SIGNATURE DISHES

Pan-fried foie gras with peach sauce Truffle soup US tenderloin with truffle sauce Roasted turbot with white asparagus

SETTING: The lovely teak house has, for over 30 years, been the setting for one of Southeast Asia's finest French restaurants.

FOOD: Le Coq d'Or serves traditional classic French and a few European dishes. While the a la carte menu offers many choices, the waiters will be on hand with the house specials which change monthly and are well worth sampling. One of the absolute musttry dishes is caesar salad with prawns where all the ingredients are brought to the table and whisked up in an entertaining display. Scallop salad with orange is another refreshing starter option. Meat lovers will be spoilt for choice though US angus tenderloin and foie gras served with truffle sauce is so generously portioned and delicately flavoured it gets special mention.

WINE: The wine list is fairly extensive and reasonably priced with bottles starting from around 1,200 baht. Also available are specialty wines which should satisfy the discerning.

SERVICE: The staff, some of who seem to have been around for decades, is charming and most helpful.

PRICE: A meal for two without wine costs about 4,000 baht but is worth the experience.