Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Silk Road @ Plaza Athenee Bangkok

Cuisine: Chinese
Price: THB2,400 per person without alcohol (what we paid for)
Visited: 17 November 2013
Food: 7/10
Atmosphere: 6/10
Value for money: 7/10
Services: 7/10

For many years, I have been returning to Silk Road @ Plaza Athenee Bangkok from time to time to enjoy fine Chinese cuisine as well as good dim sum lunch. This occasion was another exceptional night. I would simply put that Silk Road serves tremendously delicious Chinese food but not the glamorous one. On the service wise, staffs are pretty much friendly. For knowledge wise, some staffs may not be particularly clear. However, the restaurant manager and assistant manager are excellent and are willing to help.

As for interior, the venue is kept in kind of Chinese contemporary decor with some comfy seats. There are large private rooms available upon request also. If you plan to visit here for dim sum, especially during weekend, a few days in advance booking is highly recommended. Personally, I find that dim sum here is enjoyable but the dinner menu is fabulous. In fact, I did not intend to review Silk Road at this occasion, however dishes were wonderful that I have to review. So pictures in this review were taken purely with mobile phone (^^). At this occasion, I also popped up a bottle of Domaine Pavelot Savigny les Beaune La Dominode 2010 which was a wonderful bottle of Burgundy at value for money price. This bottle can be aged for perhaps 2 more decade and should be much better in a few more years.

Silk Road @ Plaza Athenee Bangkok

Pavelot, La Dominode 2010

For the meal, we went for a set menu which costed THB17,250. Expensive??? Yes indeed, it was an expensive set that came with 8 dishes which should be perfect for 10 to 12 people party. Nevertheless, we felt that the meal was kind of worth the price tag. For hot tea, it would cost around THB120 to THB150 per head depending on type of tea.

The course started with 4 kinds of hors d'oeuvre - ออเดิร์ฟ 4 อย่าง (7/10) which comprised of stir-fried fish maw with egg and crab meat, deep-fried silver fish, deep-fried prawn, and jelly fish in sesame oil. I love these classic starters. They were savoury, especially the jelly fish which expressed rather strong flavour with the elastic but yet soft kind of texture. Next was superior bird nest soup with crab meat and egg white - ซุปรังนกเนื้อปูไข่ขาว (9/10). I promise that many of soup choices at Silk Road are extremely delicious. This bird nest soup is as well unexceptional. The texture was so fine and smooth. A touch of sweetness on the palate. The additional scent of sea breeze from crab meat fulfilled the whole picture. I like this dish a lot. Anyway, I know I should try avoiding these cruel dishes such like shark fin and bird nest!!!!! Will try to stay away from it. (T.T)"

4 kinds of hors d'oeuvre

superior bird nest soup with crab meat and egg white

Here comes my all time favourite dish: peking duck - เป็ดปักกิ่ง (8/10). This is sure one of the best peking duck in town. Each piece was cracking crispy with no fat attached and full of flavour. The sauce was typically sweet but not overly. When taking with cucumber, it was simply delicious.

As for the duck meat, we were offered 2 type of dishes to be cooked: fried duck with black pepper and garlic - เนื้อเป็ดผัดกระเทียมกับพริกไทยดำ (5/10) and stir-fried duck with herbs wrapped in lettuce - เมี่ยงเป็ด (7/10). The fried duck with black pepper was, however, not so on par with other dishes; average to be more precise. The texture was tender of course. Nevertheless, too much of pepper taste covered all other tastes. For stir-fried duck with herbs, this one was really enjoyable with somewhat complex flavour with spices. To enjoy the most of it, it should be consumed with lettuce. Love it.

peking duck

wrapping up peking duck

fried duck with black pepper and garlic

stir-fried duck with herbs wrapped in lettuce

Moving on to seafood dishes. Braised sea cucumber and dry baby shrimps in superior soup - ปลิงทะเลแผ่นกุ้งแห้งบดอบยอดซุป (8/10) was flavourful. We love the sea cucumber that was soft in the texture like half-gelatine but still firm. This must be braised for long surely. The flavour of dry shrimps with superior soup combined well to bring up the whole picture. Though being flavour, this dish actually tasted rather light, lighter than many other restaurants would have cooked it. For stir-fried scallops and prawns with broccoli - หอยเชลล์และกุ้งผัดบร็อคเคอรี่ (5/10), it was good but not a wow one. Particular attention was given to the quality of scallop and prawn: fresh and sweet. But the overall picture was plain, too plain to be a great one. Just enjoy it.

braised sea cucumber and dry baby shrimps in superior soup

stir-fried scallops and prawns with broccoli

Next was steamed grouper with soy sauce - ปลาเก๋านึ่งซีอิ๊ว (5/10). Ok, the ingredient was good, the overall flavour was as expected but I suspect that it was overcooked. The texture was somewhat a little touch with some dry part of the fillet. Before ending the course, it is almost like a tradition to have a dish with high carbohydrate like rice or noodle dishes. For this set, it came with fried rice with abalone - ข้าวผัดเป๋าฮื้อ (7/10). Pretty good as the whole. Rice was not overcooked and not soaky. Only if the taste was a bit more intense that would be almost a perfect fried rice dish. By the way, the chewy abalone was really good with fried rice. The course ended in style with traditional dessert like red beans and lotus seeds in hot syrup - ถั่วแดงกับเม็ดบัวหวานร้อน (7/10). It may look like something uninteresting. But it was actually a good one for ending the course with "finale". I guess the red bean must have been cooked for long such that red bean and water almost combined into one leaving just small pieces of red beans and whole lotus seeds to give a touch for chewing.

steamed grouper with soy sauce

fried rice with abalone

red beans and lotus seeds in hot syrup

Silk Road @ Plaza Athenee Bangkok
3rd Floor Hotel Plaza Athenee
61 Wireless Road
Lumpini, Pathumwan
Bangkok, 10330
Thailand

Open Hours: daily from 11:30am - 02:30pm for lunch and from 06:00pm - 10:30pm for dinner

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