Bottega di Luca

One of my favorite Italian restaurants in Bangkok…I never get tired of going to Bottega di Luca. The place is so popular now that we have to always call to reserve a table. This is Bangkok for goodness sakes; reserving a table? But; the sad truth is yes, we have to because Bottega di Luca is so good in so many ways.

One of the key reasons why we are repeat customers at Bottega di Luca is their outdoor dinning terrace. The outdoor terrace's atmosphere & ambiance is charming, cozy & always buzzing with happy people eating, drinking & talking. Even if it is raining the sliding cover/roof allows us to eat outdoor. But there is nothing as nice as eating pasta under the stars.

There are three choices for your seating pleasure…the sofa, the normal dinning table & chair or the high table & chairs. We normally choose the high table & chairs. We do not find eating dinner on a sofa very comfortable.

My starter was Tuna tartare (390 baht). Tuna tartare with the real "Bottarga di ton no" tuna salt cured egg from Sardinia (express smoked on request). I was sad with the small portion I was served; but, that is a personal thing since I eat like a pig and what I consider a good portion probably can feed a family of 5. The tuna was fresh & hand chopped nicely into chunks. The salt cured eggs (a great treat to find in Bangkok) added a lovely satiness & texture to the dish…a good balance of acidity, salty and sour. Very nice dish.

My friend's starter was Veal carpaccio (490 baht). Imported Italian free-range veal carpaccio Albese style covered with flanks of Castelmagno D.O.P. cheese. The veal was sliced so thin that you could actually see through it (how do they do that?). The veal was so fresh, tender and tasty. The rocket & dried tomatoes added great flavor; but the Castelmagno cheese added amazing richness & flavor to the dish. A simple dish but so complex with flavors.

My other friend's starter was Grilled Scamoza (380 baht). Smoked mozzarella cheese wrapped in speck ham with a side dish of sautéed mushrooms. This was the first time anyone in my gang ordered this dish; so I was excited to try it. The smoked scamoza had the most incredible texture because it was so fresh and the smoky taste was heavenly. Thank goodness the speck ham did not make this dish too salty. It just added even more flavor. Just lovely.

My main dish was Acquerello with porcini mushrooms (360 baht). Premium quality risotto with porcini mushrooms lightly sautéed in white wine sauce. Its very rare to get Acquerello here; so we had to have it. The risotto was cooked perfectly, the mushrooms were so soft & tender, the white wine sauce was rich & creamy. The combinations made this dish outstanding.

My friend's main dish was Pici with leg of lamb (440 baht). Pici-homemade-spaghetti, with leg of lamb slow stewed in red wine sauce. We had no idea what Pici was so we had to ask the chef and the waiter to bring out a sample (just being curious). Pici looks and feels like Japanese udon (or visa versa). Pici originated and is a specialty of the Sienna area. Pici is a bit more dense & chewy than normal spaghetti. The slow stewed lamb leg came in squared chunks and was very tender & moist. I personally thought it was lacking in saltiness; but that is the only fault I could find in this delicious dish.

My other friend's main dish was Spaghetti with fresh sea urchin (540 baht). Spaghetti with fresh sea urchin imported from France, in cherry tomato covered with grated mullet bottarga. We know how expensive sea urchin can be; but also know how yummy it can be. So my friend decided to go for it. The sea urchin gave the spaghetti a very unique flavor…nothing else gives this kind of flavor; it's really hard to describe. Its almost a metallic flavor to it (I mean this in a good way). Thank goodness because this dish was absolutely amazing.

Inside the restaurant; they have choices of anti pasti and charcuterie in plain view.

Overall; Bottega di Luca has everything going for it to make it one of the best restaurants in Bankgok. Great atmosphere, the service is outstanding in terms of efficiency and also friendliness, the food is delicious consistently and the monthly specials are always unique and stuff you rarely see or get in Bangkok. Oh; and there is always parking (very important).

The owner/chef Luca is simply a nice guy. Always in a friendly mood & high spirit. He is always willing to explain anything on the menu or just have small talk.

The only issue I have about Bottega di Luca is that too many people know about it…damn!

Address: Terrace 49

Sukhumvit soi 49, Bangkok 10110

Telephone: 02-204-1731

Open Table Tokyo Cafe @ Central World

My friend and I watched a movie at Central World; when it finished we decided to have a something small to eat in the shopping mall. What was amazing to me when we tried to find a place to eat was that every food establishment was packed with people and some places had a long queue of waiting customers. We decided to go to Open Table Tokyo Cafe because it had the shortest queue wait.

