Holiday TimeBangkok Post

 Read more news at bangkokpost.com Wednesday, decembeR 7, 2016

If there was such a thing as a popu-lar award for Japanese restaurants in Bangkok, Takumi Japanese res-taurant at ground floor Swissôtel Le Concorde Hotel along Ratch-

adapisek (MRT Huay Kwang) presents an interesting proposition for spending an indulgent evening or leisurely lunch.

Okay, it doesn’t have any pretensions about being fine dining or insist on only line-caught fish and hand-dived scallops. It isn’t particularly obsessed with being uncompromisingly classic either.

What it does brilliantly, however, is please most Japanese culinary prefer-ences most of the time, from the occasional adventurer to the frequent partaker.

It’s not a matter of pile ‘em high, sell ‘em cheap so much as hitting the sweet spot between quality and economy as unerr-ingly as a Stephen Curry slam-dunk. And in style, it says here.

With Takumi’s a la carte lunch and dinner buffets the mission is rendered all the easier by the premium products. After all, when we’re talking foie gras and Wagyu

Japanese as you pleaseHoused in a hotel that attracts lots

of Japanese and Korean guests, Takumi Japanese restaurant at

Swissôtel Le Concorde is undeniably authentic yet delightfully daring and, most importantly, priced very fairly

Noel MacleaN

aburi sushis and Norwegian salmon and maguro tuna sashimi, compromise isn’t the first word that springs to mind.

Who would complain at all you can eat a la carte lunch (11.30am-14.30pm) at 930, and the same formula with more premium items dinner (18.00-22.30pm) at 1,048, both net with free flow hot or cold green tea and soft drinks? Typical Japanese set lunch menus are even more of a steal at Bt260-Bt740.

But the actual comprehensive a la carte, offering yet broader selections of appetiz-ers, sashimi, sushi, grilled, boiled, deep-fried, tepanyaki, vegetarian, noodle, rice and dessert dishes, shouldn’t burn a hole in your pocket either — unless you’re with the dining partner I joined on a recent evening who reeled off an order so long visions of being waylaid till midnight flashed through my mind. Happily the food turned out to be so delish that we actually polished most of it off quite smartly. And the bill was hardly crippling.

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2 I HOLIDAY TIME Bangkok Post I Wednesday, december 7, 2016

FESTIVE AFTERNOON TEAThroughout December, celebrate the season of joy and meet friends for our special Festive Afternoon Tea at Up & Above Bar. Sets include delicate pastries using traditional ingredients such as chestnuts, berries, chocolate and handmade speculaas. There’s also a selection of savouries and dainty finger sandwiches, all served with mulled wine or egg nog, and special Noël tea from Mariage Frères flavoured with Christmas spices. For a more decadent afternoon, you can choose to savour the delights with sparkling sake, Prosecco or Champagne.

Festive Afternoon Tea is Baht 1,190++. Festive Afternoon Tea served with sparkling Sake or Prosecco, Baht 1,750++. Festive Afternoon Tea served with Champagne, Baht 2,750++. Served from 2.00pm – 5pm, daily from 1 - 31 December 2016.

OKURA PRESTIGE HAMPERSEmbrace the joy of giving with one of our gourmet festive ham-pers. Choose from three unique hampers packed with traditional Christmas favourites and a touch of Japanese inspiration. The beautiful custom-made packages are filled with treats such as Okura signature Yuzu macarons, Christmas cookies, homemade stollen cake, sake, illy coffee, chocolates, Prosecco, and more.

The three exquisite hampers are Okurimono — A Taste of Okura, Baht 2,900: Hoseki — A Sparkling Japanese Christmas, Baht 4,900: Takara — Okura Christmas Treasure, Baht 7,900. We offer a complimentary delivery service for Sukhumvit, Silom, and Sathorn roads for orders of 20 hampers or more.

Hampers are available for collection from La Pâtisserie, 1 December 2016 – 15 January 2017 on weekdays from 7.00am – 7 pm and Saturdays from 8.00am – 4.00 pm.

La Pâtisserie is located on the ground floor.

THE OKURA PRESTIGE BANGKOK Tel. 02 687 9000 or email: fbreservations@okurabangkok.com.

