Seeing Blue

Maybe it was my fault for visiting Blue by Alain Ducasse at lunchtime. Others have said the place looked charmingly brilliant in the evening and I'm sure it did.

But never had I thought the 5-star vibe of this much-awaited restaurant could be this humdrum when it is over-illuminated by daylight. However, Blue's super-lovely cuisine helped turn my oh-so-sunny dining affair into a very cool and comforting gastronomic experience.

The latest brainchild of Alain Ducasse, one of the most-illustrious French chefs in present-day gastronomy, Blue is a 240 million baht investment that promises to secure Bangkok's position as one of the world's must-visit dining destinations.

With a total of 21 Michelin stars being awarded across his 31 restaurants in 10 countries including France, Monaco, England and Japan, Ducasse is the living holder of the most Michelin stars in the world.

The Bangkok venture, which took five years to contrive before its grand opening last month, serves up its own rendition of contemporary French cuisine developed by the eminent chef himself.

A real aesthete and perfectionist, Ducasse takes total control of all aspects of Blue, from food and wine to service and visual flair.

For daily operation of the kitchen, he has appointed veteran cooking master Wilfrid Hocquet as executive chef.

Blue crab with tomato water gelee and gold caviar accompanied by confit tomato cracker.

Hocquet, also a French native, has an impressive career profile with two decades of work experience at several star-studded establishments across the globe, including three Michelin-starred restaurants Le Jardin des Sens in Montpellier, France, and Le Louis XV by Alain Ducasse in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

At Blue, he combines classic French cooking techniques with seasonal local produce in a way that pays great respect to the genuine taste of ingredients.

"[I offer] a fine-dining flavour that's very easy to understand. The menu is crafted up around the availability of the seasonal best harvest," Hocquet said.

At this inaugural stage, the à la carte menu lists 25 items of starters, main courses, light bites and desserts. A selection of full-course tasting menu (4,650 baht per person) and lunch sets (1,650 baht per person) are also available. The restaurant offers an afternoon tea set (1,000 baht) at its front lounge during off hours (2-5pm), when the main dining room is close.

Our meal started off with a chilled welcome drink made with celery, ginger, cucumber and lemongrass.

Grilled lobster with Savoy cabbage, curly kale and homardine sauce.

It was followed by a royal almond amuse bouche and a complimentary serving of sourdough and Scottish bread.

A dish called cookpot is said to be Alain Ducasse's signature. It's a delicious exhibition of seven seasonal vegetables, grains and fruits simmered together in a porcelain casserole dish specially created for the recipe. For Bangkok, the cookpot (850 baht) is prepared with purple rice, radish, carrots, squash and quince and generously garnished with fresh shavings of black truffles.

Chilled pressed crabmeat, from blue crab caught in the Gulf of Thailand, is served on a bed of tomato water gelee with an ample crown of gold caviar (1,950 baht). The light and refreshing crab dish was enjoyed with confit tomato crackers served on the side.

Next up, ox cheek and black garlic ravioles (850 baht) featured in tasty reduced beef broth, three round dumplings made with 48-hour-cooked ox cheek and duck liver.

My favourite dish that day was the grilled lobster with Savoy cabbage, curly kale and gala apple (2,250 baht). The lobster was perfectly cooked to showcase the supple yet firm texture and naturally sweet taste. Adding a heavenly enhancement to the crustacean was the braised winter cabbage and buttery homardine (bisque) sauce.

Alain Ducasse's signature cookpot of seasonal vegetables and fruits.

For the main course, we had wagyu beef striploin with kampot pepper and fluffy potato crisps (1,950 baht), and were very pleased with the high-quality beef from Australia's Rangers Valley but not as much with its accompanying pepper sauce.

The meal wrapped up pleasantly with a chocolate tart with coffee granite (450 baht), local citrus with basil sorbet (350 baht) and rum savarin with lemon-apricot dressing and lightly whipped vanilla cream (550 baht).

Blue's exquisitely designed dining room with expansive glass façade, which allows an unobstructed panorama of the Chao Praya River, was attended to by a team of amicable and efficient service staff. Reservations are recommended.