Open Table Tokyo Cafe is an open air restaurant…meaning it is situated in the middle of the hallway and it has no walls or ceiling. The decor has marble tables & wooden chairs, industrial style hanging lamps and faux wooden floors. Open Table Tokyo Cafe specializes in 'fusion Japanese & Italian food'…I should have know better when I read the menu. I was skeptical; but, I was hungry and did not want to wait any longer.

The first dish was shared was Open Table salad. The salad had fresh salad leaves, cranberries, feta cheese and almond slices. The salad had a Japanese salad dressing. The salad had a good mix of textures and flavors; nothing wrong with the salad just for the simple fact that it was boring. Oh and it had no connection to either Japan or Italy…I thought this was a fusion Japanese & Italian restaurant.

The second dish was shared was Ebi tempura roll. I think the person who created this dish had good intention in trying to make sushi a bit more different & interesting. However; in my opinion, it was simply weird.

Let me go from bottom to top; the rice was decently cooked, the smoked salmon was undistinguishable & flavor-free, the slab of cold cream cheese did add a creamy texture, the ebi tempura was crispy but was a tad over deep-fried, the industrial mayonnaise was simply disgusting in terms of color, texture & taste (so so yucky) and finally the slice of asparagus to top off only added a green color to the dish. What on earth happened here?

The third dish we shared was Ebiko tempura pasta. The pasta was a bit sad. The cooking of the noodles was good; but from there, everything went downhill. The restaurant was stingy on the ebiko, the sauce was watery and had no taste. The fried ebi tempura did add contrast of texture but did not add anything in terms of taste. Oh my oh my!

Overall; my suspicions of this place was very correct. The service was dreadful; but then again, the place was overflowing with customers, so I will give them the benefit of the doubt at how awful the service was. However; it did not help that the service girls were brain dead and the simple order of another bottle of water was a painful experience. I was still hungry but I did not want to waste more time trying to order more food from these girls.

Open Table Tokyo Cafe had gazillions of customers who seemed to be enjoying what they were eating. Eating at Open Table Tokyo Cafe; made me wonder if I truly know what I am eating and can I truly trust my taste buds. Yet; there I was pondering how on earth can these people be paying for food like this. Are my taste buds so arrogant that I cannot even enjoy this type of food?

I finally snapped out of pondering and decided…YES, I know what I am eating and NO, my taste buds are not arrogant. I do eat all types of food at all types of price ranges and when it is good.

I will never ever condemn people for what they like to eat and what they consider to be good. Open Table Tokyo Cafe is just giving what most Thais want; affordable, asian infused with western food in a environment that is easy-going. Nothing wrong with that. So; all I can say is that Open Table Tokyo Cafe was simply not my cup-of-tea and that I will not return.

Address: 6th floor Central World

Ratchadamri Road; Bangkok

Telephone: 02-613-1558

Indigo

I am in love again with Indigo. The food at this lovely French restaurant is really really yummy again. I have not been to Indigo for a while for the simple fact that, I thought the food was not as good as it used to be. Then we heard that Indigo got a new chef. I went back three times and I have to say that all three times were just perfect.

One reason why I like going to Indigo...the lovely garden terrace gives diners a unique atmosphere of eating under the stars and trees. When it is not too hot; sitting in the open garden ads such charm and the atmosphere is so comfy and relaxing.

My friend and I had the same starter... Frisée salad with home-made sausage with pistachio (420 baht). Anytime there is a frisée on the menu; I normally take it. Its so hard to find this lovely salad on menus in Bangkok. The slightly prickly and bitter frisée was a beautiful contrast to the richer & flavorful sausage. So simple this dish; but so much texture and flavors.

My other friend had the Lobster mousse (240 baht). The mousse was velvety, soft & light. The lobster flavor was intense and the cream was rich & creamy. All together; the textures and flavors made this dish heavenly.

My friend's main dish was Boudin noir (420 baht). The blood sausage had a soft, tender & rough texture. The blood sausage's typical ingredients of onions, lard, apples, fatback, garlic, parsley, nutmeg, cream, egg, salt & pepper (not sure if there is any other secret ingredients Indigo uses in their blood sausages)…made the sausage very tasty.

My other friend had Venison (590 baht). The portion was huge, the venison was so tender and had a lovely gamey taste to it. The sauce added lovely flavors to the meat but did not overwhelm the meat (which is a very good thing).

