We decided to splurge for dinner and reserved a table at D-Sens at the Dusit Thani hotel because they had a special guest chef in town. Chef Girard from the very famous Whisk...the critically acclaimed fine dining French restaurant at the Mira Hotel in Hong Kong was cooking from the 10 - 14 August.
Here is a clip about the chef of the Asia Tatler: Chef William Girard has worked at some of the finest restaurants in France: Le Bristol, L’Elysee and Taillevent are just a couple. More recently, he was working at the Al Mahara, the Burj Al Arab Dubai’s fine dining restaurant. His cooking philosophy is contemporary French with an Asian twist and he always makes sure not to mix more than three flavours in a dish. Chef Girard hails from the French Basque country.
There was a choice between a 5-course Découverte Menu at 2,400 baht + + and a 7-course Découverte Menu at 2,900 baht + +. Of course we took the 7-course (we are gluttons).
The amuse bouche was a fois gras cream.
The first dish was Tourteaux Crab Cannelloni (avocado, tomato, mango).
The second dish was Steamed Escargot (spinach, red radish, horseradish).
The third dish was Green Asparagus Velouté (smoked salmon maki, quail egg, pistachio pesto).
We were pleasantly surprised that the chef decided to give us one extra dish to try...so the fourth dish was Pan fried scallop (caviar, celery purée).
The wine we decided to pair with the food (which was mainly seafood) was a 2000 La Grande Année Bollinger Champagne. The Bollinger La Grande Année is much more than a simple vintage. It is the interpretation of an outstanding grape harvest. La Grande Année had a majestic feel to it (small bubbles are a good thing), and was intense, rich and had complex aromas...the Bollinger paired so well with the seafood. Tasting a bottle of La Grande Année added to the memorable experience of the evening.
The fifth dish was Maine Lobster (celeriac, raisin, curry emulsion).
The sixth dish was Turbot from Atlantique (zucchini, aioli, Bouillabaisse sauce).
The seventh dish was M4 Wagyu Beef Sirloin “Rossini” (spinach subric, maxim’s truffle potato).
The red wine that accompanied the meat dish was a 2000 Le Merle Aux Alouettes by Alain Chabanon. Today Chabanon is rightly regarded as one of Languedoc’s greatest producer. Le Merle is made from very low-yielding Merlot, and Grenache with a long maceration followed by 24 months in barrique. The 2000 Le Merle was a deep, vivid red colour. The wine was still rich, spicy, dusty nose is distinctively southern France even for a 2000. Quite a chunky, spicy palate with rich fruit and good tannins. Oh one more thing, the 2000 Le Merls was sooooo yummy! Am I allowed to describe wine like that?
The eight dish was Vanilla Mille-feuille “A La Minute” (raspberry sweets & raspberry ice-cream)
Petit fours (lemon tart, lavender marshmallow, chocolate truffle & pistachio macaroon) to accompany the tea or coffee.
Overall; the total experience was very nice. The newly decorated D-Sens now has a better feel to it. It is more cozy, intimate & refined but yet has kept is modernity & has a slight edginess to it. The new colour scheme is calming with ivory, beige, white & cream. The design & architecture is a mix of straight lines yet are broken up with strategic curves...a good contrast. The service was very professional and very good.
The food was the star of the evening. Chef Girard has an amazing talent to wake up the senses with his beautifully crafted food. When the dishes were brought out to the tables; they were a beautiful sight & had pleasant aromas. At the first bite, all the amazing flavours and textures hit the taste buds with a delightful bang. Truly lovely.
Address: 946 Rama IV Road, Bangkok 10500
Phone: 66 (0) 2200 9000
you're very lucky to have enjoyed this quality of a meal it looks unreal- although its a shame i am suggesting this on this entry because it would not be fair if compared to this stunning meal but i would really like to get your take at the restaurant i work at it- it is located at the Crystal Design Center (CDC) where you ate at the sandwich and cheesecake place. the name of the place is "The Aston Gastro Bar" i hope to be seeing a review of it real soon please look into it.
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