cover story Crab and Claw
Iron Chef’s Table
The buzz: Since its opening night, Crab and Claw has been one of the most-talked-about restaurants in Emquartier, with photos of lobsters, lobster rolls and bibs lighting up social media. It's a collaboration between Hawaiian chef Colin Stevens (former executive chef of Centara Karon Resort and All Seasons Naiharn Phuket) and restaurateur Ployparn Markawat (The Local and Naj), and specializes in the kind of seafood dishes you’d usually enjoy sitting by the shore in Maine, USA.
The buzz: The first restaurant officially affiliated with the Iron Chef TV program sees celebrity chefs offer up various cuisines to the public.
In the plate: Live lobsters are imported daily from Maine in limited quantities and presented in a range of styles: steamed and served with drawn butter, grilled with garlic and butter (both B1,900 for 700-800g; B2,800 for 1,000-1,300g), baked in organic uni (sea urchin) butter, topped with more uni and flying fish roe (B2,300 for 700-800g; B3,200 for 1,000-1,300g) and in a fresh chilled lobster roll (B950). Other picks include the pasta uni-ara (squid ink pasta with cheese, uni butter, uni sauce and fresh uni, B480) and New England clam chowder (B220). The verdict: Yes, it’s in a mall, it’s noisy, the service is patchy, but we quite enjoy the bustling nature of the place. While Crab and Claw doesn’t come cheap, it does set the bar high for premium seafood that’s fresh, organic and sustainable. 7/F, The Helix Quartier, Emquartier, Sukhumvit Rd., 095-564-5422. Open daily 10am-10pm. BTS Phrom Phong
The Dining Room The buzz: Located on the left wing of The House on Sathorn, the beautiful mansion just next to W Hotel, The Dining Room is designed for an intimate meal with only 40 seats, almost half of which sit at the long, wooden counter facing the kitchen. Turkish chef Fatih Tutak heads the kitchen, dishing out fun, Asian-inspired dishes. In the plate: Hunting (B790) is symbolic of a European hunting day, with duck breast lying on splashes of red pomegranate sauce and burnt onion powder as gunpowder. The Red Parfait (B750) is equally stylish: foie gras torchon wrapped with beetroot jelly, served with brioche and aged balsamic vinegar. As for sweets, On My Way to Silom (B350) is inspired by a local grilled banana stall not far from the chef’s residence. The verdict: While keeping its style very strong, W’s The House on Sathorn is not a bit short on substance. the House on Sathorn, 106 Sathorn Rd., 02-3444000. Open daily noon-2:30pm, 6-10:30pm. BTS Chong Nonsi
Err The buzz: This project by chef-couple Duangporn Songvisava and Dylan Jones drops the formalities of their flagship Thai restaurant, Bo.lan, in favor of Thai-style tapas. Expect the same attention to sustainable and seasonal Thai produce. In the plate: The small plates highlight good ingredients and slow-food techniques aimed at lessening the restaurant’s environmental impact: chicken satay with brioche (B195), naem (Northern-style garlic and sticky rice cured pork, B195) and Chicken Movie (deep-fried whole-chicken skin with homemade Sriracha sauce, B150). The verdict: If you still haven’t checked out Bo.lan (#10 in our Top Tables 2015) for fear of fine-dining haughtiness (and prices), here’s a much more relaxed setting to try Bo and Dylan’s creations. 394/35 Maharaj Rd., 02-622-2291. Open Tue-Sun 11am-midnight
In the plate: Like on the show, dishes are categorized around eight ingredients: lobster/prawn, wagyu beef, bluefin tuna, foie gras, black grouper, pork, duck and eggs. Chef Prasopchok “Art” Trakulphat helms the kitchen, hence why his dishes dominate the oversized menu, along with many from chef Ian Kittichai. Still, there are contributions from other Iron Chefs, including Thai chef Chumpol Jangprai’s long srong (lobster or prawn with Chinese morning glory and curried peanut sauce, B1,900). Dessert chef Thanunya “Gai” Kaikaew's funkily-presented sweets include the orange-shaped Grand Marnier parfait (B390), balanced out by caviar and wrapped in yuzu jelly. The verdict: This is one of the fanciest in Thailand, and there’s a whole lot of technique on display. It's a rare treat to actually judge the celebrity chefs for yourselves. 1/F, The Taste, Thonglor Soi 11, 092-768-7723. Open daily 11am-2pm, 5pm-midnight
Err
Kom-Ba-Wa The buzz: Restaurateur Fred Meyer (Issaya Siamese Club, Namsaah Bottling Trust, Pizza Massilia) jumped onto the Suan Phlu bandwagon in his signature, tastefully kitsch style. Though KomBa-Wa deals in the same kind of fancy Japanese import ingredients taking over Bangkok dining, here they’re used in a way that dares to be different, with dainty, European-influenced plating matching with authentic yet creative flavors. In the plate: On top of premium sushi like scallops (B790) and sea urchin (B960), appetizers include the "Rosebeef" (Black Angus with yuzu ponzu dressing, B390) and black cod miso gyoza with chili soy sauce (B410). Main dishes showcase even more of the chef’s creativity. The squid ink ramen with fresh Maine lobster and Japanese sea urchin sauce (B1,850) is not to be missed, boasting a surprising yet satisfying pasta-like quality, and neither is the flavor-packed 60-day aged Tajima wagyu steak served with ponzu jelly (B1,750). The verdict: We love Kom-Ba-Wa. Not only does it add something new, but does so with creative, grown-up flair—with flavors on the plate to match.
Kom-Ba-Wa
39/19 Soi Suanphlu, Sathorn Rd., 02-679-3775. Open daily 11:30am-2pm, 6pm-1am. BTS Sala Daeng
Le Boeuf The buzz: This steak-frite-specializing restaurant from the mind behind Crepes & Co. lifts its entire concept from Le Relais de Venise L’Entrecote, a 50-year-old Parisian restaurant where the wait for steak in a classic “Cafe de Paris” green sauce served with bottomless fries can take more than an hour.
Iron Chef’s Table
Le Boeuf
In the plate: Perrot claims he’s got the original green sauce recipe from the Cafe de Paris in Geneva, which popularized L’Entrecote’s sauce some 20 years before the Parisian restaurant opened. What tastes like a potent mix of dijon mustard and garlic laced with an unholy amount of butter makes for a powerful accompaniment to the entrecote steak, also served with a walnut green salad and unlimited fries (B680). Unlike other famous L’Entrecote restaurants, you’ll also find lamb (B720) and salmon (B880) for the beefweary. Finish up with your choice of 12 classic bistro desserts veering towards the heavy and chocolate-y. The verdict: Don’t go expecting the most tender beef in town, but powerful flavors and those deliciously crisp, never-ending French fries make this a great contender for best affordable steak in town. Mayfair, Bangkok - Marriott Executive Apartments, 60 Langsuan Rd., 093- 971-8081. Open Mon-Fri 11:30am-11pm; Sat-Sun 11am-11pm.
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Crab and Claw
The Dining Room
BK Magazine Friday, November 27, 2015
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