Festive Tea and Hampersat Okura Prestige Bangkok

Japanese as you please

We started with a rare dish Japanese and Koreans could share amicably — al dente Hokkaido scallop tongues in spicy kimchi sauce. From the sushi section came Shake Salmon (130), the first of a few selections where raw product is seared with a blow torch rather effec-tively. Ikura salmon roe (410), sweet red pearls of salty succulence secured to a raft of rice by a ribbon of tangy seaweed, was equally impressive but my personal favourite here were the suitably sticky, sublimely umami Unagi Terriyaki Eel (230). From the grilled dishes, Wagyu Amiyaki — 100g of grilled, sliced wagyu beef (100g), torched again and wrapped around crisp veggies liberally anointed with spicy garlic sauce (1,100) — pan-dered to our red meat cravings. Gindara Shioyaki — grilled snowfish with salt crust (or mustard miso sauce) (380), and Shake Teriyaki — grilled salmon with teriyaki sauce (220) hit the spot fish-wise.

Our sole Teppanyaki dish was wagyu tepanyaki — 130 gm of wagyu beef seared on the teppan (1,700), because you can never have too much wagyu, especially when as tender and juicy as here and complemented on the griddle with plump, grilled shitake, buttered aspara-gus and three sauces. And yet arguably the most enjoyed dish of all was a wonderful vegetarian, selection, Agedashi Tofu — soft-as-snow and twice as natural tofu with a crispy deep-fried tempura finish, served awash in ambrosial “Umadashi” sauce (130).

For desserts we lapped up two of Taku-mi’s famous homemade ice creams (80) — Carameru caramel and Macha green tea flavours.

Drinks are well done, too. Take a peach martini, shaken not stirred, with two olives (price), for instance.

Takumi loosely means “skilful” and you’ve got to hand it to head chef Song-kran. He cut his Japanese culinary teeth at Bangkok’s first Fuji restaurant, pro-gressing through Thaniya to the US and Britain before returning home a very astute assessor of local tastes which he duly panders to.

Thus the Japanese restaurant adjoining the cathedralesque lobby at Swissôtel Le Concorde (Ratchadaphisek Road, MRT Huay Kwang) presents an interesting proposition for spending an indulgent evening or leisurely lunch.

The all-timber décor and furniture is a cross between a sauna and a ranchy diner. Zen takes a back seat, with Japa-nese clichés limited to nobori-motif table settings and a sparklingly clean stretch sashimi counter.

Several private rooms offer sunken seating and picture windows framing a trellis garden of bamboo, illuminated emerald green by the sun during the day and floodlight to similar effect at night. Décor is kept simple as befits the Shinto sensibilities and the ambiance is undeni-ably charming.

A word of warning: this is not one of Bangkok’s best kept secrets. Booking is advisable.

Lunch: 11.30am - 14.30pm.Dinner: 18.00 - 22.30pm.

Tel. 02 694 2222 Ext 1560. Email: bangkok-leconcorde@swissotel.com.

SHANGRI-LA HOTEL, BANGKOK INVITES GUESTS TO DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF PATPAT TEA-SEED OIL AT FOUR RESTAURANTS

Famed for using high-quality ingredi-ents at all of its restaurants, Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok invites guests to dis-

cover the secrets of tree tea oil, as the hotel presents PatPat Camellia Oleifera tea-seed oil, one of the most extensively researched essential oils.

Tea Seed Oil is almost 90 per cent unsatu-rated fat, which is unique among oils. It is; therefore, a heart-healthy oil which has been identified to lower LDL (low-density lipopro-tein) cholesterol levels and harmful triglycer-ides from the body. 

The hotel is incorporating tree tea oil into its menus at Salathip, Shang Palace, NEXT2 Café and Volti ristorante & bar.

Guests can indulge in tree tea oil benefits from the Cantonese Dim Sum Combination with Tea Seed Oil and Stir-Fried Prawns with X.O. Sauce and “PatPat” Camellia Seed Oil from Shang Palace kitchen (Prices range from Bt500 to Bt650 per dish) or the Homemade Fettuccini with Smoked Garlic, Porcini Mush-rooms with Camellia Seed Oil and Tortellini

stuffed with Liquid Parmesan Cheese, Toma-toes and Basil with Camellia Seed Oil from Volti kitchen (Price costs Bt390 per dish). NEXT2 Café’s culinary team prepares Mar-inated Prawn Tandoori with Camellia Seed Oil and Nasi Goreng Fried Rice in Camellia Seed Oil, Chicken Satay, Pickle Vegetables and Prawn Crackers for guests to enjoy for lunch and dinner (Prices range from Bt280 to Bt560 per dishes).

