Since its first outlet, Minibar Royale on Sukhumvit Soi 23, which opened six years ago, the Minibar brand has never disappointed when it comes to magnificent gastronomic surprises.
Minibar Cafe’s playful vibe with a Pan-Asian touch.
So early this year, many of its regulars and I were left in dismay when we learned the original location was to close.
The good news is that the much-loved eatery has been relocated. Though the recent opening of the new joint, on the fifth floor of Central Embassy, may help alleviate my craving for the Royale's great cuisine, I found that the brand has transformed, from a worldly-wise gourmet haven to a more playful eatery that's likely targeting a younger crowd.
I decided to give Minibar Cafe a dinner visit a week ago.
Saiburi rice salad is as wholesome as it is delicious.
The lovely and relaxing meal started off with a couple of blended beverages. The Minibar brand has long been cherished for its creative mixology, and at its new location, many of the ingredients for concocting drinks, from syrup to soda to grenadine, are made in house.
Honey fig milkshake (150 baht), a creamy, frosty drink made with vanilla ice cream, honey, cinnamon and house-made bael-infused syrup, won my heart from the first sip, thanks to a luscious fusion of cream and exotic fruits and spices.
But if you're one for light, dairy-free refreshments, go for the Minibar Cafe Pop (160 baht), a translucent, sweet and sour concoction of plum, rose, grapefruit and bitter orange liqueurs served on an ice ball.
After drinks, I had my first encounter with ox tongue fritters (220 baht). I, along with my two dining companions, couldn't get enough of the treat, which were crispy on the outside and flavourfully moist on the inside.
The tongue had been traditionally slow-cooked for several hours until tender, then cut into bite-sized slices, battered and deep-fried. It was served with slices of red onion — which lent the beefy fritters a complementary piquancy — house-made chilli-seethed cocktail sauce and a lemon wedge.
"Tortizza" with chorizo and house-made Italian sausage (190 baht) was another signature appetiser we sampled. The pizza featured a very thin and crispy flour tortilla base. That, plus the sausage and wild rocket leaves, which gave the dish a bracing mustardy finish, resulted in a pizza that is light in texture but heavy in taste.
Another highlighted new delicacy at Minibar is Saiburi rice salad (200 baht), a hearty Southern-style Thai dish prepared according to the time-honoured culinary heritage of a small district in Pattani province.
As wholesome as it is delicious, the dish, which is not easy to find in Bangkok, neatly exhibited indigo-hued, butterfly pea-tinged rice with a colourful assortment of vegetables, fruit, and herbs — mostly finely sliced, including lemongrass, string beans, kaffir lime leaves, carrots, cucumbers, bean sprouts, green mango and pomelo pulps.
The cafe’s signature grass jelly & tres leches granita dessert.
The salad was flavoured with Saiburi's trademark budu sauce, made from fermented fish, which came on the side. Brittle morsels of toasted coconut flakes, minced fish meat and dried shrimp helped lend the rice salad an addictive, nutty flavour and briny finish. The scrumptious mixture can be eaten as a main entree or wrapped in fresh betel leaves, just like how you enjoy a miang platter. I found several of Minibar Cafe's typical-sounding dishes to be an extraordinary palate-pleasers.
First was the deep-fried sea bass with soy paste and green chilli sauce accompanied by quinoa (240 baht), as described on the menu.
It's a new rendering of the classic pla rad phrik (fried fish with chilli sauce), which is typically eaten with rice. The cafe has substituted rice with delicate quinoa, a grain high in protein and low in carbs.
Intermingling brilliantly with the quinoa, the pan-fried fish — with its supple, partially browned skin intact — was no less commendable. It showcased firm and flavoursome meat dressed with fiery salty sauce.
Another main dish that earned itself a round of applause from our party was said to be a very popular dish among the cafe's teenage customers.
It, too, sounded as run-of-the-mill — classic chicken Parmesan (260 baht). But the dish, which didn't look much more exciting, was superb. A large, golden-crusted chicken fillet revealed an aromatic, molten Parmesan cheese filling when cut open. It was served on a bed of marinara sauce.
Minibar's sautéed spaghetti with whole river prawns (550 baht) is ideal for those who'd like to try something that offers both Italian and Chinese culinary bliss. The heftily portioned dish featured a whole, jumbo-sized prawn, pan-seared and seasoned in Chinese style, on top of fish roe-garnished spaghetti.
For dessert, you simply can't miss Minibar's signature grass jelly & tres leches granita (80 baht). It's a rendition of the popular street-style dessert (chao guay) with trendy frills. The perfumed black jelly and its lightly sweet syrup was topped with fine ice flakes made with condensed and fresh milk. The modern delicacy was given a sweet, rustic touch with unrefined brown sugar.
The other dessert we tried — and fell in love with — was grilled, buttery toast served with Thai tea cream (150 baht). It was similar to deep-fried brioche, generously laced with rich Thai milk tea sauce.
As its name suggests, the eatery is more of a casual cafe than a white linen experience. Nevertheless, it is truly worth a visit.
‘Tortizza’ with chorizo and housemade Italian sausage.
