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Bangkok’s restaurant scene continues to mature and,
says Sue Farley, has very nearly reached the heights of other
world dining capitals.
After a few years of new cafes, trattorias, and smaller restaurant
openings, the last two years in Bangkok have been dominated
by the arrival of more serious, formal and pricey dining rooms.
Not only have the food quality and selection improved in Bangkok
but so have the architecture and interior design. Many new
restaurants are looking very modern and even minimalist. Italian
restaurants no longer open their doors to a 1960s scene of
plastic grapes, straw-covered wine bottles and pictures of
gondolas. Even some Thai restaurants have abandoned Thai style
in favour of a more sleek look. It could be that Bangkok has
now joined the ranks of the world’s great dining cities.
Enjoying dinner and drinks in the upper atmosphere is one
of the more heady trends in Bangkok these days. This year
a number of rooms with a iew opened round town, and these
restaurants are not only high up, they are high end. Vertigo,
perched dizzyingly at the top of the Banyan Tree, was the
first of the new sky-high spots, and the most thrilling for
those who want a little drama with their dinner. Vertigo was
followed in late 2003 by Sirocco at the top of the State Tower
Building. Sirocco, at an even higher altitude and true to
its name, is also open to the evening’s warm winds. Both
of these restaurants offer Mediterranean menus and good wine
lists.
A new view worth taking in is from a table in D’Sens,
the fine French restaurant atop the Dusit Thani with modern
decor and an enticing menu. D’Sens opened in mid 2004
and is operated by Jacques and Laurent Pourcel, whose restaurant
in Montpellier, Le Jardin des Sens, holds three Michelin stars.
Some would say they are attempting the impossible in bringing
the same three-star dining experience to the heart of Southeast
Asia, but many in Bangkok are delighted and approve.
A dinner overlooking the Chao Phraya River is considered the
quintessential Bangkok dining experience. Lord Jim’s
at the Oriental Hotel has received a transformation that brings
it firmly into the 21st century with a modern marine decor
and a new menu promising the best seafood in town.
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Enough about views. What about the food? C’yan at the
Metropolitan hotel makes the case for delicious food made
with the finest and freshest ingredients, some of which are
imported from thousands of miles away. There is no compromise
in quality. Even in this sleek and modern dining room every
single plate of food remains the centre of attention.
But at what price, such luxury? These and many other new
locations are charging more than residents and visitors to
Bangkok are used to paying. However, stellar design, menus
created entirely from imported ingredients and professional
chefs and staff all come at a price. This has long been a
thorny issue in Bangkok. Eating well in Thailand is so inexpensive
when compared to most of the world that international-class
dining experiences are often not supported here when the tariff
reaches what one would pay in the West. It is simply too easy
to find high-quality and inexpensive local food and for this
reason many diners cannot justify the cost of a high-end meal.
In the end it is up to the individual diner to decide what
he or she is willing to pay.
New restaurants are not only showing off with more distinctive
design and menus but also are making an attempt to set themselves
apart as far as staff and service go. Good service used to
be gauged by smiles, friendliness and the ability to speak
English. Often one hears the term “friendly”, usually
meaning the staff is very nice but they generally don’t
know much about service or food and wine. Now one begins to
see what can be called “enlightened hospitality”,
which is an understanding of how to make diners happy from
an individual point of view. Asia is famous for good service,
but most service staff is trained to serve each guest exactly
the same. Enlightened hospitality is a bit of therapy. The
staff has the training and confidence to read every situation,
to make the right decision about that situation.
As an example, this writer recently attended an event at
Four Seasons Bangkok. Before heading to the skytrain, I decided
to stop in at one of the restaurants for a glass of wine.
I was seated at a counter, told the waiter I wasn’t dining
and ordered a glass of wine. The waiter brought the bottle
and poured a taste. The wine seemed a little off to me, so
the waiter without hesitation opened another bottle. This
one was fine. He brought some olives to the table, then some
bread and a dip. By now I am quite happy, but then he asked,
“Would you like a magazine or newspaper?” Bingo!
His hospitality was based on my situation, that is, maybe
I would enjoy that Herald Tribune with my cocktail. This level
of service is acquired by a management that puts the staff
first – they are well trained and confident, accessing
the guest’s needs and expectations. It is service that
is five-star but not formal or stiff.
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And no new high-end restaurant is complete these days without
dressing these wait people in top-notch designer uniforms.
In Thailand it has become acceptable to put the staff in natural
fabrics, without white shirts and bow ties. Many of these
uniforms display beautiful local cottons, linens and silk,
and are created by some of Thailand’s finest artists
and clothing designers.
To the phrase “getting and spending” one may have
to add another Thai national pastime, eating. There is no
better way to enjoy a day off, than by spending the day shopping
and having a meal. Just ask any 20 or 30-something Thai. It
seems that shopping centres open as quickly as restau-rants
and the launching of Erawan Bangkok in early 2005 and Siam
Paragon in late 2005 will provide more upmarket dining choices.
The Emporium opened 10 years ago and some of the restaurants
in that complex have since become Bangkok institutions: Greyhound,
Kalpapruek and the Oriental Caf?. The Food Loft at Central
Chidlom takes the food court concept to a much higher level.
Here can be found an interchange of the world’s current
favourite foods. The food is good quality, fun, fast and reasonably
priced. Where else in Bangkok can you get a glass of Australian
chardonnay for 150 baht? But what about Thai cuisine? Bangkok
hasn’t seen much new in the way of Thai food recently.
Amid the opening of more and more Mediterranean and Italian
establishments, royal Thai cuisine seems harder and harder
to find.
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