perfectly cooked, making it a colourful starter that was also surprisingly light tasting, as noted by Food Spokesman Mark Guthrie, who complimented Chef Nico on his use of a cauliflower puree blended with whipping cream (one of the “textures”) as the base.

This was matched with 2014 Tongue in Groove Waipara Riesling (South Island, NZ), which the wine maker said ‘offers a palate both rich and long yet perfectly balanced by the acid’. Wine Spokesman Jim Morrison (egged on by neighbours) was unimpressed, but all agreed it was better with food.

Winter is Here R-Haan Presents A Winter Symphony of Thai Taste

9/1/2020

By CK Lee

In the international culinary scene, Chef Chumpol Jangprai needs no introduction. Nominated ambassador of Thai cuisine, Chef Chumpol started cooking at the age of 19. The former Iron Chef and TV celebrity co-founded R-Haan and has never looked back since. The restaurant was awarded a 2-star Michelin a month ago, and we very much look forward to a memorable evening as we sampled the new menu for the winter months.

We opened the evening with Steamed Newly Harvested Thai Rice Stuffed with Mae Klong Mackerel and Aromatic Thai Herbs and crowned with Thai Royal Project Caviar. The smooth and savoury Mae Klong mackerel was a delight and already, one wished for an encore! Next up was tiger prawns from Chantaburi, in the eastern region of Thailand. The plump prawn was presented in sync with Thai Herbs and Tanee Banana Blossoms. The final dollops of homemade sauce was served table-side, sometimes by the Chef himself. This recipe was created by Chef Chumpol when he was only 11 years old!

The appetizer platter consists of 3 sublime bites of charcoal grilled pheasant, catfish roll with sweet virgin fish sauce and angus beef salad sourced from the province of Buriram. The next dish was a duck egg-yolk confit, with a side of riceberry sponge cake. The accompanying paloh sauce was a huge hit and the Chef commented that it took 8 hours and the finest Kurobuta pork was deployed in the making of this heavenly sauce. Cubes of egg whites were like sprinkles of magic on this decadent plate. What a masterpiece indeed.

For the main part of this samrub, there was a choice of Tom Yum Soup or Black Chicken Consomme with Black Galingale and Golden Longan. Northern Thai curry with luscious Kurobuta pork legs or Southern Thai yellow curry with blue crab meat would be your next selection. Deep-fried sea bass also graced the table alongside newly harvested Thai Hom Mali rice from Yasothon province. Do not forget to try the best fish sauce in Thailand too - take a spoonful and drip them gently across your plate of rice and in itself, is a simple & elegant meal. The chilli dip with crispy pork belly was also our favourite.

Dessert in this winter samrub menu highlighted cocoa from the northern mountains of Chiangmai and for the final petit four, the glazed strawberries was our pick of the day. As we celebrate the decade that just passed and the advent of an entire new year, an evening at R-Haan will remind you of the amazing range of taste that Thai food has to offer. It can be a nostalgic walk down memory lane for some, or a journey of discovery for the rest of us. Plus, as Michelin puts it: Excellent cooking, worth a detour.

Winter Samrub Menu is available from 5 December 2019
Price: 2,912 ++ baht per person
Daily from 18.00 – 23.00 hrs.
+ 66 (0) 95 141 5524
reservation@r-haan.com
www.R-HAAN.com

Attico – perfect choice for authentic Tuscan cuisine

24/12/2019

Beautiful Italian restaurant at Radisson Blu Plaza Bangkok

There’s no shortage of Italian restaurants in Bangkok, so the challenge for food lovers is to pinpoint one with all the right credentials –convenient location, great décor and agreeable ambiance, friendly and efficient service, and a chef from Italy who really understands his art and knows how to please his guests with outstanding cuisine.

Frankly, Attico at Radisson Blu Plaza is a great choice. It ticks all the boxes. Well located on the 28th floor of this five-star Sukhumvit hotel, a short walk from the Asoke BTS station, award-winning Attico is the only rooftop Italian restaurant in Bangkok.

Views of the city from the elegant main dining room and two alfresco lounge terraces are spectacular.

Designed in the style of a Tuscan villa, the restaurant makes the most of high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling picture windows with warm dark woods, exposed brickwork and decorative wine barrels.

Front and centre is a semi-open kitchen and butcher counter with a display of Italian charcuterie, giving the place with an inviting and relaxed mood. The wood furniture and a semi-private room for family style dining add a feeling of comfort while the floor to ceiling windows frame the dramatic city skyline.

Overseeing the authentic Tuscan kitchen is Chef Danilo Aiassa from Piedmont in Italy, one of Bangkok’s most experienced chefs, having worked for the Four Seasons and the Mandarin Oriental, among other famous hotels. He’s always available to explain his amazing daily specials and recommend dishes from Attico’s extensive menu.

Attico’s cuisine is described as ‘traditional taste, with modern techniques’ focusing on high quality imported and locally sourced ingredients. Popular favourites include the homemade pasta and gnocchi, traditional Italian soups, glorious salads, cold cuts with cheese, premium antipasti and Attico’s heavenly home-baked breads. The menu features a number of highly recommended ‘signature dishes’ for each category. The signature pasta, for example, is the delicious Homemade Tagliatelle with Imported Boston Lobster, while the recommended mains include Traditional Italian grill 1.5 kg T-Bone Fassona, Whole Italian Sea Bass, and the Classic Grill Pork Ribs Rosticciata.