Best Dishes to Try in Bangkok This Week: Front Room, La Bottega, and More

While there are constantly new restaurants opening in Bangkok every month – March has seen several – it’s also good to keep an eye on what the chefs at the city’s many existing restaurants are up to as well. Basically, there’s “always something cooking” in this town.

(Hero image: Caramelised onion mushroom ragout at La Bottega di Luca; Featured image: The ‘Culinary Journey to the Far South’ lunch menu at Front Room)

Indulge in the new ‘Culinary Journey to the Far South’ lunch menu at Front Room
The elegant and always fabulous Front Room restaurant at Waldorf Astoria Bangkok invites diners to discover the flavours of Thailand’s southern realms. This outstanding three-course Southern Thai set is available for lunch only, and only until June 30, 2023. The starting point for these delectable dishes is the culinary expertise of the restaurant’s Chef de Partie, Chareef Pattanakul, who was born and raised in Narathiwat province, in the southernmost region of the kingdom. Highlights, which are based on beloved family recipes, include: Khao Yum Pak Tai Chompu Dong (seasonal vegetables, rice pop, and budu – fermented anchovy – sauce with homemade pickled rose apple); Tupa Sutong (squid stuffed with sticky rice and poured over with squid ink); Gurma Ped Thod (a zippy gurma curry duck confit with yogurt); and Cha Chak Roti Grob (Southern Thai tea ice cream with crispy roti and Pattani coconut sugar). Incidentally, as an added bonus, this lunch is attractively priced at THB 1,650++ (food only), from which a THB 150 donation will be made to Amir al-Mu’minin Foundation, a Yala-based not-for-profit organisation that provides assistance to orphans in Southern Thailand.
For more information and reservations, Front Room restaurant.

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Sample the brand-new à la carte menu options available at La Bottega di Luca
Chef Marco Avesani recently unveiled his new à la carte menu additions for La Bottega di Luca, one of the long-running landmarks for Italian cuisine in Bangkok, nestled up on Sukhumvit Soi 49. Chef Marco – the restaurant’s Head Chef since February 2022 – wants diners to rediscover the joys of eating out, and as such he brings his signature style and flair to the table, offering up a memorable display of Italian culinary excellence. Available for lunch and dinner, his newest menu features highlights such as: Akami tuna tartare with fresh tomato, celery, capers and crusco pepper sauce; Argentinian prawns carpaccio with lemon vinaigrette, chive and caramelised onion; Tortelli filled with baccalà mantecato (creamed cod), squid ragout, tomato confit and tarragon; Hokkaido sea scallops gratinate with breadcrumbs, lemon, butter and parsley; and Baked cannelloni in bianco filled with butcher’s cut Bolognese sauce, bechamel and tomato sauce. The ‘Antipasti’ are also worth praising, especially the newly unveiled grilled baby squids with zucchini, tomato confit and bagna cauda (dipping sauce made from garlic and anchovies). Of course, no meal is complete without wine and/or dessert, both of which you’ll find in abundance at La Bottega.
For more information and reservations, visit La Bottega di Luca.

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Try TAAN’s new 10-course tasting menu inspired by classic ‘Cookshop’ cuisine
Located on the 25th floor of the Siam@Siam Design Hotel Bangkok, TAAN restaurant just launched a new seasonal menu entitled ‘Cookshop: Uncovering Thai Cuisine’s East-West Influences’. This 10-course feast (THB 3,190++) offers a loving tribute to the long and entangled history of Thai cuisine and its Chinese roots, showcasing the true Thai flavours that have emerged from centuries of cross-cultural interaction between Thailand, China and the West. A definite highlight is the steamed fish in plum sauce, a take on a sour, savoury Chinese favourite which is enhanced by smoked homemade bacon. Meanwhile, Chef Monthep “Thep” Kamolsilp’s playful side comes to the fore the ‘Pretend Shark Fin Soup’ course, where braised pork ears match the texture of the original main ingredient, served in a delicate soup of pickled mushroom, crab, bean sprout and coriander. Dessert also blends the familiar and the unexpected in the form of the ‘Sake Mooncake’, which combines mooncake-braised breadfruit in local sato (a type of rice wine), tea leaves ice cream, puffy peanuts, and sake sauce. “We believe that food is more than just sustenance,” explains Chef Thep. “It’s an experience!”
For more information and reservations, visit TAAN restaurant.

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