Both hearts and tummies filled

WITH VALENTINE’S Day in mind (and heart), a romantic meal in a gorgeous setting where the chef prepares your dishes right next to the table is as enticing as it gets. Tables, the restaurant at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, has all the sights, sounds, aromas and showmanship to ensure a memorable and meaningful evening.

And, upon passing through the massive wooden portal with its buffalo-horn doorknobs, you’ll soon forget the huge crowd of anti-government protesters outside.

The high-ceiling dining room, spacious enough to seat 100 amid Old World furnishings, vintage tiling and rattan partitions, has cartoonish figurines of chefs gazing down from the ceiling’s corners, playfully offsetting the sombre decor.

The tables dressed in white linen are beautifully set with bone china, silverware and snifters of the finest Czech glass. This is a wonderful place to enjoy classic European cuisine, mainly French. 

At five cooking stations, 20 or so chefs display their skills while chatting with guests. Most of the dishes are prepared in full view, so there’s plenty of jumping flames and kinetic stir-frying.

Specifically for Valentine’s Day this coming Friday, a five-course dinner for couples features traditional European specialities cooked tableside. Head sommelier Supapong Mekprasart will warm you up with Moet & Chandon Rose Imperial. Its pink with amber highlights and exquisite balance of berries with hints of citrus flowers make it perfect for romantic dinners, he says. 

To waken the palate, an amuse bouche of Oyster Vichyssoise topped with caviar is served – a raw Fin de Claire oyster in the shell with a thick soup of pureed leeks, potatoes and cream. 

“The oyster has a unique flavour and texture, so the rose champagne with its acidity and slight fruitiness is recommended to offset the fattiness and creaminess of the shellfish,” says Supapong.

He stays close by to assist with selections from a list of more than 1,500 bottles and 300 labels and will happily share his knowledge on request – even if you prefer to skip the wine. 

Poached Poularde de Bresse is a chicken breast stuffed with dried plum and apricot and wrapped in bacon. On top are marinated organic leeks and around it are drops of beetroot sauce and sour cream. 

Next, the chef has flames leaping to singe the shellfish with cognac for Pan-fried Diver Scallop in Boston Lobster Bisque with Parsnip Puree. And, for main course, you can choose either Tournedos Rossini with red wine shallots, brioche and duck liver or Atlantic Cod Fillet Confit with sauteed octopus, tomato chutney and wilted spinach.

 

 

“The cod from Norway is slowly cooked for 30 minutes with olive oil, coriander seeds, garlic, thyme and rosemary before being topped with the octopus, chutney and parsley,” says sous chef Nicolas Basset. “And it’s served on a bed of spinach and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.”

The chef keeps the steak preparation simple, using the slow-cooking approach for the Tournedos Rossini. This is 250 grams of tender wagyu tenderloin, grain-fed for 240 days and rolled into a tube, seasoned with just salt and pepper, and roasted. It’s juicy but without blood because it’s left to stand for 10 minutes after roasting and then seared in a pan. On top go a slice of duck liver and a red-wine-and-shallot reduction. It’s best enjoyed medium rare.

For the Day of Love, no other fruit is better suited than strawberries, and Chef Basset’s Strawberry Flambe becomes the perfect ending to a marvellous meal. He melts sugar into syrup and adds butter, lemon juice, fresh strawberries and blended strawberry juice, then flames the lot with Grand Marnier and serves it with rum baba (a small yeast cake saturated in rum) and vanilla-bean ice cream. 

There’s a nice surprise afterward too, which we’re allowed to “spoil” for you here. The Erawan Bakery will print a photo of you and your sweetheart on the lovely box containing 100 chocolate truffles and add a message of your choosing. It costs Bt2,900 net and should be ordered in advance. 

Your inner Cupid might also be interested in the bakery’s selection of pink strawberry mousse, strawberry cream cake, raspberry macaroons – and even take-away coffee in cups that bear the words “I Love You” and “I Love You More”.

 

FOR LOVERS ONLY

>>> The five-course set dinner – served only on Valentine’s Day this Friday – costs Bt6,500 per couple.

>>> Book a table at (02) 254 1234 or [email protected].