My main dish was Beef stroganof (480 baht). The beef was tender and the sauce was creamy & rich which added the right balance of acidity, salty, peppery and sweetness to this hearty dish.

For dessert; we shared a Pear tarte (190 baht). Actually; I thought this was the weakest part of our dinner. The portion for the dessert was big, the pear tarte was indeed fresh, it had good flavour and it was not overly sweet; but I found it to be too dry.

Overall; the food is tops at Indigo; the quality of the food is the best, the portions are enormous and the prices are incredibly affordable for the amount and quality we got. The wine list has amazing choices and again so affordable. The service is always friendly and attentive. The atmosphere of garden dinning is just lovely. I am so so glad that Indigo is really yummy again. Will be going back and back again.

Address: 6 Convent Rd., Bangkok

Telephone: 02-235-3268

Tables @ Grande Hyatt Erawan

Tables opened about two or three years ago (no idea)…we tried it two times: the first & the last all the same time. The food was just ok but the experience was dreadful..all because of the Swiss-German wicked witch of a manager. Be patient with me…I will try to make a long story short of this evil witch.

Here were some personal reasons why Tables did not work for us and I am sure for many people from the start:

1. They did not allow card holders of the 'Card at the Hyatt' to be used at Tables. One key reason why the F&B is popular at the Grand Hyatt; not only is the food good but the card gets people to return.

2. The prices at Tables were too expensive; though Tables was saying due to the quality of the imported products; the prices had to be high.

3. The Swiss-German 'meanie'…she was very mean to the staff; which is non-of-my business, but when she scolds them and is being mean to the staff in front of customers…then that becomes my business. I do not want to see or hear this drama while I am eating. And; on top of it, I did not think the staff deserved it.

4. The Swiss-German 'know it all better than the customers'…we were served a bread basket but the bread tasted and felt like they were stale (could have been sitting out too long in the humidity). Which we thought was strange because every time we ate at the buffet the bread was fresh. So; we told her about the stale bread and asked if we could have fresh bread. She replied; "We bake the bread daily and we serve only fresh bread". Here is the kicker…"Do you know about bread? We in Switzerland make very good bread and this is how it should be".

Ummmm; all I asked for was a basked of fresh bread…not her scolding of what fresh bread is and how it should be. All she had to do was say sorry or let me see if we have a fresh batch to give you. We even told her that the bread at the buffet is very good as a hint…she could have said, 'let me get you some from the buffet'. Whatever; but not tell us 'we do not know what bread is'. It was really incredible!

So; that was our last experience at Tables at the Grand Hyatt. After that experience, I knew Tables was not going to work. For the simple fact that the place was too snobbish and the evil manager.

Several years later; we heard there were several changes at Tables. We heard that there is a new chef and new manager. On top of this the 'Card at the Hyatt' was now allowed to be used like every food establishment at the hotel…a wise decision. We also heard that their Sunday brunch was actually out of this world. So with the combination of new chef & manager, Card at the Hyatt was being allowed to be used and that the food was suppose to be incredible…we decided to return and try Tables.

The concept of Tables is that in the evenings for dinner; the chefs come to your table and cook in front of you….hence the name of the restaurant; Tables. But for the Sunday brunch there are several cooking stations where each station will have a chef who will specialize in a certain type of dish.

The decor is a mix between art deco & a modern cigar lounge. Lots of chrome, glass, copper, leather & wood. The ambiance is relaxed refinement. The space is enormous; half the second floor is dedicated to Tables.

The Pasta cooking station.

The Champagne with truffle or seafood risotto cooking station.

The Lobster bisque or pea soup cooking station.

The cold cuts station.

The meat (beef & lamb) carving station.

With your Sunday brunch you have a choice of one hot main dish. We ordered the Lobster thermidor. The portion was just right, the lobster was very fresh and it was cooked nicely. This was a delicious dish.

The cold appetizers on display.

The fresh oyster & scallop station.

The Beef bourguignon cooking station.

The cold & hot dessert station.

The lobby of the Grand Hyatt.

Overall; we did not get to try all the cooking stations (I did not post photos all the cooking stations; for example the fish cooking station). There was so much food to try and my stomach did not have the space; but believe me, I did want to try everything…next time.

The food was outstanding. The selection of foods was amazing. The quality of the foods was very good & fresh. The chefs at the cooking stations were professional and cooked the dishes nicely. The service was perfect and very friendly. The new manager was attentive and also very friendly. And due to the 'Card at the Hyatt'; the cost of this meal was also very reasonable & acceptable.

