Simply made for sharing

WITH A rich amber decor and chairs all covered with a crocodile-skin pattern, the Kitchen Table of W Hotel Bangkok might look a little wild but there’s certainly nothing scary about the food. Based on the “modern bistro” concept, the menu has just undergone a complete revamp under the direction of new chef Thaneht “Keng” Naovarat with the result that many of the items are simply begging to be shared.

The high-ceilinged restaurant, which seats 120, is bordered on one side by a large open kitchen and the remainder is fitted out with a mix of wooden furniture and couches. It’s a pleasant place to enjoy all-day dining and offers a wide range of Asian and Western dishes.

The use of Thai literature with a modernised interpretation is at the forefront of the hotel’s design and is evidenced in the Kitchen Table through a vitrine featuring the signature style of local artist Sutee Kunavichayanont.

Inspired by the battle between Chalawan, the crocodile king, and his hunter Krai Thong, the virtine helps to contextualise the use of the crocodile pattern throughout the restaurant by showcasing images of Krai Thong performing the wai on the front and three crocodiles among the hunters on the back.

“Our guests come here to relax, eat and chat so we’ve adapted our dishes to encourage sharing and have also improved the presentation,” Keng explains.

“About 70 per cent of the menu has been changed but our cooking techniques remain traditional and we do not offer either fusion or molecular cuisine.” 

For the casual diner, Keng has created the “My Burger, My Style” that allows you to design your own premium burger. It’s priced at Bt470 inclusive of a beer or a soft drink. You can choose your favourite type of patty, buns, sauces, toppings, cheeses, side dishes, and drinks. Grain-fed Australian beef, ground lamb and tofu are among the choices for the patty while poppy seed, whole wheat and brioche are offered as the bun. Red pepper aioli, Thai peanut sauce or sun-dried tomato tapenade can add flavour to the burger along with cheddar, emmental or feta cheese.

Chunky or shoestring fries, grilled asparagus or tomato salad make for the perfect side dish. You can even upgrade the burger even further by adding sliced chorizo (Bt100 more), seared foie gras (Bt200 more) and buffalo mozzarella (Bt100 more).

 

 

Ordering is easy too: merely write your name on the create-your-own burger menu and it will be written in chalk on the black stone slate on which the dish is served. It’s a gimmick that makes the experience more fun and which feeds into the craze for uploading photos of dishes to Facebook and Instagram. 

I went the whole hog and ordered tandoor roasted marinated chicken with squid ink bun, truffle mayonnaise, semi-dried cherry tomatoes and cheddar cheese with mixed salad leaves and wild berry iced tea and thoroughly enjoyed every tasty morsel. 

Another favourite is Seafood Fritto (Bt520), which features deep-friedlobster, squid, grouper and soft-shell crab and is served in a glass jar with a gasket. Two small glass jars come on the side – one for the house-made Bloody Mary mayonnaise made from tabasco, ketchup, salt, pepper, lime juice and mayo and the other for a tasty mix of ground seaweed, ground chilli, ginger and onion powders. To eat, put the ground seaweed inside the fritto jar and shake to add flavour. 

Tub Wan (Bt690) is not, as one might imagine, the Isaan-style delicacy of spicy pork liver salad with ground roasted rice. Rather it features pan-fried foie gras on kao tang (rice crackers) topped with mixed greens and sliced onions and is served with a small glass jar of jaew dipping sauce.

“The presentation has to allow for diners to easily serve themselves on their own plates. The dressing, dips and greens are served separately so that each person can choose his/her own favourites,” says the chef. 

Chu Chee Pla Hi Ma (Bt750) marries deep-fried snow fish fillets with a red curry sauce, stir-fried chives, kaffir lime leaves and chilli on the side. 

“The food should please both the tongue and the eyes. The white fish fillets go perfectly with the red curry while the green chives add more colour and flavour. It’s unusual to serve stir-fried chives with chu chee, but I find this local ingredient goes amazingly well with the curry,” he explains.

Equally tempting is Massaman Nong Gae (Bt680). Here the Australian lamb shank is slowly braised for six hours with coconut cream, massaman curry, peanuts and tamarind gravy. It’s topped with new potatoes, pickled and fried red onions, dried chillies and fresh coriander.

Pad Pong Gari Pu Nim Lobster (Bt890) combines wok-fried soft-shell crab and Maine lobster with creamy curry sauce and a julienne of celery, bell pepper and onion. All Thai dishes are served with jasmine rice. 

For a Western kick, opt for Sweet Glazed Pork Rib Scented with Szechuan Pepper (Bt720) that is slowly braised for one day and later baked at a low temperature with BBQ sauce until tender. It’s served with French fries, seasonal greens and cider jus.

French pastry chef Nicolas Descraux is in charge of the desserts and he offers a delicious Cappuccino Cream Brulee (Bt280) made from espresso caramelised cream with mascarpone espuma and serves it with a spicy bread stick for a pleasant crunch. Equally pleasing is the Frozen Hazelnut Biscuit and Crisps (Bt280) – lightly frozen creamy hazelnut parfait served with crispy almond and tuiles.

 

DINNER’S READY!

The Kitchen Table is open daily from 6.30am to 10.30pm. 

W Hotel Bangkok is at the intersection of Sathorn and Narathiwas Roads. Call (02) 344 4000 or visit www.WHotelBangkok.com.