A feast for all the senses

THE THAI-OWNED Dusit Thani Bangkok will shut its doors on January 5 next year as the downtown site on which it has proudly stood for 48 years will be developed for a mixed-use project. While patrons will be sad to see it go, they can at least revel in the opportunities being offered to spend the next few months enjoying both its legendary services and its farewell gifts. 
Among these is a long and lazy “Beyond Boundaries” brunch, which allows diners to savour a diverse range of foods and desserts over five-and-a-half hours. A further two hours can be added to this Epicurean episode should they decide to avail themselves of an evening of unlimited canapes and a choice of drinks. 

Dusit Thani Bangkok offers the longest hours of weekend brunch with an array of dishes cooked to order.

Diners can set themselves free from late morning to sunset every Saturday and Sunday. The brunch is served from 11.30am to 5pm at Thai restaurant Benjarong as well as at the laid-back waterfall garden at the Terrace. 
It’s reasonably priced too, coming in at Bt2,900-plus per person including free-flow soft drinks and juices, or Bt3,600-plus with beer, wine and sparkling. Champagne lovers can enjoy free flow Taittinger at Bt4,900-plus.

The BBQ station at the waterfall garden is an ideal place for seafood lovers.

Seafood lovers will be in heaven as they attempt to choose from the wide selection of premium fare. Outside at the Terrace is the BBQ section brimming over with fresh lobster, river prawn, crab, scallop, squid, cod, salmon, razor clams and mussels that can be handed to the chefs to charcoal-grill.
A chilled seafood station is available indoors with Canadian lobster, Alaskan king crab, Thai mud crab and mussels with French, Australian and American oysters on an adjacent table just waiting to be shucked. Octopus, conch and sea urchin sit on ice next to salmon and tuna in both sashimi and sushi styles.

 Seafood is char-grilled to order.

The long culinary journey is best commenced at Benjarong restaurant, which has a fresh salad corner, a cheese and bread trolley, and a carvery station offering pork leg cooked with salted dough, and salt crusted Norwegian salmon – all to be enjoyed with seed mustard, apple sauce, lemon butter, mushroom sauce, black pepper or ketchup. 

Amuse bouche of salmon on hot stone

In addition to the all-you-can-eat food stations, each guest is treated to an amuse bouche. Served at the table, this involves salted salmon being slid onto a hot stone with a little water poured over it then covered and gently steamed. Diners get to choose how well cooked they would like this tasty morsel. 

 An assortment of dim sum

A selection of dim sum from the hotel’s famous Cantonese restaurant Mayflower can also deliver to the brunch on request. They include steamed scallop dumpling, shrimp wrapped with seaweed, deep-fried crabmeat with minced pork and salt egg, as well as steamed minced pork dumpling. 
Seven dishes from the main courses at Benjarong, Hamilton’s Steak House and the Pavilion are cooked to order and can be endlessly replenished.

Lobster Thermidor

“We understand that during the weekend break, people want to spend quality time with family and friends so our brunch breaks free from the usual limitations on time and format, combining a buffet with a fine-dining experience. Guests can relax and enjoy a whole day of leisurely eating and drinking over seven-and-a-half hours,” says the hotel’s food and beverage manager Sakdipat Nilango.

Oysters sit next to sushi and sashimi counter.

“We carefully select only prime quality and large sized Canadian lobster, Alaskan king crab, Scottish scallop, New Zealand mussels, French oysters and river prawns from Ayutthaya. The main dishes are selected from the signature items of our dining outlets. The all-you-can-eat Lobster Thermidor alone is value for money.”

Rack of lamb with mustard and mashed potato

The main dishes include Pan-fried Duck Liver with fig chutney and raisin sauce, Pan-fried New Zealand Rack of Lamb with mustard and mashed potato, Grilled US Rib Eye with red wine sauce, Deep-fried River Prawn with pepper and garlic sauce and Oven-baked Lobster Thermidor, plus two Thai dishes of Duck in red curry and Slow-cooked Beef Short Ribs in green curry.

Beef short ribs in green curry

Dessert lovers are spoilt too with an array of sweet offerings that dominate an entire room. Cleanse the palate with white wine jelly and mixed berry before piling a plate with Black Forest dome cake, pistachio mousse cake, Japanese cheesecake with blueberry compote, matcha tiramisu, creme brulee, strawberry tart and the classic Thai favourite mango and sticky rice.

A room of desserts

Other Thai-style desserts, shaved ice assortments and an array of fresh fruits are also available.
The brunch is complemented by a live band performing from noon to 4pm.

Though the brunch ends at 5pm, the merriment continues at the Terrace and the Lobby with free-flow canapes and a choice of drinks and DJ spins. The canapes include three Western-style bites of smoked salmon, parma ham and melon, and vegetarian caviar cream cheese while the Thai nibbles boast spicy salmon salad, spicy fruit salad and prawn satay.

Canapes, cucumber cocktail and peach mocktail

For drinks, customers can choose between a glass of red or white wine and the cocktail and mocktail of the month. This month, the cocktail is Cool as Cucumber and is a mixture of gin, lime juice, finely sliced cucumber, mint leaves, elderflower syrup and soda, while the mocktail Summer Peach blends apple and lime juices, elderflower syrup, soda and fresh peach slices.

JUST BRING YOUR APPETITE
Beyond Boundaries brunch at Dusit Thani Bangkok is available every Saturday and Sunday, from 11.30am to 5pm, and can be extended to 7pm with free-flow canapes and a choice of drinks. It continues throughout this year.
From now until July 31, diners can enjoy a come three, pay two promotion dubbed the Triple Double. 
Book your table at (02) 200 9000 extension 2345 or visit www.Dusit.com/dtbk.