This month, Mandarin Oriental Bangkok launched their third collection of macaroons with some unexpected flavors such as kalamansi (the sweet and sour lime from the Philippines), lemongrass. apple pie, black forest, and after eight. “Macaroons have stunning color combinations and creative,” says Executive Pastry Chef Claus Olsen who gave Lookeast an insider’s guide to these tempting culinary indulgences “They are not hard to make and I think that’s where the fun and the competition comes into play, in the Mandarin Oriental Kitchen.
“The perfect macaroon should have a smooth shell with no bumps and hold their shape and don’t fall apart when you pick them up. They should have “Nice Feet,” which is the rim or edges of a macaroon, and looks like a hamburger. A crisp thin shell that should crack like an eggshell when you bite into the moist, soft, tender smooth inside with slight chew to the texture. There should be sweetness coming from the flavor of fine ground almonds and not just sugar. The filling should be ganache base, which works perfectly with a fruit infusion such as lemongrass, oranges and kalamansi. The quality of ingredients used is important as are the combination of natural local fresh fruit compotes and Valrhona chocolate.” Our verdict, perfect possibly the best macaroons in Bangkok.
Where: Lok Wah Hin, Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square (BTS: Siam) // Contact: 02-209 8888/Lok Wah Hin
Where: Flames, Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya // Contact: 03-830-1234/4272
The Chinese Mid-Autumn celebration brings new treats on the menu at Millennium Hilton Bangkok. Their classic range features silky egg yolk combined with custard, durian, lotus seed paste, mixed fruit and nut, red bean, or Chinese jujube. The premium box includes four pieces for Bt588++, and Bt788++ for a silk box. Mooncakes are available at the Yuan Chinese Restaurant and The Lantern Café until Sept. 19.
Where: Millennium Hilton Bangkok, Klongsan // Contact: 02-442-2000
Xing Fu Chinese Restaurant offers a “Special Chinese set menu lunch”, available Monday -Friday throughout September at Bt320++/set. Enjoy the Special Dim Sum Lunch Set for lunch featuring delicate dim sum selection, roasted duck and barbecued pork, noodles, mango pudding, and soft drinks. The restaurant is open daily for lunch, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and for dinner from 6 to 10:30 p.m.
Where: Xing Fu Chinese Restaurant, Bangkok Hotel Lotus Sukhumvit Managed by Accor, Sukhumvit 33 // Contact: 02-610- 0111, ext. 4800
Liu Chinese restaurant welcomes the annual Mid-Autumn Festival by their finest selection of freshly baked mooncakes. Some of the signature flavors this year include custard, durian, lotus seeds, mixed five nuts, and black sesame. Of course there are egg yolks too, which traditionally symbolize the full moon. These beautiful pieces of Chinese tradition contain no preservatives of MSG, and are daily made by Liu’s dim sum chef Chia Kiat Fui and his team. Prices for Liu´s mooncakes start at Bt99 a piece, and rise up to Bt1,650 for the finest eight kinds presented in a luxury gift set. The boxes will be available at Liu restaurant and in their Mooncake booths at Siam Paragon, Emporium, Central Chidlom and Central Rama III from Sept. 1-19. Where: Liu Chinese restaurant, Conrad Bangkok (BTS: Ploenchit) // Contact: 02-690-9255 or e-mail: bkkci.liu@conradhotels.comWhere: The Square, Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square (BTS: Siam) // Contact: 02-209 8888/The Square
Where: Hiiragi Japanese Restaurant, Novotel Bangna Bangkok // Contact: 02-366-0505/1470 or 1471
Where: Liu, Conrad Bangkok (BTS: Ploenchit) // Contact: 02-690-9255
Where: Golden Palace Chinese Restaurant, Windsor Suites Hotel & Convention Center-Sukhumvit 20 // Contact: 02-262 1234, ext. 1406
Where: Medinii, The Continent Hotel Bangkok, 413 Sukhumvit, Bangkok (BTS: Asoke) // Contact: 02-686-700
Chefs at Luce have searched their Italian cookbooks, and strived for the extreme pizza delizioso: using only the finest toppings sitting on top the crunchiest freshly baked crust. Some of the choices are Quattro Stagioni, with imported Parma ham, Spanish chorizo, Kalmata olives, mozzarella and marinated artichokes, and Margherita featuring mozzarella, tomato and basil, and the ever-favorite Hawaiian groaning under the weight of cooked ham, fresh pineapple and mozzarella. Check what is your favorite for Bt390 per set with a glass of Chang beer.
