The
glamourous sophistication interior of The Silk Road in the Athenee Hotel
Bangkok has taken the Chinese restaurant dining experience to the next level but
most importantly, lets the classic memorable Cantonese food speak by itself. mylifestylenews
writes.
Centrally
nestled on Bangkok's sublime location along the leafy boulevard of Wirelesss road, this dining destination easily connects to premium shopping malls and flanked by major banks, top corporate
offices, as well as Embassies and consulates. The classy Athenee Hotel Bangkok was
built on the grounds of Kandhavas, the Palace that was once the home of Princess
Valaya Alongkom, daughter of King Rama V. While the Athenee Hotel Bangkok is
part of the Luxury Collection and carries a rich history and has a royal
connection, a certain level of elegance and luxury is expected to celebrate its
royal heritage and no less.
Walking
through the main lobby which is rather regal, modern yet inspired by Thai
culture with thoughtful touches in its grand design encapsulates the Thai-Colonial
style of elegance and luxury. When you arrive at the entrance to The Silk Road,
the splendour continues. You feel a lightness when you walk in, with light
carpet colours, vibrant screens allowing light and a colour scheme of dark
woods against light furnishings – think golds and blacks. To be precise, the design evokes an earlier era, drawing upon Art Deco style that was popular in Shanghai during the 1920's but brought up to date with modern artworks and comfort.
Plum-coloured wooden doors and cabinets, partition panel walls in Oriental Chinese motifs decorated with plentiful paint brushes to create a more dramatic ambience to admire no matter which corner your seat is facing in the main dining room, you simply won't miss it. Glass screens inlaid with gold tracery, a marble mosaic floors and stylish retro lighting combine to bring an air or elegance and intimacy to the restaurant. so in one sense there is nothing traditional about the fit out, but more a sense
of residential with an eye to creating a modern lighter colour palette that you
don’t normally expect in a typical Chinese restaurant and we were instantly won
over!
The
food, helmed by Chef Kam, a Cantonese native himself from Guangdong, is everlastingly
striving to find the best and freshest produce and he cooks it with a Cantonese
slant by staying truthful to the traditional cooking technique and insisting on providing the most authentic provincial flavours. He never forgets to pay homage
to the most classic and nostalgic Cantonese taste on the palate that brings back
almost everyone’s childhood memory from his wining gastronomy. Quintessential Cantonese cuisine is served here, almost a fining dining yet casual with a 21st
century edge modern flair and this became evident throughout the course of the
evening. There is a lot to mull over and you will be spoilt for choice. As we
were a party of three, this gave us a bit more breadth to sample, so we decided
that some classics were in order and little did we know what lay ahead of our
culinary journey in this eponymous restaurant.
<Baked
goose Puff in Swan Shape>
“Welcome
to Silk Road” was clearly written on the rim of the plate and let the swan
float in the misty lake as it was presented and kicking of as the first amicable
and adorable dish for the evening dining sojourn. This signature dish was deliberately
crafted to impress all diners of its moulded swan shape baked puff pastry gracefully
sitting on a stain-less steel rack with dry ice beneath to create the smoky and
misty floating effect garnished with petit stock of flowers. Delicate yet
surreal to admire especially of the swan’s flaky puff feathers that has been baked
to light golden brown perfection and it tastes like hundreds of delicate fluffy
layers on the first bite, stuffed with flavoursome goose filling. The execution
and flavour were second to none and it really elevated expectations that is to
take your breath away and you are instantly craving for more. An absolute “WOW”
factor injected!
<The Silk
Road Signature Dim Sum Trio>
This
is a trio of the three most classic Dim Sum on anyone’s wish list and once
again a complete surprise due to the choice, thanks to Chef Kam’s “Super-Size Me”
extra large version of each delicate piece that was worth more than just one mouth-full
and every morsel is so satisfactory. A definite order for Dim Sum craver. Giant
Sui Mai – Steamed dumpling with pork and prawn, topped with a whole
piece of supreme mini abalone and it was superb and on point! It could not be faulted with juicy large prawn,
abalone and meaty pork sturdily wrapped on a thin wanton paste. It is
deliciously yours! Har Gow was served with caviar on top, this most likable
classic steamed prawn dumpling is another great example of The Silk Road star
quality Dim Sum with the delicately see through paste rolled thinly and wrapped
with juicy and tender large prawns filling.
The Steamed Crab Leg stuffed with minced prawn and pork in a
Chinese yellow curry is another triumph of quality meat, artisanal creation and
wondrous flavour.
<Deep-fried
Shrimps with Mandarin Sauce served with White Chocolate Dome>
Now
you may wonder why was this sweet white chocolate dome paired with such a
strong savory shrimp dish. Who would have thought that white chocolate could
possibly be a (almost a main) component in such a classic Chinese dish? But
this was a complete surprise and it works! When the hot mandarin sauce was
poured to melt the white chocolate dome and to reveal the crispy deep-fried shrimps
beneath. The sweet and citrusy well complemented the savory of shrimps which
was a triumph in presentation and simply divine to enjoy!
