Sunday, June 29, 2014

Dreissigacker Wunderwerk Spatburgunder 2009

Date of Tasting: 5 May 2014
Wine Type: Red
Grape Varieties: 100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol: 13.5%
Origin: Rheinhessen, Germany
Appellation: Qualitätswein
Expect to Pay: ~ THB2,000
Web: http://www.dreissigacker-wein.de/
Chubby Score: 92/100
Value for money: 7/10
Professional Rating: n.a.




Appearance: cherry / ruby
Aroma: oak and cherry aroma with smoky nose
Palate: minerality with acidity and tannins combine to give medium body juice. fine berries with silkily smooth palate. fresh spices, complex, and elegant.

The red wine which was served to Obama during the visit to Germany in 2013. Not the very best but show promising pinot noir flavour. Not bad at all for this German red wine. Enjoy this until the end of this decade.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Rabbit in The Kitchen @ Siam Square, Bangkok - แรบบิท อิน เดอะ คิทเช่น @ สยามสแควร์ กรุงเทพ

Cuisine: Thai
Price: THB450 per person without alcohol (what we paid for)
Visited: 17 May 2014
Food: 4/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Value for money: 4/10
Services: 2/10
Scale: [ 1=poor ----- 5=average/standard ----- 10=outstanding/exceptional ]

Early December 2013, when we had heard about the goodbye to the oldie "New Light Coffee House", our hearts just sank with sadness. But things do come and go for reasons. At least, it is good enough that the place has not totally moved but has moved to the second floor of the same building for now.

Only a few months later, there came the new restaurant replacing New Light Coffee House: "Rabbit in The Kitchen". Just by its name, you would not be able to tell that the place serves Thai food. I was even thinking of international cuisine or bistro food. Yes, Rabbit in The Kitchen is decorated in bistro style. Many dishes here are not in the usual style of sharing but individual set instead. Perhaps this is to match the life style of visitors in Siam Square which mainly are teenagers. Menu comes in a simple two pages board.

To illustrate a little further, Rabbit in The Kitchen probably comes from the word "กระต่ายขูดมะพร้าว : kra-tai-kood-ma-prao" meaning coconut grater which is a tool in the kitchen. The word kra-tai or กระต่าย means rabbit in Thai. Rather sophisticate, right?

Getting back to Rabbit in The Kitchen. We would say that the food range is kind of acceptable in term of taste. However, it was the service that is the concern. Staffs seem to be ignorant and do not even know how to explain some dishes. The worst part was when we spilled water all over the place and no staff came to help. We had to ask for a towel to wipe the table ourselves. What the heck???????? Perhaps we are not their target customer!!!!!!!!!

Rabbit in The Kitchen @ Siam Square, Bangkok

bistro style atmosphere.....rather comfy



The first of the night to come along was Beef Tongue Stew - สตูว์ลิ้นวัว (3/10). Not really the standard stew. It lacks of flavour and the texture seemed to be too light. I, personally, would love to see thicker texture. But the texture of beef tongue was enjoyable with the expected tenderness. Next was Panaeng Curry Pork with Crispy Fish - พะแนงหมู ปลาสลิด (3/10). Panaeng Curry is a type of red curry in Thailand. It is not those really soupy curry but curry is kept a little only, not dry. Panaeng curry here seemed to be like a kind of soup though. Panaeng here did give to the strong curry aroma and was not balance. The only good part was the fried snakeskin gourami or ปลาสลิด. It was well fried to crisp.


Beef Tongue Stew (THB180)

Panaeng Curry Pork with Crispy Fish (THB140)

zoom up to Panaeng

Moving to Gaeng Kiew Wan Green Curry with Beef Shank and Toast - แกงเขียวหวานเนื้อน่องลาย ขนมปัง (5/10), this was probably on average for green curry. Curry paste was flavourful enough. Somewhat spicy which was a little overpower and not balance with other aroma. The Chicken Coconut Soup - ต้มข่าไก่ (2/10) was the worst here probably. The taste of coconut milk in the soup was weird. I was even think if the coconut milk they used was from a can/tin, not the freshly squeezed one. It was strangely too thick on the palate.

Rice Vermicelli with Sweet Peanut Sauce - ขนาจีนน้ำพริก (5/10) was enjoyable. Those handful condiments were pleasant. The peanut sauce was delicious but a little too sweet for my taste. Lastly, it was a non Thai dish, Grilled Salmon with Lemon Caper Sauce - แซลมอนย่างซอสเลมอนเคเปอร์ (4/10). A typical dish that ones would not be surprise to see in any cafe or bistro. It was on average overall.

