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| Cafe Chili at Siam Paragon |
I went to Bangkok with the Sexy Seductress, whom I should now maybe call the Sexy Virgin, last weekend, her final tweet before the 14th being "Valentine Schmalentine". While we maintain our conviction in self-appreciation and magnified self-worth ("It's not us, there are no decent men around anymore!"), we escaped the lovey-doo ladida by focusing our attention instead on something better than the male specie: food, glorious food.
Unable to wait for my first bite of authentic Thai cooking, I called room service from the hotel car when I landed. I was greeted at the hotel by my boys: Tom Yum and Pad Thai. That first slurp marked the beginning of a fiiine vacation.
Riverside
The following morning, we breakfasted at the Mandarin Oriental's Riverside. I had a Thai omelette called khai jiaw, mainly because the hotel car's driver said this is what they eat for breakfast. It tasted very much like ... omelette ... mixed with banana catsup! I guess the Thai are not too big on breakfast. But what was spectacular was this view:
This is the view (of the river Chao Phraya) from right where we were seated. At night, the boats that pass are lit and you can hear blaring music from the parties aboard. We had dinner here Sunday night too. It was so romantic: you, me, the stars and the boat. (And we were like, "Why am I with YOU???")
We were especially taken by this senior couple Valentine-ing. How cute are they? I figured it was mostly seniors billeted at the Mandarin because they're only ones who can afford it, haha!
Le Normandie
Saturday lunch was our most indulgent feast. We experienced the legendary Le Normandie. This was on my to-do list as Le Normandie has been hailed by almost all respected guides and magazines as one of the best restaurants in Asia. Could it compete with Macau's Robuchon a Galera?
Le Normandie was very much like Robuchon a Galera in its classic (old?) interiors. While it evoked an opulent feel, it also gave the impression of being time-warped. A grand piano sits near the entrance; you will pass the wine cellar before you are seated; thick, blue (periwinkle?) and gold curtains frame your view of the river if you are lucky to get a seat on the left side of the room.
The dessert tray will make you want to whet your appetite with chocolate cake. But the room's ambiance, complete with the modulated voices of the servers, demands proper manners. "We are excited to have a taste of your amuse bouche, Monsieur."
I chatted up a sommelier. They had a 98 Margaux, a few from the 2000s. Almost apologetically, he said, "Our '86 was sold yesterday." "One of the best years," I replied. "Yes, that was a very good year." They had all the good wines: Petrus, Latour, St. Emillion. "Ah but deep knowledge is useless with shallow pockets!
The entire menu was deserving of such fine wines.
This appetizer of duck liver was just divine. That bacon slice on the right is almost paper thin but pouncing with pork flavor. It sits on a concoction whose body is duck liver and whose top is beet root jelly. Obviously a contrast of deep sweet versus deep salty but beyond that, the flavors were compact, the texture silky - perfection!
On the left is some kind of pork ice cream which honestly I did not understand. But I was taken after the beet-liver thing. It had me at hello.
And then that was followed by THIS. Goose Liver Ravioli with Truffle Sauce. The definition of indulgence. I am now on a mission to convince all my chef friends to recreate this for me. From the whiff of the truffles, which makes you pause for a second before you bite. To the very delicate envelope of pasta. To the rich flavor of the goose liver. As the Sexy Seductress saw and likewise experienced, it's a creation that you cannot just eat but must savor slowly. Like appreciating good art, you have to just pause in mid-bite and savor the moment.
The rest of the menu seems less extravagant after the ravioli not because it wasn't excellent but because the ravioli experience was just so damn good. It's like listening to Kellie Pickler after hearing Carrie Underwood (yes, I love contemporary country music! shut up!)
That is, until the server comes over and creates this for your dessert:
The server actually "PAINTED" this while we watched!
Then Oliver, the Maitre d, gave us directions to Bangkok's chilling place of the moment, Hyde and Seek, which we visited that night.
Cabbages and Condoms
The following day, we checked out Lonely Planet's #1 go-to: Cabbages and Condoms. Located by the Population Development Authority building of Bangkok, it's a restaurant with an advocacy: safe sex! They are represented by this dude on the left - Captain Condom! That whole suit, by the way, is made of condoms. There was also a Condom Christmas Tree, Santa Condom ... you will get condom'ed out! But it's a unique concept and I guess it's great for the advocacy because they are able to address this very serious issue with a touch of humor. They also have a display of what their outreach programs have accomplished not only for AIDS awareness but also in helping out tsunami victims.The food is not superb. The Tom Yum soup was delicious but the fish with chilli that I had was way below outstanding. Do try this appetizer though, it is heavenly:
I think this is Mieng Kham, if I remember right. Those are betel leaves. It's crunchy, spicy, with a hint of sour and the distinct taste of the peanuts. Best Thai merienda ever!
This is the garden outside where you can also eat. But since there were mosquitos at Hyde and Seek's garden the night before and it was a hot day, we opted to stay inside. They also have a bar with this very humorous name:
After bingeing here, we got a massage at Health Land Spa, "the official Miss Universe spa" according to our Twitter friend RG Cruz. It was the perfect way to end the day.
Bangkok rocks!
Riverside at the Mandarin Oriental
Le Normandie
48 Oriental Avenue, Bangkok 10500, Thailand
+66 (2) 659 9000
