From sweet treats to sous-vide

From sweet treats to sous-vide

After its renovation last year, Chu Dessert Cafe has a lot more to offer

SOCIAL & LIFESTYLE

In a food-fad metropolis driven by relentless openings of new restaurants, it may be easy for a food writer to create an up-to-date compendium of the best newish and coolest restaurants of the moment.

The recently renovated Chu boasts an expanded dining room with stylish decoration and furniture to cater more to proper dining.

But to respond to someone’s personal request for a suggestion of a good eatery that also fits certain criteria (e.g. a specific cuisine restaurant with private parking, medium pricing, a crowd-friendly atmosphere and good drinks list), can be quite a challenge.

Yet over the past few years, whenever my friends ask for a recommendation on where to go for a casual meal, I often direct them to Chu, a much-loved dessert cafe adjacent to the BTS Asok station.

Despite its name, the chocolate-centric cafe, which first opened in 2010, offered a selection of breakfast and light meals alongside a much larger assortment of homemade pastries, desserts and drinks in an overly laid back eating room. For me, it was an ideal and convenient meeting place for those looking for a not-too-heavy feast in a jovial setting.

That was before the cafe underwent major renovations in the third quarter of last year. Now Chu boasts expanded room — it’s twice the size of the original space — more stylish decor and furniture that caters to proper dining. The menu, too, has been polished and enlarged, with decent options of substantial home-style dishes, delivered from the new, spacious kitchen.

Chu is the brainchild of young, passionate and talented chef Chirayu Na Ranong, who quit his writing career five years ago to pursue his culinary ambitions.

Chu’s signature chilli-chocolate tart.

Reflecting the proprietor’s trendy culinary vision, almost all the ingredients are made either in-house or obtained from artisan sources. For example, charcuterie is from Sloane’s and breads are from baker Maison Jean-Phillipe. Fresh vegetables are carefully selected from organic farms, if possible.

It’s a good idea to start off your meal with salad. My favourite option is the pesto chicken salad (200 baht), which is presented simply with nice slices of sous-vide chicken breast on a bed of mixed organic greens dressed with thick and gritty walnut pesto sauce, subtle balsamic vinaigrette and aromatic airy shavings of parmesan. Another highly impressive dish was described on the menu as pork shoulder and ricotta cheese meatball (280 baht). It simply was home-made spaghetti and meatballs and looked very much the part, offering well-cooked pasta tossed with Italian meatballs and sauce. The meatballs — some of the best I’ve ever had — were prepared with a succulent cut of pork, ricotta and parmigiano-reggiano cheese and herbs, exhibiting a heavenly mouthfeel. The nicely flavoured marinara sauce, made from fresh tomato puree, lent an addictive complement to the dish.

Burger fans shouldn’t miss Chu’s Juicy Burger (350 baht). The best part of the sumptuous dish is the beef patty layered with house-made ketchup, balsamic onions and aioli on a Maison Jean-Philippe brioche bun. The Australian Grain Fed beef patty, properly ground in-house, boasted an impressive resistant texture — almost like that of a good steak — and when bitten, revealed a melting, lava-like cheddar filling.

Of the main meat courses, miso-sake salmon (450 baht) is among the bestsellers. A firm, glossy 200g fillet of sous-vide marinated salmon came glazed with tangy sweet miso and accompanied by roasted asparagus, shiitake mushrooms and mashed potatoes. The silky texture and mild fatty flavour of the salmon complemented nicely the pungent Japanese-accented sauce. This dish proved a winner.

Equally delightful was the herbed roasted chicken (300 baht), featuring a sizable chicken leg, sous-vide before being pan-roasted with rosemary for a crispy and aromatic finish to its skin, served with grilled vegetables, mashed potatoes and a thick balsamic reduction.

Do save room for dessert — my most darling choice at the moment is the hot chocolate cake in a mug (150 baht), an inside-out version of a typical lava cake. It showcases gooey dark chocolate cake, which is rich but not at all overly sweet.

Depending on availability, I urge a party of two or more to try the chilli-chocolate tart (180 baht). Served in a generous portion, I guarantee it’s one of the best chocolate tarts you’ll ever sample.

For sugar lovers, Chu also offers plenty more options of made-to-order and ready-to-eat sweets, including mouthwatering varieties of cheesecakes, puddings, waffles, brownies and, of course, Spanish churros. The cafe also offers an interesting selection of hot and cold beverages to go with the meal. Try the hot chocolate and Belgian chocolate beer. Food came out promptly via lovely service.

The miso-sake salmon with mashed potato.

Pan-roasted herbed chicken with grilled vegetables, mashed potatoes and balsamic reduction.

Chu’s best-selling Juicy Burger with molten cheddar filling.

Spaghetti with pork shoulder and ricotta cheese meatball.

Chu Chocolate Bar & Cafe

Exchange Tower, 2nd floor Sukhumvit Soi 16, Ratchadaphisek Road
Call 02-663-4554
Open daily 7.30am-9.30pm (Mon-Fri) and 8am-8pm (Sat & Sun)
Park at Exchange Tower’s car park
Visa and MasterCard accepted

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