Great food, marvellous wines, gracious service and beguiling back-stories are the permanent signatures of Embassy Room, Park Hyatt Bangkok's 9th floor homage to good taste. But never settling for anything less than mesmerizing, its French-led chefs team exists in a state of continuous culinary evolution that periodically achieves quantum leaps. Its newest menu, unveiled in November, can therefore be described as Embassy Room Mark III; not a revolution but a still-ongoing flowering of fabulous food and drink experiences.
Epitomising modern European cuisine with all that implies in terms of global diversity, it takes its conceptual cues from the great French culinary school, from Escoffier and Careme to Bocuse and Robuchon, while appropriating, absorbing and accentuating everything in its path, from Hokkaido scallops to Italian truffles and Spanish octopus to Royal Project artichokes.
Settling for nothing less than authentic, sustainable, fresh, and hand-selected organic produce sourced from around the world, Executive Chef Franck Detrait, Chef de Cuisine Pierre Tavernier and Pastry Chef Kevin Lee and on-fire team, now invite diners to explore new a la carte, set and tasting menus defined by distinctive flavours and artful arrangements.
Embracing time-honored cooking methods, deconstructed to their essential elements, and reconceived as culinary rocket fuel, the chefs have curated an exquisite suite of seafood, meat and vegetable dishes. Each dish on the a la carte, set menus and tasting menus is characterized by irreproachable epicurean integrity.
"Our passion as a modern European restaurant, where you can find everything, is to give pleasure with food and wine in a conducive ambiance, delivered with personal service," summarises Franck. "Our fervent hope is always only that our guests will enjoy an exceptional meal and return for more."
As such, the pour commencer is inspired by the pick of what's available each day, making every session an Iron Chef-like challenge for Chef Pierre. He might, par example, present with characteristic self-effacement a virtuoso combination of green pea, asparagus, morel mushroom, black truffle, chicken jus, quail egg, par example.
There are too many dishes to mention each one but here's a smattering.
Hokkaido scallop with creamy cauliflower is juxtaposed with a little multidimensional acidity of pomegranate, lime & caper, fusing European and Japanese DNA delectably.
Scottish salmon, braised fennel & lemon confit goes ultra-gourmet with Italian tonato (tuna) sauce. As do poached organic eggs from Klong Tom Farm, sweet green peas, acid asparagus and home-pickled enoki mushroom, meaty morel mushroom and earthy chestnut, an exquisite expression of the season.
Spanish octopus is an awesome ensemble of earthy quince paste, crispy quinoa & crunchy corn, with Peruvian chimichurri and smoky Spanish pimento red sauce and a squeeze of lemon adding the finishing touch. This would go a treat with a glass of Daniel Dampt & Fils Chablis, Burgundy, France, 2015!
Alaskan King Crab, smoky wood-fire oven-roasted leek, pomme puree, zingy ponzu vinaigrette, salmon roe & dill frames but does not overwhelm the delicate, delectable crab flavour. A perfect match with Edition Bee "Beetle" Riesling Trocken, Mosel, Germany, 2017.
Alpha-carnivores will delight in gorging on seared French duck foie gras with pear, Royal Project celeriac, oven-smoked, joined by oven-roasted vegetables and tangy sangria and beetroot reduction sauce. Here a full-bodied 2015 Amaroni red from northern Italy near Switzerland is recommended to expand the range of culinary fireworks exploding on the tongue.
Staying with savoury, braised wagyu beef cheek again mates France flamboyance with nature-loving Japan. The Proveneale recipe reflects Pierre's upbringing when beef cheeks brought the family together on many a Sunday. That is following 24 hours marinating with red wine, carrots and herbs, searing, reuniting with the marinate and seven hours braising. Adding another layer of luxe, the maws of uncannily tender meat are served with king oyster mushroom, onion, and piping-hot smoky wood-fired polenta mash. The wagyu is "very amazing in the mouth because of the fat," Pierre underscores. And that goes doubly with Cantina di Negrar Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Veneto, Italy, 2015.
Another definitively European concept with eclectic ingredients is braised snowfish with braised Thai fennel and tonato confit.
Desserts, too, are constantly evolving. Like Financier, the small definitively French almond sponge cake, infused with lemon and mated with yuzu cream, marshmallow and snow soft ice cream made with small-batch extra virgine olive oil from Pierre's hometown. All of which goes great with a sweet sauterne from Bordeaux.
