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Le Beaulieu Restaurant, By Herve Frerard – Bangkok

Thursday, August 27th, 2009


Herve3

One of Bangkok’s Top French Restaurants

Le Beaulieu Restaurant
Sofitel Residence
50 Soi 19 Sukhumvit Road
Bangkok, 10110
Tel. 02-204-2004
Fax. 02-204-2005
email: info@le-beaulieu.com
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Expensive

drinking-bangkok-300x2301Herve Frerard photo credit: Bruno R. Ropsy

Le Beaulieu by Chef Herve Frerard is one of the top French restaurants in Bangkok, based on my frequent dining experiences there and elsewhere, although Herve claims the cuisine to be Mediterranean, with the exception of the odd pasta dish sprinkled here and there and a few recipes from Provence, it is basically mainstream French and I could not be more pleased, as at the moment we have more than enough Italian restaurants in town and not enough French to suit me.
It has a seating capacity of 45, including the small private room on the mezzanine up the stairway, a perfect size to produce the excellent cuisine that comes out of the small but well thought out and designed kitchen. The restaurant is centrally located on Sukhumvit Soi 19, just passed the first cross street turn right into the Mecure Sofitel Residence and it can be found on the ground floor. Skytrain and subway connections are within walking distance.
Turning to the cuisine, which is why you would be dining at Le Beaulieu in the first place, it is most often excellent; and following are just a few highlights:
Dinner starter: Parmentier of Roasted Frog Legs and Baby Leeks, Lentil broth, garlic and fresh chervil 480; Snail Lasagna and Poultry Breast, Spinach shoots and green tomato syrup 420;
 Dinner main course: Braised Veal Cheek Cooked in Merlot Wine and Old Port, Celeriac purée, black olives and sun dried tomatoes 950
; Chefs Specialties: Roasted French Bresse Pigeon, Cépes mushrooms and braised endives, orange bitter condiment 2000; 
Soup: Artichoke Soup & Half-Grilled Violet Artichoke, white truffle foam 390.

Brandade at Le Beaulieu, Bangkok (photo image: restaurantdiningcritiques.com)Above: Brandade de Morue a new plat du jour at Le Beaulieu

Coq au Vin 2 (image credit: restaurantdiningcritiques.com)Above: Coq au Vin, Le Beaulieu

Crepe Suzette, Le Beaulieu (image credit: restaurantdiningcritiques.com)Crêpe Suzette, Le Beaulieu

Business Lunch Three Courses 525++ or Executive Lunch Three Courses 825 ++
  For instance they might feature: Starter: Fresh Japanese Scallops and Sea Urchin, Celeriac purée
 Main: Traditional Australian Beef Tartar, sautéed baby potatoes and rocket salad;
 Coq au Vin made with Merlot wine. There are many other classic dishes that change on a weekly basis.
For dessert give the Traditional Chocolate Mousse with whipped vanilla cream a try. It is the best rendition available in the city. They use the Doi Inthanon vanilla beans from the north of Thailand in all the vanilla sauces and vanilla ice cream. Chef Herve is a vanilla devotee as I am. Another excellent dessert is the Rum Baba with Chibousi cream and Pacojet vanilla ice cream, made with plenty of good Rum from Martinique.
I have sampled Herve’s cuisine in a couple of other restaurants in Bangkok in the past. The cooking in those operations, for whatever reasons, were not in the same league with the outstanding fare he is presently offering at Le Beaulieu.

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Demonia – Bangkok

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

Demonia Bangkok
12/34 Sukhumvit Road soi 33
Bangkok 10110
Tel: 022589963
E-mail: welcome@demoniabangkok.com

Demonia on Sukhumvit Soi 33 is a club featuring well-trained ladies who will accommodate fetishes, BDSM, the bizarre, the imaginative and the erotic for men, women and couples. It is visited mainly by Europeans and Japanese. I have recently noticed that a few of this type of club have sprung up around Bangkok, although I am told by aficionados that Demonia is the best.