<Barbecued
Pork with Honey>
A
well temperature controlled barbecued pork! This classic Char Sui was chosen
for the balanced layer amount of fat and meat to create an incredibly tender,
juicy and tasty palate that is so memorable with each contented bite presented
on an unusual but attractive white ceramic ‘iceberg’, garnished with spears of asparagus and chili no less!
<Peking
Duck>
You
can’t not order Silk Road’s signature Peking Duck. The flaming Peking Duck is
probably the least expected when it comes to its unique and one-of-a-kind
presentation that is most certainly wants you to have your camera ready to
capture the special moment. The already crispy skin roasted duck has had a short
ride from the kitchen on a trolley before being served the table, but at this point the whole
duck needs to take a quick “bath" and is “basted” in Cointreau and then set alight
to be flamed in the orange flavoured brandy liqueur. The server is actually
turning the duck as it is aflame to ensure it is evenly “toasted”. The artistic
presentation not only adds a further sensory experience but also to let the
duck absorb the orange liqueur flavour that gives a hint of citrus on the palate.
Silk
Road’s Peking Duck a la Canard Orange was inevitably fat, so an abundance of
meat as they use only the finest ducks, marinated with Chinese wine, herbs,
ginger, sugar and natural red-bean coloring before roasting to produce skin
that is exceptionally crispy and succulent. The first serving of the breast meat
on skin was simply divine and there was a subtle taste of orange that was to be
much enjoyed – we were absolutely thrilled with this approach and who knew that
it could elevate such a classic dish. A clever and innovative presentation.
We
like it that way that the duck was thinly sliced together with a generous mouth
full of meat remained instead of just the crispy skin itself being served with julienned
spring onion, cucumber, secret home-made sweet bean sauce and waffle thin
steaming hot pancakes. A more preferred nostalgic way to enjoy a well roasted
Peking Duck. The balance of the meat was offered with a various choice of
stir-fried or turn it into a clear broth to your liking. We were suggested a refined twist of its Thai Basil with Hot Chili stir-fried in high heat to
generate the smoky flavour which was rich, utterly aroi mak mak and sinfully
delicious, not a morsel left evidently.
<Fried
Flat Rice Noodles with Abalone, Crab, Shrimp and Crispy Fish in Brown Gravy>
The
menu description sounds like a mouthful but this is a classic combination that is
such a standout and yet quite generous in portion. The noodle texture is starchily
divine and so smoky as a result of the wok-fried technique. The combination of all
the ingredients were superbly cooked and harmonious to create such a quintessentially
Cantonese style fried noodle dish!
<Peony
Custard>
There is always room for dessert and what a gorgeous presentation! Once again, the flaky
and airy layered puff pastry was deep-fried in a fully blossomed peony and
filled with the right amount of custard, not overly sweet but just right to
give you that perfect round up for the entire wholesome meal. As the
presentation was artisanally crafted and this food art you don’t want to touch
but you must eat it in one mouthful to envelope all the flavour at once, it is
delicate and delicious at the same time.
If
you were to have experienced the best of Cantonese food in Hong Kong over the
years, we now tend to think that Bangkok has taken over this mantle, as the
evening was resplendent of the finest food and classic Cantonese flavours, as
authenticity is the key. The ingenuity of the Silk Road culinary team and the impeccable
cooking technique ensure you have a pleasurable dining experience. What
is a standout is that the kitchen has thought long and hard about not plating
food in the traditional way, without sacrificing the essence of taste and we
were enthralled with every menu item as it was served and as it was savoured. What
was even more surprising was the menu pricing, as you are dining like royalty
without paying the fancy prices and they have not missed a beat from beginning
to end as the a la carte menu contains a listing of approximately 40 dishes designed
for sharing.
The
service was spot on and not over-intrusive and you felt that they knowingly and
instinctively knew when to offer assistance or clear the plates or top up your
glass. Such excellence is to be commended, as very few restaurants can meet
this mark in our estimation. Khun Mam looked after us and we were eternally
grateful for her fine service. The kitchen brigade will forever be in our
memory for the surprises and authentic flavours and not one dish missed the
mark. The
classic Silk Road restaurant has hosted the sophisticated diners for years
especially for those in the know of finding refined Cantonese cuisine that
offer genuine flavour to please your palate to no end as well as the taste to
remember for such an unsurpassed dining experience.
Tried & Tested:
Location: 4.5/5
Design & Decor: 5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Food & Beverage: 5/5
Value For Money: 5/5
Experience: 5/5
61 Wireless Road,
Lumphini, Phatum Wan,
Bangkok Thailand
Tel: +66 2 650 8800
Reviews are based on actual day of visit and experience. mylifestylenews reserves the right of final decision in case of any disputes. All images are photographed by mylifestylenews team without any photoshop enhancement and are the property owned by mylifestylenews unless otherwise stated.
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