Or if you're craving the ultimate grand cru chocolate hit, Chef Kevin has just the thing with his Chocolate Variations, a cluster of 85% Valrhona chocolate ganache fleur de sel, milk chocolate mixed with Chiang Mai coffee, dark chocolate cocoa sorbet -- oh so very intensely and delectably chocolaty. Wash down with a small glass of potent Quinta do portal Porto Portal Pink, Porgugal sweet red wine.
The flexible menus give diners mouth-watering choices, including two lunchtime permutations:
An appetizer and dessert selected from The Pantry, the connected upscale home kitchen-style help-yourself service area, with (B1,550) or without a main course (B1,150).
One- (B690), two- (B1,190) and three-course (B1,490) menus with a choice of seven appetizers, seven main courses, and five desserts.
Dinner features an a la carte menu of eight appetizers, nine main courses and five desserts.
Or savour the array in one fell swoop with the chefs' first Tasting Menu, priced B 2,450 per person with an optional B1,200 wine pairing.
Savour the flavours in a low-key earth tones ambiance anchored in a vibrant open culinary laboratory where the white jacket chefs craft each dish in live culinary theatre. Choose the main dining room where well-spaced tables also overlook a window wall framing gardens between high-rises, and just one or two exclusively-commissioned stunning art installations. Here the views of the greenery by day and tenebres by night are complemented with a soundtrack that segues between slinky lounge, sensuous jazz and eternal melodies. All engagingly bound by gracious and memorable service at every moment.
Or be seated in a private dining room for ten diners featuring exquisite artistry painted and embroidered on silk-cushioned walls. Or opt for a semi-private dining space for eight. Or even dine al fresco overlooking the pool terrace and infinity pool.
Open for lunch 12pm-2.30pm and dinner 6pm-10pm.
PARK HYATT BANGKOK
Central Embassy. Tel. 02 011 7430.
Email: bkkph.fb.reservation@hyatt.com.
CHRISTMAS EVE DINNER (Mon, Dec 24)
Feast on a 5-course set Christmas Dinner interspersed with melodious live Christmas carol singing, the action from the theatre kitchen, and free-flowing festive ambiance. Featuring Alaskan king crab/Oscietra caviar & avocado/pear & watercress; Hokkaido scallop/parsnip & shitake mushroom/chestnut & black truffle; Australian lamb fillet/green asparagus & peas.
- B3,300++/B4,500++ with wine pairing.
6pm–10pm.
CHRISTMAS DAY BBQ BRUNCH (Tue, Dec 25)
Indulge in a fabulous Christmas BBQ Brunch by the enbassy garden-view poolside terrace. Explore the rewards of free-flow beverage packages, bubbles & fizz, and festive-crafted sodas.
- B2,850++ food + soft drinks/drinking water/coffee &tea.
- B3,850++ food + boutique wine/bubbles & fizz + gin garden & curated festive drinks.
- B4,850++ food + all above including Champagne.
12pm–3pm.
Highlights include: oysters/lobster/tiger prawn/mussels on ice; yellow fin tuna tartar with mango; Scottish smoked salmon; beef tartar station; salted crust salmon; "a la minute" duck foie gras & celeriac and Hokkaido scallop & cauliflower; Australian beef, tiger prawn, lamb and chicken skewers, lamb leg and Australian ribeye BBQ/carvings; truffle brie and Parma ham' Beche de Noel, Cherry chestnut eclairs; Christmas tree financier.
NEW YEAR'S EVE (Mon, Dec 31)
Ring out the old and in with the new over a 4- or 6-course set dinner, including: Hokkaido scallop carpaccio| sea urchin/Bloody Mary; Turbot/winter black truffle risotto/beurre blanc; 250 days dry-aged beef/pomme puree/tomato salsa/smoked paprika; and Italian meringue/peach and raspberry/white chocolate & champagne sorbet, on your way to cap it all at countdown on the roof.
- B3,300++ 4-course dinner
- B4,500++ 4-course dinner with wine pairing
- B4,500++ 6-course dinner
- B6,500++ 6-course dinner with wine pairing.
6pm–8.30pm/9pm–1am.