料金とスケジュール
ディーモニア税

メンバー 
１年間カード15,000バーツ
メンバー特典： 
お好みのプレミアムスピリッツを一本、プラス氷とミキサーまたはビール2ダースを　 
プレゼント 
一杯目のドリンクを450バーツにて 
その次のドリンクは150バーツで 
お好みのボトルを3,500バーツにて 
女性用ドリンクは20％

毎日午後5時半より午前01:00まで営業　 
ドレスコード（服装）：ブラック（黒色）
メンバー（会員）
一杯目のドリンクを450バーツにて 
その次のドリンクは150バーツで
お好みのボトルを3,500バーツにて

非会員

一杯目のドリンクは900バーツ 
その次のドリンクは300バーツ 
お好みのボトルは7,000バーツ
女性用ドリンク　 
250バーツ

PRICES:

NON MEMBER

First drink B 900.00
Following drinks at B 300.00 each
Bottle of your choice B 7,000.00

MEMBERS

First drink B 450.00
Following drinks at B 150.00
Bottle of your choice B 3,500.00

3 MONTHS MEMBERSHIP includes 1 Bottle of Premium Spirit or 1 Bottle of Fine Wine or 18 Bottles of Beer. (Cost B 8,000)
Following drinks are priced at 50% discount.

1 YEAR MEMBERSHIP includes 2 Bottles of Premium Spirit or 2 Bottles of fine Wine or 36 Bottles of Beer
Following drinks are priced at 50% discount.

PROMOTION IN SEPTEMBER 09 : WE SERVE GREEN LABEL WHISKY INSTEAD OF PREMIUM WHISKY

PACKAGES : 1 Lady including bar fine, Lady tip, Private area ( in the club or in an adjacent hotel room at your choice ) = B 3,000.
2 Ladies including bar fine , Ladies tips, Private area = B 5,000

LADY DRINK
B 250.00

Bar fine: B 1,500 + tip for lady to be discussed directly with her.

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Chinese Mooncake Festival – Bangkok

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

Chinese Mooncake Festival 21 August – 3 September 2009

428 Baht per box with quantity discounts available: Call for information Tel. +66 (2) 659 9000 ext. 6812-13, Fax. +66 (2) 267 8071.

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The Martini – Recipe

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

Above: Mel Ramos, Martini Miss, 1993, oil on linen, 64 x 48 in., (Modernism Gallery, San Francisco)

The Classic Martini Recipe (there are many and this is mine):

3 oz. of the finest gin (classic) or vodka (your choice).

In America, I never put any vermouth in the drink, as customers would always complain that it was “not dry enough” with even the smallest addition of vermouth. Either wash out the glass with vermouth and discard it or just add a few drops of vermouth; this is probably the best compromise in these times where “dry” is so important even though, the original recipe called for a great deal more. Use your own judgment.

Pre-chill the glasses with ice and discarding it just previously to pouring the Martini Cocktail into them.

Fill a large glass container with the best quality ice as it will hold. (it means no tap water or ice-machine varieties; only ice made from pure water) I buy Japanese ice from Mount Fuji.

Stir using a long bar spoon and stir with a swirling motion as well as a swift upwards/downwards motion (this creates fragments of ice to break-off from the larger pieces of ice) and if you have accomplished this you will see tiny fragments of ice floating on the top of the drink when it is poured into the Martini glass.

You may use a small or large Martini glass, this is entirely up to you, but it must be the classic Martini glass.

Strain the mixture from the container into the chilled glass shaking vigorously to remove all fragments of ice into the drink.

Garnish with finest Italian green olives stuffed or not (preferably not), or a lemon twist this is up to your personal preference.

Cheers!

Following are some of my favorite Martini quotes:

Robert Benchley, a featured player was in and out of the water tank all day while filming the MGM classic China Seas, starring Clark Gable and Jean Harlow. When he was finally allowed to climb out of the tank he reputedly announced, “I must get out of these wet clothes and into a dry Martini.” Another rendition follows: Robert Benchley’s famous line delivered to Ginger Rogers in the film “The Major and the Minor”, “Why don’t you get out of that wet coat and into a dry martini?”

