On March 29th the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list 2022 will be revealed, with simultaneous live ceremonies held in Hong Kong, Tokyo, and right here in Bangkok. Now, we can’t tell you yet who in Thailand made it onto this year’s coveted list, but it’s safe to say the three restaurants profiled this week, all with tantalising new tasting menus to try, would be worthy – in our eyes – of a mention.
(Hero image: From the ‘Once Upon A Time in Italy – Chapter III’ menu at Clara)
Chef Mirco’s incredible ‘Keller Journey’ menu, at Keller, is a gourmet must-try
When it opened in late 2019, Keller restaurant – named after partner and Head Chef Mirco Keller – made quite a splash on the local dining scene; offering contemporary cuisine, rooted in European tradition yet always with surprising twists. If it’s been a while since your latest visit, then set aside an evening to indulge in the chef’s superb new ‘Keller Journey’ set menu (THB 4,900++). Inspired by childhood memories and gourmet travels throughout Europe and Asia, each of the nine courses deftly reinvents familiar dishes. Things begin with heavenly Ōra King salmon from New Zealand, joyously brought to life with dashi, honey yuzu dressing, and sea grape. Highlights that follow include: Vichyssoise, served warm, with Berlin potato bun and crème fraîche; Obsiblue prawn with tomato, Ocietra caviar, and an incredible buttermilk-wasabi dressing; and a pasta dish combining Brittany scallop, cuttlefish, trout roe, and laksa broth. For mains, guests choose either beef, fish or poultry (the pigeon with artichoke was divine), and then the meal concludes with dessert and petit fours. The 4-glass wine pairing (THB 2,150++) is also highly recommended, especially the two German whites that accompany the starter dishes.
For more information and reservations, visit Keller Bangkok, 31 Suan Phlu 2 Alley, Khwaeng Thung Maha Mek, Sathon, Bangkok.
Mia updates their set menu with tasty new dishes featuring in-season produce
The new seasonal tasting menu at Mia is a combination of customer favourites from the previous set menu, alongside several exciting new dishes – using the finest in-season produce – dreamt up by the super-talented husband and wife chef team of Top Russell and Michelle Goh. These 5- or 7-course feasts (THB 3,250++/4,250++) begin with an amuse bouche quartet, the newest addition being the delightful thyme and cumin crispy cracker with garden peas. Other standout dishes along the way include the note-perfect lobster “perfume”, with tomato consommé and caviar, and the unforgettable grilled ocean trout served with fennel, almonds, and zesty blood orange. For mains, diners choose between hay aged duck served with carrots and pomegranate, or Hokkaido Kamui Gyu A4 Wagyu chateaubriand, paired with celeriac, mushroom emulsion and pomme soufflé. As always, desserts are a highlight Mia, starting this time with a new gin-and-tonic inspired palette cleanser – so good! – and a surprisingly yummy “cereal bowl”, with malted milk chocolate and corn. Alongside the set menus (also available in superb vegetarian and vegan versions), the expert 5-glass wine pairing (THB 2,250++), by sommelier Atiporn “Nan” Khaengraeng, is not-to-be-missed.
For more information and reservations, visit Mia Restaurant, 30 Attha Kawi 1 Alley, Khlong Tan, Khlong Toei, Bangkok.
Clara’s ‘Once Upon A Time in Italy – Chapter III’ menu makes its delicious debut
At Clara, Chef Christian Martena has, just this month, unveiled his wonderful ‘Once Upon A Time in Italy – Chapter III’ menu, which once again takes diners on an epic, gastronomic journey across key regions of his ancestral homeland. This time, the chef’s wildly inventive celebration of Italian modern cuisine – always magnificently plated – makes mouthwatering stops in locales that include: Trentino (Northern Italy), for a barley orzotto (like a risotto) with smoked trout; Veneto (where Venice is the capital), for a dish of white asparagus with tarragon sabayon, egg yolk and Oscietra caviar; and Friuli (the northeast region bordering Austria), for a three-part dish made up of scallop with parsley, langoustine with polenta and apple, and razor clam served with buckwheat and an herb pesto. This spring-themed menus is priced at THB 2,680++ for the ‘5 Regions Menu’, and THB 3,080++ for the ‘7 Regions Menu’. And, of course, no mention of dining at Clara would be complete without shining a spotlight on the wine expertise of sommelier Theo Lavigne, who has created course-by-course wine pairings to accompany (THB 1,780++/2,080++).
For more information and reservations, visit Clara Restaurant, 69 Soi Prasat Suk, Khwaeng Chong Nonsi, Yan Nawa, Bangkok.