You've got to love lobster

ALL THE tables are red at Loong Foong, the popular Chinese restaurant at the Swissotel Le Concorde Bangkok, bringing festive cheer to the Canadian Lobster Festival continuing through February.

Chef Aumnard Chaowanklang has come up with nearly a dozen different tempting dishes in which the shellfish from the Great White North finds itself bathing in Cantonese finery while retaining its own authentic flavour.

Loong Foong means “dragon and swan”, and the interior decor suggests the grandeur of the former and the elegance of the latter in a “Chinese contemporary” style abounding in beautiful paintings and traditional wooden furniture.

There is seating for 220 in the main dining area and six private rooms for families and other large groups. 

The chef keeps things contemporary in his presentation, too, while enhancing classic recipes with local seasonal fruit for good health and cheery colour on top of the wonderful taste.

“It’s the annual lobster season right now, the perfect timing for this festival,” Aumnard says. “We’re using imported Canadian lobster because the meat is so soft and the shell isn’t too tough, so it’s easy to eat. 

“All the dishes contain six grams of lobster and are reasonably priced, starting at Bt750. We want to offer special dishes that everyone can afford.”

Tucking into lunch, Aumnard recommends starting with a Bt950 plate of scrumptious Salad Seafood Canadian Shanghai-style, a mix of cherries, green and red oak lettuce and red tulip petals served with a smooth dressing of apple vinegar, mayonnaise, miso and sesame.

The aromatic Wok-Fried Canadian Lobster is magnificent in either XO Sauce or a sweet-and-sour Passion Fruit Sauce – each one Bt1,500. They’re actually low in cholesterol and will 

 freshen up your mood. 

The Baked Canadian Lobster with Curry Powder and Peanut Butter Sauce and the Wok-Fried Canadian Lobster with Truffle Sauce are more exotic options.

The all-you-can-eat a la carte buffet has at least 100 choices of freshly cooked dim sum and other hot dishes at both lunch and dinner. It costs Bt688 net, including desserts and a beverage.

“These are small portions – hot dishes, barbecue and dim sum that we alternate every six months,” Aumnard explains.

The buffet platters that get refilled most often are the Crispy Prawn Mango Rolls, Prawn Dumplings, Steamed Duo of Snowfish and Salmon Roll in Coriander Soya Sauce, Steamed Black Ink and Scallop Dumplings, Marinated Jelly, Fish with Sesame Oil and Foie Gras Duck Wonton in Yunnan Clear Soup.

Other must-try dishes include crisp-roasted fish belly, Loong Foong roast duck, sliced beef in oyster sauce and cheese, stewed beef brisket, deep-fried sesame prawn with mayonnaise and steamed minced pork buns Shanghai-style. 

“We also offer Australian lamb specialities of the month, including a stir-fried lamb rack with black pepper sauce and wok-fried lamb shoulder with Szechuan or pepper sauce.”

At the end you can freshen up the palate with some tasty Chilled Mango Pudding topped with a red cherry or Sago Mango Cream with Pomelo. 

 

 

CANADIAN, EH?

>>Loong Foong is on the second floor of the Swissotel Le Concorde Bangkok on Ratchadapisek road. 

>>It’s open daily from 11.30am to 2.30pm for lunch and 6 to 10.30 for dinner. 

n Make reservations at (02) 694 2222, extension 1540.