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
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