The only problem now is that getting a reservation for Sunday brunch at Tables is very difficult. it has become very popular…good for them.

We are for sure going to return to the new incarnation of Tables…it was a lovely afternoon.

Address: 494 Rajdamri Rd. Bangkok 10330

Telephone: 02-254-1234

Farm Design @ The 9

I have never seen so many people stand in a queue for a slice of cheese cake. But for some reason; cheese cake from Hokkaido, Japan is the trendy & in thing to eat now in Bangkok. Farm Design a brand from Hokkaido is a smashing success.

Apparently; the cows from Hokkaido are very special and make the best milk around. That is why anything dairy from Hokkaido right now is being gobbled up by the Thais. The soft ice-cream from Hokkaido is selling by the kilo and the Hokkaido milk (different flavours as well such as strawberry, banana, etc.) can't keep up with the demand.

Farm Design is located at the new community mall called The 9 on Rama 9 Rd. You can't miss Farm Design because there are always people queuing up for a slice of cheese cake.

The window display to entice people to take a look and of course ultimately eat one.

There is no amazing atmosphere, great decor or modern design in the Farm Design (the only thing I thought was interesting was the open kitchen where we could see the pastry chefs making the cheese cakes). But; from what I saw, it seems like no one cared about the plain feel or look to Farm Design. They were all just focused on their cheese cakes.

The day we were there (around 15:00 after our lunch), Farm Design had about 10 different cheese cakes to choose from. As you can see most of the cheese cakes were already gone...incredible!

We decided to try the Classic cheese cake (95 baht) & Cow's cheese cake (105 baht). I am no expert of what makes a great cheese cake; especially the ones from Hokkaido. Honestly; I can't say that I am a fan. I found the cheese cakes to be...well; a bit plain but not bad. The texture was creamy, soft & moist, it was less dense than a New York cheese cake and what I did like was that they were not overly sweet.

We also could not resist the Cow's sablet (55 baht). I thought the cookies were cute; designed like a cow's skin print. I found the packaging to be simple, clean and really fun...I even liked the logo of the cow head with sunglasses...I really liked the design of the packaging.

Overall; I am amazed at the popularity of Farm Design...I cannot say that the cheese cakes are the best in town but they are ok non-the-less. When you put a good quality product with cool packaging and incredible word of mouth...there should be no surprises to why a place does so well.

Address: 999 Rama 9 Rd.

Telephone: 02-716-7878

Scarlett Wine Bar & Restaurant

The opening of Scarlett was the buzz among our friends. Scarlett is the incarnation of V9 at the Sofitel on Silom (as of April 2012, Sofitel Hotel will be upgraded to a Pullman Hotel). We for sure were not 'fans' of V9...the ambiance, food & wine were not our cup of tea...so, I thought it was a good idea that they were going to tear down the place and put something else more interesting.

AND; I have to say...I am really liking what they did. Scarlette is the brainchild of one man who also started the Wine Bar at the Pullman Hotel (next to King Power). The Wine Bar is a huge success and I am sure Scarlette has the same formula for as much success.

The concept at Scarlette is quite simple: a bistro feel & atmosphere (but in a larger scale), very good quality food & wine and amazingly reasonable prices. A formula I like much.

The space itself is huge (400 sq. meters); there are two parts the indoor dining area and the open air lounge terrace. The indoor area is split into sections...long bar area, large communal tables area or the bistro section with tiled floors and wooden chairs & tables area.

There are more than 150 different wine labels, 10 choices for wine by the glass, a section of the restaurant is dedicated to a huge cold cuts & cheese selection, tapas (hot & cold), daily specials and this is the special aspect about Scarlett...they have the French master chef Manuel Martinez as a consultant. He has brought some of his old time favorite recipes.

We could not wait to begin our evening...

Freshly baked bread with good quality butter topped which was topped with some rock salt (nice touch). The bread had a nice crispy crust and the inside was tender, soft & moist. Not a bad start to our evening.

Since the cops have been very strict lately about drinking & driving (of course, I do not believe in this), we decided to only have a glass of white wine to start the evening and a bottle red (La Spinetta) to finish off the evening. The Veuve Banyuls 2010 was suggested by the F&B manager. The wine had the grape varieties of macabeu & white grenache. It had a pale gold colour. It had a lovely butterscotch, grapefruit and citrus fruit nose & palette. A very nice recommendation indeed.

The first starter was a Board of selection of charcuterie and cheeses with some sides of pickles, olives, nuts and fruit (figs & dried apricots). The selection of cold cuts & cheeses were very fresh and tasted very nice.