Gaeng Kiew Wan Green Curry with Beef Shank and Toast (THB180)

Chicken Coconut Soup (THB120)

Rice Vermicelli with Sweet Peanut Sauce (THB150)

Grilled Salmon with Lemon Caper Sauce (THB380)

Desserts at Rabbit in The Kitchen could be highlight here. Some of them, I have not even heard of. We had a chance to try 3 of the desserts which include Thai Goodies in Coconut Syrup - ขนมสี่ถ้วยกับน้ำกะทิ (4/10), Steamed Banana in Roselle Sauce - กล้วยตุ๋น (5/10), and Trio Sweets in Syrup - สามแช่ (n.m.). The interesting thing was that we forgot to put syrup for the menu Trio Sweets in Syrup. Thus, we cannot really comment anything on this (T.T)". The Thai Goodies in Coconut Syrup is a basic cool Thai dessert served with coconut syrup in which this case it shall include Lod Chong (ลอดช่อง), Black Sticky Rice (ข้าวเหนียวดำ), Popped Rice (ข้าวตอก), and Sweet Basil Seed (เม็ดแมงลัก). From the picture, it may look a rather big portion. However, large part of the bowl was full with crushed ice beneath. The overall taste was ok. But I personally felt that the coconut syrup was a bit too sweet. Lastly, the Steamed Banana in Roselle Sauce was not at all a bad idea for a dessert to end a meal. The texture of banana was good, not overripe. The balance of sweetness and sour of roselle sauce washes out the taste of main courses pretty effectively. I think if the roselle sauce could come in a thicker version such that the sauce would coat pretty nicely on banana, this would be a nicer dish.

All in all, Rabbit in The Kitchen is an average restaurant in term of taste but fail on the service side. Pricing may be a little over the top for Siam Square area but this compensates with the comfy bistro atmosphere. Not the type of restaurant that is a must visit but not a bad idea to pop by when unsure on dining venue around Siam Square.

Thai Goodies in Coconut Syrup (THB90)

Steamed Banana in Roselle Sauce (THB60)

Trio Sweets in Syrup (THB60)

Rabbit in The Kitchen @ Siam Square, Bangkok - แรบบิท อิน เดอะ คิทเช่น @ สยามสแควร์ กรุงเทพ
Siam Square 11 (next to Hard Rock Cafe)
Phyathai Road
Pathumwan
Bangkok 10330
Thailand

Open Hours: daily 10:00am - 10:00pm

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Paul Avril Clos des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape 2004

Date of Tasting: 2 May 2014
Wine Type: Red
Grape Varieties: 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah
Alcohol: 15.0%
Origin: Rhone, France
Appellation: Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Expect to Pay: ~ THB3,500
Web: http://www.clos-des-papes.fr/
Chubby Score: 94/100
Value for money: 6/10
Professional Rating: WA - 95/100, WS - 96/100, ST - 94/100, JR - 17.5/20, DC - 19.5/20, CT - 93/100



Appearance: ruby
Aroma: spicy, earth, mocha, and cherry
Palate: fresh sweet raspberries and cassis with liqueur like structure. bright, deep, and well structured with depth and length of long haul. somewhat chewy and bold but silky smooth with integrated tannins.

Needless to express much. This is a great bottle to be in possession. It is showing beautifully now and shall be excellent for another decade. This is a masculine one with sleek move. A lovely piece of steak to go along shall surely be a compliment. Cheers!!!!!!

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

The Tables @ Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok - เดอะเทเบิลส์ @ แกรนด์ ไฮแอท เอราวัณ กรุงเทพ

Cuisine: International / Steak House
Price: THB2,700 per person (what we paid for)
Visited: 12 May 2014
Food: 7/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Value for money: 4/10
Services: 6/10
Scale: [ 1=poor ----- 5=average/standard ----- 10=outstanding/exceptional ]

The Tables @ Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok is one of the famous high-end dining room in Bangkok. It is situated on the mezzanine floor of Grand Hyatt Erawan. The venue is elegant and comfy. The kind of food they serve here are mostly French food and steak range. The interesting thing is the theme of table side cooking. Many dishes at The Tables will be prepared by table side but of course not the whole cooking process such as steak would be grilled in the kitchen before slicing by table side and risotto will be partly cooked before ending the final seasoning process by the table side. This theme of cooking can be interesting from time to time but not so often. For the service, it is obviously great. Staffs are polite and well mannered but might be lack of some knowledges. Nevertheless, I could feel the kind of weirdly negative look from some staffs at The Tables, I mean the kind of look/attitude that make ones uncomfortable. Perhaps I am a local. Perhaps I am not a regular there. Perhaps my sense was wrong.