Thai food lovers can savour special dishes created by Salathip’s Chef de Cuisine, Ms. Sut-thaporn Chulavachana, which include Pan-Fried Japanese Sea Scallops with “PatPat” Camellia Seed Oil, Thai Herbs, Lotus Root and Sea Urchin (Yum Hoyshell Yang Namman Ma-Led Cha), Deep-Fried Sheatfish in Dried Red Curry served with Steamed Riceberry (Choo Chee Pla Nua Onn Thord Namman Ma-Led Cha) and Stir-Fried Noodles with Maine Lobster and Salty Egg in Camellia Seed Oil (Kung Muang Korn Phad Thai Khai Khem Chai Ya). Prices range from Bt950 to Bt1,000 per dish.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej granted an initi-ative for the establishment of the Chaipattana Foundation to provide prompt and necessary responses to problems affecting the Thai citi-zen’s tranquility and well-being through various development projects. Her Royal Highness Prin-cess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, the foundation’s executive chairperson, bestowed the name “PatPat” as a label of products that are produced from various sustainable projects of the foun-dation. This will eventually lead to the country stability, which is the victory of development.

The partnership with “PatPat” further exemplifies Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok’s com-mitment in promoting culture and social sus-tainable development with the use of local pro-duce and products from the Royal Project all over the country, while also creating authentic experiences for guests.

Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok’s restaurant reservations desk tel. 02 236 9952 and 02 236 7777 or send an e-mail to restaurants.slbk@shangri-la.com.

CAT BARTON

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z Continued from page 1

If you live around Sathon-Narathi-wat-Rama III, you probably have trouble explaining where that is to the uninitiated. And find it even tougher convincing them that bars

and restaurants are mushrooming all over.So no excuses necessary from Pranai

Phornprapha (yes, a scion of those Phorn-praphas) and several shareholders for siting their restaurant-bar “destination” project “Thyme” at the Rama III end of Nang Linchi where mass transit’s a mirage but road access is amazing.

Greenfield sites can still be found and rents are lower, so so are menu prices. Moreover, this twin-storey in-vogue-indus-trial box isn’t challenged either for table or parking space.

So game-on for its “casual all-day modern European” concept and smat-tering of fusion concessions to the Thai-food fixated.

With its metal frame, widescreen road-side vista, epoxied-concrete, brickwork, wooden table tops, hanging ferns and incandescent light bulbs, the décor is attractive without monopolizing attention.

Ground floor, front-facing tables require booking but the chic vibe evenly pervades the neighbouring long bar and mezzanine

dining area, where live bands play Thurs-Sat, and trendy private dining room.

The menu is co-created by dashing Spaniard Mario Rodriguez Gago and self-confessed foodie Pranai, a hook-up that came courtesy of Facebook, Mario being a cohort of Thyme’s original Michelin-expe-rienced Spanish chef.

At heart, Thyme is a showcase for arti-sanal, mainly Spanish but also Italian and local produce curated into full-flavour Euro-centric culinary concepts.

Spanish charcuterie — patanegra, iber-ico etc. — is one specialty and Mario rightly claims that Thyme’s dry-aged and cured Cecina beef compares favourably with competing charcuterie. Especially when the intriguingly purple “Spanish Wagyu” is doused with olive oil and sprinkled with parmesan, Spanish truffle and rocket.

Another pork product — Castilla-style suckling pig served with apple-mush-room compote, celeriac purée and gravy — is cooked sous-vide with herbs before oven-roasting for optimal crackling.

Seafood looms large, too, including deep-fried calamari rings in well-seasoned batter, with lotus root, fresh chilli and mayo foam whipped up with a tantalizing dash of Sri Racha sauce.

Gambas al Ajillo — tender, plump prawns from the Gulf of Thailand cooked and served in a skillet with garlic-infused olive oil, garlic and onion, contrasted with crunchy sourdough baguette dusted with herbs, is as sumptuous as it sounds.

