To commemorate its first birthday, Stage has a tasting menu that is a collection of its diners' most beloved dishes.
Regular customers would be glad to know that the much-talked-about Truffle hotdog from Stage's very first tasting menu has made the list. The dish is made by placing a house-made sausage snugly in a warm brioche bun and then topping it with pickled winter watermelon, house-made ketchup and a generous amount of shredded truffle. It's easy to see why the dish is so well-favoured.
Customers can pick between three tasting menu sizes: four-course (B1,900++), six-course (B2,900++) and eight-course (B3,900++). Although the dishes here tend to lean towards small-bite portions, the eight-course journey had me nearly filled to the brim before dessert even arrived.
From left: Tajima wagyu striploin; Sea urchin and Kristal caviar on toasted brioche.
Apart from the lip-smacking Truffle hot dog, highlights include the Cured mackerel served alongside compressed cucumber, tuna rillette, buttermilk sauce and refreshing horseradish ice cream; Carabineros paired with hang rice from Sakon Nakhon, which has been cooked in carabineros stock; and my favourite, Sea urchin and Kristal caviar on toasted brioche.
For the main course, choose between the Tajima wagyu striploin and the Duck confit served with mashed potato and caramelised onions. Although the striploin was tasty, the meat was succulent, glazed with beef jus and served with crispy garlic and charred broccolini, I wished I had chosen the duck confit, which was delicious. The tender, melt-in-your-mouth duck meat paired pleasantly with thick cherry duck jus, caramelised onions, silky mashed potato and crispy duck skin.
Pastry chef Rekha Limpichart's retro red trolley cart, decked with all kinds of bite-size desserts, is playful and imaginative. There's everything from classic French desserts to re-imagined versions of famous chocolate bars, such as Kit Kat and Snickers, which chef Rekha has cheekily named "Not your ordinary Kidcat" and "Not your ordinary Sneakers".
From left: Not your ordinary Kidcat; Dessert cart.
The ones I enjoyed the most were the White chocolate & black truffle choux (a black choux pastry stuffed with truffle white chocolate mascarpone cream) and Not your ordinary Ferrero Rocher, which consisted of decaf espresso, almond emulsion, strawberry flavoured bailey cream and milk chocolate praline crepe. The "Not your ordinary Kidcat" is also not to be missed. The Matcha green chocolate bar contains smooth matcha cream layered between chocolate sponges and crispy milk chocolate praline crepe. Simply delightful.
Note: With the current restrictions, the restaurant will operate from noon to 9pm, with three tasting menu sizes available.
Stage, Ekamai Complex, Sukhumvit 63 / Call 02-002-5253, 083-623-4444, visit www.restaurant-stage.co, reservations via email at info@restaurant-stage.co.