Where: Luce Pool Bar and Lounge, Eastin Grand Hotel Sathorn Bangkok, 33/1 South Sathorn Rd (BTS: Surasak) // Contact: 02-210-8100
Where: Silver Waves Restaurant, Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok, 28 Charoenkrung Road, Bangkok // Contact: 02-307-8888/1948-49 or e-mail: silverwaves.chrb@chatrium.com
Where: Youzen Japanese Restaurant, Windsor Suites Hotel & Convention Center-Sukhumvit 20 // Contact: 02-262 1234, ext. 1406
Where: The Square, Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square (BTS: Siam) // Contact: 02-209 8888/The Square
The exceptional process takes patience and resources. In fact, it takes 33kg to make 1kg of Black Ivory Coffee, and only 300kg have been produced for 2013.
Scot Toon, general manager of Paresa says: “I was very impressed with the chocolate and cherry aroma together with the subtle coffee flavor, indeed the entire process of making the Black Ivory Coffee is an amazing creation and something that our guests are lucky to experience.”
Where: Paresa Resort Phuket // Contact: 07-630-2000
Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square joins hands with KTC and China Airlines, and gives diners a chance to win a trip to Tokyo, for two people with a 4-night stay at Mercure Ginza. How to take part in the lucky draw? Just dine and every Bt1,000 spent at The Square and Lok Wah Hin restaurants will bring you closer to winning the sabai sabai prize.
Where: Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square, (BTS: Siam) // Contact: 02-209-8888 or visit: www.novotelbkk.com
Blue Elephant Bangkok recently arranged a luncheon to introduce their ‘Pink Ribbon’ menu, dedicated to raise awareness of breast cancer and gather funds for the Queen Sirikit Center for Breast Cancer (QSCBC). The menu will be available in October, the “Breast Cancer Awareness Month.”
Chef Nooror Somany Steppe, ambassador to the QSCBC collaborates with founder and director Dr. Kris Chatamra to create a menu with ´anti-cancer´ qualities. Together they identified specific herbs, fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants, and with anti-inflammatory properties. Some of these organic ingredients include honey, gac fruit, mimosa, ginger, soursop, holy basil, mango lime yawn ovation, and Indian mulberry.
Their transition into a highly nutritious, six-course menu titled ‘Pink Ribbon’ has been a creative process. Innovative results bear names of Tom Jew Consommé (clear beef soup of tenderloin beef, sweet potatoes flavored with Thai holy basil and sweet basil), Indian mulberry rib-eye curry (prime rib eye beef grilled and braised in homemade southern-style curry with Indian mulberry leaves), and lesser ginger crab soufflé (fresh crispy crab meat, homemade red curry paste, sweet basil leaves and lesser ginger).
The menu is priced at Bt 1,980++ per person, with choices of lunch or dinner available throughout October. All proceeds will be donated to the QSCBC.
Where: Blue Elephant Cooking School & Restaurant Bangkok (BTS: Sathorn) // Contact: 02-673-9353 or e-mail: cooking.school@blueelephant.com
Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok welcomes Michelin-starred Chef Jeff Ramsey, culinary engineer from Tokyo, to Angelini Italian Restaurant and Bar. Renowned for Asian modernist cuisine, Chef Ramsey will serve an exclusive Molecular Tapas dinner menu from Sept. 16 to 21.
Chef Ramsey will prepare 23 tapas with a fresh modernist approach for a maximum of 12 guests per seating. There will be two seatings every night at 6:30 p.m. and at 8:30 p.m. During the six-day special promotion, diners can enjoy an interactive dining experience while watching the chef cook his special dishes and personally serve guests at the dining bar of Angelini’s open kitchen.
The unforgettable dinner starts with bite-sized tapas, which includes Compressed Pineapple impregnated with a Mai Tai Cocktail, Sesame Coconut Polverone and Crab Sandwich, Tom Yum Goong-flavoured Ceviche of Blue Prawns, Mochi Cheese Noodles with Strawberry Sauce and Pesto Genovese, and Roasted Lamb Chop with Liquid Center, Lavender, Yogurt and Potatoes. Classic homemade petit fours, such as Doughnut with Foie Gras and Muscat Crème, Sweet Soy Kinako Powder, Chinese Sesame Ball with White Bean Paste and Oxygen, and Matcha Marshmallow, will be served at the end of this special meal.
The Molecular Tapas dinner is priced at Bt3,800++ per person.