The next starter was Lucullus. A country pork pâté surrounded with a breaded wall. I am a sucker for pâté. Any time there is pâté on the menu; I must try it. The lucullus was a good portion and it had great flavour and chunky & rough texture. Yummy.

The next starter was Sardines in the tin. When I read this dish on the menu; I had to try it. I do love sardines. I was really expecting sardines cooked and then put into a tin can as a presentation.

But, sardines packed in a tin really did arrive on the table. These are the famous tinned sardines from Spain. They were actually really really good; especially with the grilled bread and fresh butter.

My friend's main dish was Quenelle. This is one of chef Martinez's old time favourite recipes from his famous restaurant in Paris. You seldom find quenelle in Bangkok. So, when my friend saw that this was offered...he took it right away. The quenelle had a delicate mousse like consistency with a lovely subtle taste of fish (Pike fish to be exact). The dish was topped off with the creamy Nantua sauce. A well rounded dish with such subtle flavours and textures. Really nice to have it finally in Bangkok.

My main dish was Trio Lamb. My dish was three cuts of lamb; which were on a bed of pan-fried polenta. The lamb was such good quality and all cooked perfectly. The lamb was moist & tender. The sauce was light yet very flavourful. The polenta added some texture and subtle taste to the dish.

The open air terrace...such stunning views of the city.

Overall; we definately will return...this says it all. Scarlett is a really unique place in town and has a lot of positive things going for it. The atmosphere was relaxed & easy-going yet has a chic vibe to it. The food was amazingly good. The wines were terrific. The service was impeccable. But the great thing about Scarlett was the prices...so so so affordable for such a place with such high standards. Oh, did I mention that this place is very affordable?

Scarlett is a great addition to the Silom area.

Address: 188 Silom Rd., Bangkok 10500

Telephone: 02-238-1991

Bangkok Hamburger Company

We heard of a new hamburger joint had opened on Thonglor soi 10. The place is called Bangkok Hamburger Company. The very first gourmet hamburger place (to my knowledge) and only place on Thonglor that is very focused on only the 'hamburger'.

I know the hamburger is making a come back as a trendy type of food…it has evolved to into something more than the typical McDonald's hamburger. When we were in Paris; yes even Paris, the hamburger was popping up in all the high-end restaurants (at ridiculous prices).

BHC is designed like a typical American diner; large booths with faux burgundy colored leather benches and chairs & wooden tables. The wooden walls were simply decorated with photos of cows, etc.

The menu offered the typical American diner fare…such as milkshakes, floats, onion rings, buffalo wings, large ice tea, etc., etc. They also offered pork, chicken and vegetarian burgers.

But of course the star of the place were the hamburgers. Lots and lots of choices to choose from. From the basic to the very inventive. You can also select the size of the hamburger you want…regular or large. All the hamburgers were freshly patted that day (no frozen patties), the meat is of the highest quality and the sauces & marinades are home-made.

It was actually; fun to see the possibilities of how a hamburger can be dressed up.

My friend decided to have the basic Bacon cheese (295 baht). The burger consisted of triple bacon and cheddar cheese. Loads of beef & pork in this dish. All the flavors of the beef and bacon were apparent. The cheese was of good quality. Never can go wrong with just going basic.

I decided to have the Mexicana (320 baht). The burger consisted of chili con carne (beef), sour cream, salsa, cheddar cheese and jalepenos. This was a messy meal (a good thing). The dish exploded with so much flavors and textures. The only negative aspect of this dish was that because it was so full of ingredients; the hamburger beef did lose its taste. Yet; it was still a great hamburger.

The french fries were good; fried to a golden brown, slight crispness to it (but I would have preferred a bit more crispness to it) and it was soft & tender inside.

Overall; I am no expert on hamburgers. I eat them only once in a while. So, I can only tell when the meat is fresh, the bread is of good quality, the ingredients are fresh, the sauces are not industrial and there is care & passion put into the dish. And what we experienced; had all the things mentioned above.

We did have a disagreement with a friend of ours who says that the hamburgers here are not good; but he did not give a reason for his negative reasoning or even tell us where there is a better hamburger (for sure I would not know). He could not counter me on the reasons why I believe BHC is has good quality hamburgers. So until he can prove otherwise; we will still consider BHC a great place for hamburgers.

Address: Opus Building, 139 Thonglor soi 10

Telephone: 02-715-9407

Website: www.bangkokburgercompany.com