Thyme’s takes on paella, slimmed down to servings for two-three, are equally grat-ifying. The range of flavours may surprise those who have only encountered the seafood version on upscale buffets. Turns out it’s as versatile — and delectable — as its Italian rival, risotto. Possibly the most piquant is the version with black squid ink infusion into the bomba rice and fish stock. With tender, Atlantic coast octopus tenta-cles, squid rings, lemon slices and creamy garlic aioli on the side, this is hearty fare of the highest order. Other flavours range chicken & chorizo, Canadian lobster, classic seafood, porcini mushroom & pancetta, and even vegetarian paella with melted goat cheese.

For those who spurn Euro chow, tom yum spaghetti is a stunner. A paste of finely ground Thai herbs and spices forms a deli-cious sauce that clings to the homemade spaghetti perfectly. Added with grilled king prawn and seafood sauce, what’s not to love?

Some drop by just for the Torrija, a bread and milk loaf with caramelized crust, jux-taposed with dried raspberry, berry coulis, crunchy crushed nuts and vanilla sauce. Another sweet treat — classic churros; cylindrical sweet fritters — dunk delight-fully in dark chocolate and caramelised milk sauces.

Craft beers, fruity cocktails and afforda-ble wines flow from the bar.

Being all-day, breakfasts, light lunches and afternoon teas are also served. Moreo-ver, the menu is constantly being refreshed because that’s what Mario and Pranai love doing best.

THYME 411/2 Nang Linchi Rd., Chong Nonsi, Yannawa. Tel. 02 678 1333. https://www.facebook.com/ThymeEatery/.

Wednesday, december 7, 2016 I Bangkok Post HOLIDAY TIME I 3

THYME INNWho knew paella came in so many flavours?

Discover Flower Essences Spa Package 

Discover the natural healing benefits of time to renew and recover the skin with a special “Flower Essences Spa Package” available at Spa Cenvaree, Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok,

which will enchant your senses with the sweet scent of flowers in bloom.Featuring floral essences, this specially-created 2-hour treatment

regime begins with a 30-minute ginger flower body scrub to leave your skin smoother and brighter, and is followed by a 70-minute massage with aromatic floral oil, rich in antioxidants to strengthen the body’s ability to fight against oxidative damage.

After a shower, a 20-minute soothing ginger flower essence cold facial compress treatment will be applied, along with a relaxing head massage. Then you will get to take home a gift — SPA Cenvaree’s own exclusive “White Jasmine” gift-set that includes shower gel and body lotion.

This floral fantasy is just Bt2,850++ per person and is available through January 2017.

SPA CENVAREE Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok. Tel. 02 541 1234 Ext. 4292, 4567. Email: spacenvareecglb@chr.co.th.

AUDEMARS PIGUET PRESENTS THE PERFECT GIFTAudemars Piguet presents three categories of timepieces specially curated for this festive season.

For the classy couple...The Royal Oak Selfwinding and Royal Oak Quartz models retain all

the key attributes that have made the Royal Oak a truly legendary watch. Featuring a subtle interplay of alternating satin-brushed and polished surfaces, the eight white gold hexagonal screws add accentuation to the 18-carat pink gold octagonal bezel and crown.

Royal Oak Selfwinding is priced at Bt1,732,500. Royal Oak Quartz is priced at Bt1,139,300.

For the active couple....The Royal Oak Offshore collection has defied established conven-

tion since 1993. First launched with a sizable 42 mm diameter, it is a truly groundbreaking style for large-sized men’s watches. The collection remains true to the exemplary Royal Oak’s identity, but revisits its most iconic aspects with aplomb, such as the guilloché-pattern dial, which has been remodelled to become a “Méga Tapisserie” pattern.

The Ladies’ Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph continues to display the sophisticated refinement and energetic femininity of today’s woman.  This version in pink gold comes with a new “Lady Tapisserie” design which gives the silver-toned dial of the timepiece a softer look, perfectly offsetting the 37 mm pink gold case size. 

Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph is priced at Bt1,577,600 and  Ladies’ Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph is priced at Bt1,527,600.

For the creative couple... The Millenary collection launched in 1995, provides a new three-di-

mensional take on the calibre. The elliptical case and off-centred dial tie technical prowess to neo-classical beauty and invite the wearer to look right into the heart of the piece’s singular mechanism. Watchmaking art and design come together in a perfectly orchestrated play on perspective and balance, giving birth to a unique piece, which is most firmly rooted in the third millennium.