Where: Angelini Italian Restaurant, Shangri-La Bangkok (BTS: Saphan Taksin) // Contact: 02-236-9952 or 02-236-7777/6205-6, or e-mail restaurants.slbk@shangri-la.com
The “Goong Goong Goong” menu goes deep into the cuisine heritage and reinvents its ingredient of inspiration. Some of the results include a version of the 60s UK classic Crystal Prawn Cocktail, presented in a shiny and chic style. Another cultural pick is their Peruvian Prawn and Scallop Ceviche, flavored with lime and cilantro, which add a delightful citrusy kick. There are specials available for the lovers of Japanese cuisine, exotic Indian dishes, and other seafood temptations. Happily, all dishes are designed to complement BarSu’s local and imported beers, signature cocktails and fine wines. Prices for dishes start at Bt220++.
Where: BarSu, Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit (BTS: Asoke) // Contact: 02-649-8358.
Escape the hustle and bustle of Bangkok and enjoy an evening by the River of Kings. As an extension of the Sheraton Social Hour, every third Friday of the month the luxury hotel offers an evening full of gourmet cheeses coupled with Italian Wines, such as La Gioiosa Merlot Delle Venezie DOC and La Gioiosa Pinot Grigio Vento.
Whether you’re looking for a spot to lay back and embrace the charm of the Chao Phraya River, or to kick off your Friday night before heading out to the clubs, the fresh DJ music and trendy atmosphere of Sambal Bar & Grill are the perfect mix. So discover new wines around the world and indulge in a wide selection of gourmet cheeses on Friday, Oct. 18 from 6.30pm to 8.30 pm. Only Bt599++ per person.
Where: Sambal Bar & Grill, Royal Orchid Sheraton Bangkok, Capt. Bush Lane, Si Phaya Road // Contact: 02-266-9214
The renowned chef´s menu will include a vast array of never seen before delights, fabulous desserts, and of course the impeccable seafood dishes that have earned his worldwide recognition. One of his famous specialities is homemade seaweed bread using the natural sea salt of Noirmoutier Island, of course apparent on the menu.
Chef Alexandre is the owner and the chef of a renowned La Marine Restaurant in the small fishing village of L’Hermbaudiere on Noirmoutier Island in the Vendée coast. A former student of Michel Guérard, (one of the founders of nouvelle French cuisine), Alexandre has been cutting his own swathe through the headlines with numerous distinctions.
He was granted the “Hope Trophee,” an award of recognition among young chefs deemed to represent the bold future of French gastronomy, and in 2007 earned his first Michelin star. The following year he was named the Grand Chef de Demain by respected critic Gault Millau, and recently in 2013 he received his second Michelin star.
Chef Alexandre has been called a superb “fish cook” due to his expertise with the changing catch of the day, consistently turned into stylish and complex recipes. The chef is said to deliver delicious quality in every order, to the height that it has even become almost unnecessary to ask for menus at La Marine. In addition to VIE Hotel Bangkok, and V Villas Hua Hin, Kasikorn Bank (K Bank) and Advance Info Service Plc. (AIS) are supporting the event.
Where: VIE Hotel Bangkok (Oct. 3) and V Villas Hua Hin (Oct. 5) // Contact: 02- 309-3939, e-mail : info@viehotelbangkok.com
Kisso. It’s a Japanese term meaning ‘good news’. In this case, a restaurant’s name has provided its own headline with its return: Kisso Japanese restaurant at The Westin Grande Sukhumvit, Bangkok During its 20 years at a single Bangkok location, Kisso has gained reputation as a favorite among the city’s Japanese expatriate community and all who appreciate the work of skilled chefs preparing a well-considered menu.
Now, Kisso returns with a new look and enhanced atmosphere. Renovations have made for a strikingly contemporary interior yet one balanced with warm and cozy elements, for example, rows of earthenware pots rising high above wood flooring. An open kitchen design, moreover, contributes to a lively yet at once discreet atmosphere. There’s a buzz, but an always finely calibrated one that resonates in the main dining area, about Kisso’s sushi bar and even in its private tatami rooms.
To everything a season certainly remaining, however is what made the restaurant a firm favorite for outstanding Japanese food that maintains fidelity to the country’s culinary traditions. Upholding and expanding those traditions is Chef Shinsuke Yonekawa. Much-traveled, he honed his craft with posts aboard a cruise ship, in the Philippines and then back in Japan, where he incorporated newfound perspectives on his native cuisine at prestigious restaurants in Tokyo and Osaka. Central to Chef Yone’s approach is importance given to seasonal variation, as reflected in his continually changing menu highlights based on availability of ingredients imported fresh from Japan.
Thus, Kisso begins its third decade in the Thai capital. The new Kisso opens daily from noon to 2:30 p.m. and 6–10:30 p.m.
Where: 8th floor, The Westin Grande Sukhumvit, Bangkok // Contact: 02-207-8000
