Côte by Mauro Colagreco, Capella Bangkok's fine dining restaurant, recently launched a new lunch set inspired by coastal cuisines from the French and Italian Riviera. The "Escapade" menu is a showcase of flavour and finesse by chef Davide Garavaglia. His culinary skill is sharpened through years of working alongside chef Mauro Colagreco, whose restaurant Mirazur in France received three Michelin stars.
The four-course set lunch started with amuse bouches that can whet the appetite and curiosity. Seaweed tarts simply explode in my mouth with trout roe, crispy rice and lime zest. Mussel escabeche is served in gelatin made of its own juice and mirin. Tomato confit is hidden inside the mussel to give that refreshing contrast. Shiitake macaron sandwich creamy black pudding terrine like a mini hamburger while a thin slice of green apple complements the bite with tartness. This tasty trio is followed by a big bread made from Colagreco's grandma recipe, a personal signature at every one of his restaurants. It comes with an ode to bread by poet Pablo Neruda.
The first course is Fresh sardines from Brittany that envelope cold ratatouille in a shallow emerald pool of basil vinaigrette. You can eat the sardines whole with their edible bones while the refreshing ratatouille is tender to your palate. The Provencal classic is rendered fresh and lighter here but the sardines may be an acquired taste for some.
Chef Davide Garavaglia.
Cold Ratatouille with fresh sardines and basil vinaigrette.
Amuse bouches.
Monkfish, broccoli and yuzu.
Slow-cooked egg should please all palates with its velvety consistency of yolk that pairs well with Swiss chard and Parmesan cream. Pro-tip: save some bread to soak up all the flavour from this dish.
For the main course, you can either go for Iberico pork rack or Monkfish. They both look as good as they taste. The former is served with parsnip puree, mustard seeds and chanterelles, accumulating into one tasty dish. The latter offers mildly sweet flesh that is somewhere between tender and firm with the addition of umami sauce of anchovies and cream.
The last course is a choice between Shiso sorbet with strawberry and mascarpone or White chocolate with pineapple sorbet. Both surely end the meal on a sweet and refreshing note but the pineapple sorbet has the tropical edge over the other. The real finale includes tea or coffee (so you can go back to your exec job re-energised) and a petit four, which has one of the best financiers I've tried. Crispy crust and moist inside.
For B1,500 per person, you would expect an elevated lunch break and Côte does just that. You can elevate it further with an optional cheese trolley for B300 more. The Escapade lunch menu is available from Wednesday to Sunday from noon-2pm.
Visit www.cotebkk.com to make your reservation. Capella Bangkok is on Charoen Krung Road, opposite Wat Sutthi Wararam.