The Tables @ Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok

spacious and cosy dining room

range of alcohol for cooking

table side cooking station

my choices of bread for the evening

For starter, I had Champagne risotto, parmigiano reggiano, black truffles (6/10). Risotto for the starter, a little heavy but I like it. At first, a chef will present ingredients for the course before cooking. Of course, the risotto had partly been cooked. Within a few minutes, the dish was ready. I would say that this was a pretty nice dish in term of flavour. The aroma, the balance taste, and the fabulous magic of truffles were well integrated. The one thing I did not like was the texture. It lacked the unique sticky texture of risotto which I really like. The rice seemed not to be the short grain one and kind of low in starch. Not sure whether it was their intention. Well, you may like it though whilst I don't. Otherwise, this is sure a classically great dish. A dish with wonderful fragrance without too many stuffing.

ingredients for the risotto

chef preparing risotto

Champagne risotto, parmigiano reggiano, black truffles (THB900)

For the main, I had entrecôte double, sirloin, USDA Prime Nebraska 450 g (7/10). This was a well prepared piece of steak. I asked for medium-rare and it was perfectly cooked to my statement. Wonderful flavour and texture indeed. This is sure another good steak house in Bangkok apart from New York Steakhouse at JW Marriott Bangkok and Fire Place at Intercontinental Bangkok. Having this steak with mustard and a touch of salt can be perfect already. Else sauces like red wine sauce or pepper sauce can also help. At the time, there were 3 choices of mustards and salts to be chosen from. Nevertheless, there was a point that still wonder. Entrecôte is rib-eye but instead it is sirloin at The Tables (forgot to ask the staffs). If you happen to know why, please kindly let me know.

chef slicing steak at table side

entrecôte double, sirloin, USDA Prime Nebraska 450 g (THB2,600)

perfect medium rare steak

black peppercorn and red wine glace sauces

range of mustard and salt

To end the meal, I chose cherry jubilee, vanilla bean ice-cream (8/10). This was sure a nice simple dessert. I love the bit that they put quite a reasonable amount of Cointreau in the cherry sauce. The vanilla ice-cream was also well made: creamy and not overly sweetened which paired well with cherry.

Ok, The Tables is a good place to explore and is sure a place for romantic couple. All you need is quite a deep pocket as one is expected to pay around THB3,000 plus for a three courses meal and this is without alcohol. If you are to order wine, expect to pay much more. Wine range here is not bad at all but they do come with steep marking up. A more value for money choice if you are a big eater is the Sunday buffet brunch which cost THB3,500 per person with free flow of beverage range.

ingredients for cherry jubilee

cherry jubilee at table side

cherry jubilee, vanilla bean ice-cream (THB350)

petit fours of cherry glaced chocolate

The Tables @ Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok - เดอะเทเบิลส์ @ แกรนด์ ไฮแอท เอราวัณ กรุงเทพ
494 Ratchadamri Road
Pathumwan
Bangkok 10330
Thailand

Open Hours: daily 12:00pm - 02:30pm for lunch (11:00am - 03:00pm for Sunday Buffet Brunch) and 06:30pm - 11:00pm for dinner

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires 1995

Date of Tasting: 25 April 2014
Wine Type: Sparkling White
Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay
Alcohol: 12.0%
Origin: Reims, France
Appellation: Champagne (blanc de blancs)
Expect to Pay: ~ THB5,000
Web: http://www.charlesheidsieck.com/
Chubby Score: 92/100
Value for money: 2/10
Professional Rating: WA - 94/100, WS - 96/100, WE - 94/100, ST - 94/100, JR - 18/20, CT - 93/100


Appearance: bright golden yellow and fine effervescence
Aroma: lemon, apple, butterscotch and white flower with toasty nutty almond and yeasty scents
Palate: Medium bodied and dry palate. creamy mousse. citrus notes. mineral and rich concentration. spices and herbs and vibrant complexity. fresh acidity.

