If you're a true foodie, you'll know Sukhumvit Soi 39 is, figuratively speaking, very savoury, with many eateries dotted along its intricate sub sois and alleys. Try Google Maps to see what we mean. Tucked away deep in the soi, Cocotte Farm Roast & Winery shares the same address with several notable restaurants inside the 39 Boulevard Building. This new kid on the block operates on noble principles, claiming that it prepares dishes using ingredients from organic farms and food artisans as much as possible.
The word "cocotte" has two meanings in English, including a naughty one which we won't repeat here. In this case, it's simply French for chicken, as the place highlights meats and poultry rotisseries. The spacious interior is spilt into two main spaces, featuring a dark and sexy bar on one side and a bistro which feels like a sorta chic white-tile butchery on the other. There's a delicatessen corner with a good selection of cold cuts and cheeses available, as well as a cooking show in the open kitchen in the back.
The eclectic yet stylish setting fits in different agendas, from eye-locking dinner-dates to after-work unwinding. Have a group gathering or mingle on the wooden communal tables that have a beautiful pattern of annual growth rings. Or plop yourself into the leather sofa for a much-deserved TGIF drink.
The menu
Happy vegetables (B360++) may make you smile with its garden full of textures and flavours. About 15 types of veggies are individually prepared before being put back together and served chilled. This results in one very refreshing salad with an aromatic drizzle of truffle vinaigrette.
Croquettes with cured Serrano ham (B200) is good, but it could have been great. The crunchy exterior contains the creamy mashed potato inside, like a croquette should. Dots of curry aioli lift the croquette cylinders with a richness and aroma of spices. We only wish bits of Spanish ham could have popped more on our palate.
Tart lemon/mint meringue.
Tuna tartare (B340) offers juicy cubes of raw fish on prawn crackers that sound an audible crunch as your teeth sink in. It gets bonus points from us for having zesty pomelo pulps. Another raw delight is The Wagyu beef tartare (B460). The beef stack, topped with the sous-vided egg yolk from Hilltribe Organics, is surrounded by eight add-ons for you to mix in and find your own taste. Put everything together and no two spoonfuls will be alike. Open wide for The Cocotte burger (B490). Conkey's brioche buns sandwich many goodies in between from juicy Wagyu patty with cheese inside, parmesan slices, smoked Sloane's bacon to chipotle sauce. We came back to the side of fries towards the end of our meal and found they were still crispy.
Porchetta Cocotte style (B420) offers two layers of delicious pork. The outer ring comes with a good fat layer but with the skin being a tad too chewy, while the inner circle of pork is leaner. More options for mighty meats include Half farmer chicken (B420) served on hay and big Aussie wagyu tomahawk (B2,990) with a marbling score of five to share with friends.
Tart lemon/mint meringue (B220) is definitely not a one-note dessert but a refreshing end to your meal. Layered onto the pastry base is mint jelly, lemon-mint cream and meringue, offering a nice mix of citrus, sweet and sour.
On the beverage front, Cocotte offers classic and signature cocktails as well as selected vinos from Italy, Spain and France, by glass (from B190) or bottle.
The Wagyu beef tartare.
Insider tip
Banker-turned-restaurateur Maxence Le Bartz, partner and COO of The Kitchen Group, has opened 15 restaurants in Phuket, Pattaya, and Samui, before opening Cocotte in late April. He has partnered up with chef Jeriko Van Der Wolf, formerly head chef at D'Ark, and now Cocotte's executive chef. We think they're off to a solid start.
Happy vegetables.
Value & verdict
While positioned as roast and steak specialist, Cocotte seems to take every section of its menu seriously. Besides its elusive location, we don't have much to complain about it. Sure, the price tag isn't friendly to your average first-jobbers, but you do get what you pay for. There are some roasts worth toasting to here.
Cocotte Farm Roast & Winery
Rotisserie and steak, Daily 11am-3pm, 6-10:30pm, 39 Boulevard Building, Sukhumvit Soi 39, 092-664-6777, www.facebook.com/cocottebkk, www.cocotte-bangkok.com
The Cocottee burger.
