Best in Show

Biscotti
Bangkok’s best-by-quite-a-long-shot Italian eatery at Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok is excited by the appointment of Danilo Aiassa, as should our taste buds be.

Danilo’s exposure to the culinary world began aged 11 in his family kitchen where his grandmother inspired him to try his hand at cooking sweets before moving on to pasta and other delicacies. At the age of 15, the Carmagnola native enrolled in a culinary school, and his chef’s career started in 1998 in the historic restaurant Il Cambio in Torino.

This was followed by a stint at three-star Michelin Dal Pescatore near Mantua, and then several other top-end positions in Strasbourg and Paris. Danilo’s Four Seasons tenure is his first Asian venture. Expect wow-factor meats (Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Artichokes a la Romana, Fennel and Ratte Potatoes), fishy treats (Roasted Atlantic Cod Fish with Grilled Asparagus, Spinach in Pastella and Scampi Broth), pasta surprises (Tonnarelli with Yellow Tail, Capers and Olives, Semi Dried Tomatoes and Spring Onions), and wood-fired pizza beauts (Eggplant, Ricotta Cheese, Pine Nuts and Basil).

Tel: +66 (0) 2250 1000; open daily for lunch and dinner.

Riverside Pasta Moments
No one, however, should rest on their laurels, because Giorgio’s, at Royal Orchid Sheraton Bangkok is set to give the competition a run for its money. First, some history: Giorgio Berlingieri became the chairman of the Oriental Hotel in 1981. Before long, he wanted to build another larger hotel for tourist groups, and the Royal Orchid Sheraton was born (at that time it was managed by Mandarin Hotels). A native of Italy, he requested that an Italian restaurant be included. Sadly, during the construction of the hotel, Mr Berlingieri passed away after a heart attack. The Board of Directors named the restaurant in his honour to remember the first chairman of the hotel as well as the first Italian restaurant in a hotel in Bangkok.

Giorgio’s has gone through a complete revamp. It’s now brighter, lighter and better all round. Decor inside is trendy yet elegant, with stylish chandeliers and satin dark wood columns, but most guests naturally prefer the outdoor seating centimetres away from the Chao Phraya River. And the food? Whether it’s the fish (Pan-Roasted Monkfish with Oregano and Champagne Vinegar Condiment), pasta (Flourless Ricotta & Spinach Dumplings in Brown Butter, Sage and Pine Nuts) or pizza (Tomato, Mozzarella, Smoked Scottish Salmon) – you’re in the right Italian hands.

Tel: +66 (0) 2266 9214; open daily for dinner from 6pm to 10.30pm.

Chinese Resurrection
The Oriental Bangkok’s two-storey, stand-alone The China House, which has long been the deluxe mainstay of traditional Cantonese cuisine at the hotel, and in the city, has recently been redesigned and revived into a stunning avant-garde eatery, inspired by the 1930’s Shanghai Art Deco period. Stunning is, in actuality, an understatement.

With custom design carpets portraying abstracted court ladies of past times, Chinese screens, high-gloss Makassar Ebony-clad columns, dark-wood wall panelling, period furniture, red hanging lanterns, mirrored ceilings, and exotic lighting, China House must be Bangkok’s best-designed restaurant. We sat in a private booth with opium bed-inspired banquettes surrounded with rich silk curtains. Even if you don’t need to go, head to the mirrored bathrooms on the second floor – they astound the senses.

World-famous Chinese chef Jereme Leung’s culinary creations are on show here, and his protege, Chef Kong Khai Meng, is based on-site. The menu reveals classic Cantonese cuisine (the Dim Sum lunches here are still all the rage), and the Peking Duck (staff even fold the pancakes for you) is a must-try. I have never tasted better. Another highlight was the Slow-Cooked Beef Tendon and Brisket with Pumpkin.

I was disappointed, but not surprised, to find that Shark’s Fin Soup was still on the menu – it is only a matter of time until eateries wake up to the fact that this innutritious, often-mercury-filled dish arrives in their kitchen thanks to highly inhumane practices – hunters are known to throw an estimated 95% of the shark back into the water, still alive, following the finning – and should no longer be offered as a status-symbol feed to wealthy guests.

The China House brings back the raw excitement and colonial-style mystique of Bangkok dining. Highly recommended.

Tel: +66 (0) 2659 9000; open daily for lunch and dinner.

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Courtesy of lifestyleandtravel.com