This all Chardonnay sparkling range from Charles Heidsieck worked pretty beautifully. I like the fine effervescence that combines well with mineral and the texture. Just the yeasty part that I personally do not like. Interesting and pleasurable but might not be so value for money. Another bottle left and shall see how it evolves.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

The Garment Restaurant @ Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra 24, Bangkok - เดอะ การ์เมนท์ เรสตัวรองท์ @ ซอยนราธิวาสราชนครินทร์ 24 กรุงเทพ

Cuisine: International / French
Price: THB700 per person without alcohol (what we paid for)
Visited: 11 May 2014
Food: 5/10
Atmosphere: 5/10
Value for money: 4/10
Services: 4/10
Scale: [ 1=poor ----- 5=average/standard ----- 10=outstanding/exceptional ]

The Garment Restaurant was launched not so long ago, just towards the end of the first quarter of 2014. This is a tiny place (only just a small block of building) located within the Raffles @ Nara in Soi Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra 24 (also called Soi Sathu Pradit 19). At the moment, Raffles @ Nara is a fairly new community with only just 4-5 shops opened. The head chef and the owner of The Garment is Chef Eiam who equipped culinary skill from Le Cordon Bleu Sydney before joining Le Normandie at Mandarin Oriental Bangkok. Chef Eiam seems to be a friendly guy with an open mind for comments of his dishes. I would say that this restaurant might not just yet live up with standard of other fine dining cuisine but there are plenty of rooms to be improved and Chef Eiam looks like to be doing so. Some of the dishes we had was decent, some looked interest but some needs to be improved. The service is another thing The Garment needs to give a serious attention. Staffs were not so professional both knowledge and practice.

The Garment Restaurant

a one block restaurant

promotion at the time

rather simple decor

Chef Eiam, the head chef

Style of food here is kind of modern international / French. We gave The Garment a visit during a lunch time. For lunch, they also serve set menu, apart from a la carte, in which 2 choices and 3 choices at the price of THB490 and THB590 respectively can be chosen from. We did go for the 3 courses lunch just to give it a try. Before our courses had started, fish broth was served to boost our appetite but this was not so impressive.

For appetisers, we had variation of seasonal vegetable, cocoa hazelnut and vanilla crumble with parsley coulis (5/10) and blow torched tuna with green organic vegetable, sherry vinaigrette (3/10). The seasonal vegetable was decorated beautifully. It was light and fresh. However, I felt that the parsley coulis was a little too much such that it overpowered the other scents. For tuna salad, this was not really impressive. It was just a plain tuna salad with nothing spectacular. I would say that this could be found anywhere. The portion was also a little too tiny from my view.

welcoming fish broth

variation of seasonal vegetable, cocoa hazelnut and vanilla crumble with parsley coulis

blow torched tuna with green organic vegetable, sherry vinaigrette

For main course, the first one was butter poached sea bass, lime curd, almonds with spice and parmesan foam (6/10). This was pretty good. Poached sea bass was rightly cooked giving soft and tender texture. The overall flavour was balance with parmesan foam as the third dimension. Accompanied vegetables were fresh and lovely arranged. The other one was The Garment spaghetti carbonara with 36 hours sous vide pork belly (4/10). I wouldn't say that the dish was not delicious. It was a good idea to have sous vide pork belly, which was super tender and juicy, to go along with crispy bacon. However, this dish lacked of the magic ingredient of carbonara. If there was more parmesan, this would be a really nice pasta from my view.

For dessert, we had carrot cake, black raisin coulis and apricot carrot infused sorbet (6/10) and yoghurt yuzu infused cream tube, matcha fluid gel, mandarin ice-cream (6/10). Both were delicious. The carrot cake had soft texture with strong flavour. The cake went nicely with raisin coulis and apricot carrot sorbet. On the other hand, mandarin ice-cream was as well smooth and paired well with yoghurt yuzu cream tube. Only the matcha gel that I could not really get the present of it. It seemed to be overwhelmed by other aromatic scents. The negative point of these desserts for us was the size. The portion was really tiny. We wish they would make adjustment on this.

Overall, The Garment was not so impressive nor the must go one. But I think Chef Eiam can improve this place a lot with his positive attitude. On the pricing wise, the lunch set was not that expensive but not valuable too. We may give it a few months before our next return to see if there is any improvement.

butter poached sea bass, lime curd, almonds with spice and parmesan foam

The Garment spaghetti carbonara with 36 hours sous vide pork belly

carrot cake, black raisin coulis and apricot carrot infused sorbet

yoghurt yuzu infused cream tube, matcha fluid gel, mandarin ice-cream

The Garment Restaurant @ Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra 24, Bangkok - เดอะ การ์เมนท์ เรสตัวรองท์ @ ซอยนราธิวาสราชนครินทร์ 24 กรุงเทพ
311/1 Soi Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra 24 (Sathu Pradit 19)
Chong Nonsri, Yannawa
Bangkok 10120
Thailand

Open Hours: Tue-Sun 10:00am - 02:30pm for lunch and 06:30pm - 10:30pm for dinner
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