Millenary Selfwinding is priced at Bt1,383,400.  Millenary Hand-wound is priced at Bt981,277.

Discover Audemars Piguet, swiss luxury timepiece manufacturer, at the Audemars Piguet Boutique on G Floor, Central Embassy Tel. 02 160 5838.

DINE & WINE

Ladies’ Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph.

Royal Oak Selfwinding.

Royal Oak Quartz.

Millenary Hand-wound.Millenary Selfwinding.

Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph.

4 I HOLIDAY TIME Bangkok Post I Wednesday, december 7, 2016

New!! Krabi & exotic caKe

Mocha & Muffins at Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel presents the ‘Krabi’ and the ‘Exotic’ cakes created by Executive Pastry Chef Laurent Duffaut. 

The Krabi is inspired by Chef Laurent’s favourite Thai seaside holiday destination. It consists of a creamy coconut mousse, a refreshing yet zesty lime jelly, placed on top of a soft coconut sponge base and glazed with white chocolate. Prices range Btr110-800+ depending on size.

The Exotic encompasses flavours of tangy passionfruit and fresh bursts of raspberries built upon a fragrant almond sponge biscuit. Prices range Bt110-600+.

Mocha & Muffins is open daily: 7.00am – 8.00pm Tel. 02 126 8866. Email: mochamuffins.asia@anantara.

INTRODUCING RADO HYPERCHROME

RADO, Swiss watchmaker known as “The Master of Materials”, presents the new Rado HyperChrome collec-tion, known for its casual-chic, day-to-evening style, offering up a trio of fashion-forward timepieces for the festive season. Crafted from beautiful hard-wearing materials, these three Rado HyperChrome models will help you celebrate the holiday season with the gift of everlasting beauty.

For him: agile and futuristicTwo limited edition automatic

timepieces from the HyperChrome Ultra Light collection are crafted from incredibly light silicon nitride ceramic, anodized aluminum and hardened titanium —  a featherweight watch for men with heav-yweight style. Priced at Bt107,000.

For her: romantic and otherworldly

Sixty-six diamonds and an oth-erworldly metallic shine combine to exquisite effect on the latest ladies’ HyperChrome Diamonds. This quintessentially feminine time-piece in 36 mm case is crafted from plasma high-tech ceramic with mon-obloc construction, which gives off a metallic glow without containing any metal at all. The unique silvery shine of plasma ceramic is complemented by rose gold-coloured elements; rose

gold-coloured PVD coated stainless steel crown and bezel with 56 full-cut diamonds at 0.834 carats. Its grey dial is decorated with 10 full-cut dia-monds at 0.065 carats and rose gold coloured applied Roman indexes. Priced at 246,000 Baht.

Available at leading department stores and nationwide retailers. Tel. 02 610 0200.

STAY CELEBRATING AT HOLIDAY INN BANGKOK

Located at the heart of Ratchaprasong, Holiday Inn Bangkok is the perfect place to enjoy Bangkok’s vibrant

Christmas and New Year season. Stay here and make the most of your holiday through-out December.

Feel the holiday spirit at Cafe G. Featuring an extensive Thai and Western buffet spread, the venue offers live cooking stations, a carv-ing corner, and sushi and fresh seafood on ice, and a wide array of festive dishes.

Enjoy honey-glazed ham and turkey with roast potatoes, Brussel sprouts and all the trimmings. Finish your meal on a sweet note with all your favorite holiday desserts: gin-gerbread, crunchy caramel toffee Yule log, red velvet Christmas cupcakes and marzi-pan stollen. Nibble at delicious chocolate pralines and Christmas cake.

CHRISTMAS EVE24 December 2016.Dinner/18.00 - 22.30pm.Bt999++ adults.Bt499++ children 6-12.

CHRISTMAS DAY24 December 2016 .Dinner/18.00-22.30pm.Bt380++ adults.Bt190++ children 6-12.

NEW YEAR’S EVE31 December 2016.

18.00 - 22.30pm.Bt999++ adults.Bt499++ children 6-12.*Children under 6 years old dine free

when accompanied by each full paying adult.

Tel. 02 656 1555. Email: holidayinn@ihgbangkok.com.

High-tech materials and diamonds for a bold style statement

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