Preserving traditions in a pop-up

INSPIRED BY European love for relaxing over a plate of charcuterie and wine, Bangkok’s Four Seasons Hotel has turned a vacant retail space into a Pop-Up Charcuterie Room offering a wide selection of Spanish, Italian and French cold cuts.

Located inside the hotel’s Parichart Court, the pop-up deli evokes a sense of France with brick walls, a concrete floor and blackboards displaying the day’s offerings. A rustic wooden table forms the centrepiece and is loaded with hams, salamis and sausages that are sliced to order. Adjacent is a shelf stocked with wines from different regions, which can be enjoyed both by the glass and by the bottle.

Intended as a place for post-work drinks and nibbles, the 20-seat deli opened earlier this month and plans to stay until the end of July though an extension will be considered if feedback is positive. Hand-cranked and machine slicers sit adjacent to the cured meats and it’s fun to sit at the counter and watch as the chefs slice salamis and more into translucent, buttery slices.

Charcuterie is true food craftsmanship, turning preserved food into culinary treats by salting, cooking, smoking and drying. Think of a street-side bar in Barcelona filled to the rafters with legs of jamon iberico, a small trattoria in the Italian mountains serving home-made salami and wines from the vineyard outside or a delicatessen in the back streets of Paris offering exquisite saucisson and Bayonne ham. The charcuterie plates are also available to take away and make the ideal centrepiece for home parties.

“The idea is to make use of the empty space and generate revenue by providing something that complements but doesn’t compete with the restaurant outlets. We try to keep things simple and choose to do two things very well – wine and charcuterie. Charcuterie has its foundations in Italy, France and Spain and we select the best products from these three regions. You can come here to have a glass of wine with a small portion of cured meats or enjoy them as an aperitif. They get the appetite going,” says the hotel’s F&B director Vinod Narayan. 

The deli invites diners to try 50 grams of each meat, which come with complimentary fresh bread – rosemary and black pepper – both baked without salt.

“As many charcuterie plates are already salty, we don’t want to overload on the salt,” Narayan explains.

The most expensive item is the Spanish ham Jabugo 5J Iberico, Bt690 for a 50g serving. This ham is produced and prepared in the town of Jabugo from pure-bred Iberian pigs and the processing involves cooling and cutting into a V shape, trimming off the outer fat, salting, rinsing, balancing, drying and cellar-ageing for five years – giving a rich, salty taste. 

For a milder taste, opt for Pata Negra Bellota for Bt485. Named after the black paw of the Iberian pig, pata negra is also known as jamon iberico. The pigs are fed with natural compound feed and acorns and the traditional production process and curing period takes about 24 months, making for a slightly fibrous texture and delicate flavour.

Thais will like the Chorizo Cular Iberico Bellota (Bt170), also made from acorn-fed pigs and which packs a punch thanks to the spicy Spanish pimento. Calabrian cured sausage N’Duja Calabra Piccante (Bt140) is made from all the trimmings of the pig, including the head, entrails, skins and cheeks, and flavoured with spices and red peppers. It’s a spreadable sausage that tastes great with bread.

Groups of up to four people are best advised to go for a selection of platters featuring cold cuts of Italy, France or Spain, which cost from Bt525 to Bt625. The Italian platter called Affettati Misti for Bt580 offers six items from San Daniele, Salame Milano, Coppa di Parma, Salsiccia di Cinghiale to Pancetta Tesa and Prosciutto di Carpegna. It’s served with pickled Kalamata and Queen Green Chalkidik olives and cornichon (gherkins) that help reduce the oiliness.

Red, white and sparkling wines are available by glass and by bottle and start at Bt320 for a glass of white and go up to Bt5,800 for a bottle of champagne.

“Our sommelier chooses wines for easy-drinking that match every type of meats. Nothing is aggressive or complicated. The whole point of the venue is to serve as place to take off your jacket, remove your tie and unwind over wine and food,” Narayan says with a smile.

 

 

SALAMI AND SPICE

>>The Pop-Up Charcuterie Room is opens Monday to Saturday, from 5.30 to 10.30pm. It’s located at Parichart Court inside the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok. Call (02) 126 8866 extension 1249.