“One martini is all right. Two are too many, and three are not enough.”
James Thurber

I like to have a Martini

Two at the very most—

After three I’m under the table,

After four I’m under my host.

Dorothy Parker

“A Drink with Something in It”

There is something about a Martini,

A tingle remarkably pleasant,

A yellow, a mellow Martini;

I wish I had one at present.

There is something about a Martini,

Ere the dining and dancing begin,

And to tell you the truth,

It is not the vermouth—

I think that perhaps it’s the gin.

Ogden Nash

An Excerpt from  “To the Gibson and Beyond”

By M.F.K. Fisher

The first Martini I ever drank was strictly medicinal, for threatened seasickness, and in spite of a loyal enjoyment of them which may be increasing in direct ratio to my dwindling selectivity of palate, I must admit I still find them a sure prop to my flagging spirits, my tired or queasy body, even my over-timid social self. I think I know how many to drink, and when, and where, as well as why; and if I have acted properly and heeded all my physical and mental reactions to them, I have been the winner in many an otherwise lost bout with everything from boredom to plain funk. A well-made dry Martini or Gibson, correctly chilled and nicely served, has been more often my true friend than any two-legged creature.

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Music Station Bar – Bangkok

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

7/8-9 Sukhumvit Soi 33
Bangkok, 10110
Tel. 02 662 2810

A friendly new music bar on Soi 33! Offering live music, a long bar, and pool tables. I have listened to some good vocalists, especially the female singer, they were backed up by a lively band. There are many potential female companions available and they are not overly aggressive, although if you wish, they will do their best to keep you entertained with light conversation, especially if you buy them a drink, and as I said, they do not ask for it, and rather wait for you to offer.

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Château Chalon and the Jura

Sunday, August 23rd, 2009

Château Chalon, is not really my style of wine, nor even close. A protective blanket of yeasts or voile that rests on top of the wine, while partly protecting it at the same time allows oxidation and it imparts a strange nutty, salty character. This element gives these wines a difference and sets them apart from ordinary wine. From my standpoint, I am extremely sensitive to the slightest oxidation that occurs in open wine that is coming down from its peak, and over-oxidation would, well . . . turn me off, altogether. I remember vaguely that my first encounter with this type of wine was in a Michelin-starred restaurant in the Franche-Comté, while traveling from France to Switzerland, and I believe, the second experience was when I dined over a period of time at the restaurant Chez Maitre Paul, 12 Rue Monsieur Le Prince, Paris, where I enjoyed a chicken with a sauce made with vin jaune. When I first ordered a bottle of the local wine the waiter warned me that most customers, including his French guests, did not enjoy these wines. They are different he stressed.
Why then am I writing about it? And why are sommeliers and others in the trade going bonkers for it? This is because they are different and that is in itself is interesting even though, these wines are not my personal favorites. However, no matter what I think; there is a source for them by following this link: http://www.chateauchalon.com/ also note that they have quite an excellent selection of Absinthe at this page: http://www.absintheclassics.com/ In addition you can take a look at my previous post about absinthe: http://restaurant.kitmarshal.site/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=81

The wine comes from a minuscule appellation in France’s Jura region devoted to the production of vin jaune. It is a grape that turns deep yellow as it ages for years in wooden barrels that are filled only partway. The oxygen that gets into the barrels would turn most wines to vinegar, but vin jaune survives due to the aforementioned voile. It is illegal to be imported into the United States due to the odd-sized bottle, which is only 620 ml. The illegal part is the short, squat bottle traditional to the area that holds only 620 ml. In the U.S., and only standard bottle sizes, such as 375ml, 750 ml and larger (magnum, jeraboam etc.), are recognized. and unfortunately, not 620 ml.

“Jean Berthet-Bondet is a producer of these wines made in an oxidized style, although not all of his wines are made in this way; it turns out that he also makes a bright, yeasty, mineral-laden Chardonnay and a sharp, light red from a blend of the local Trousseau, Poulsard, and Pinot Noir, both of which are entirely legal. He also makes a blend of Chardonnay and Savagnin that is aged for just two years or under and tastes like salted caramel. These wines go well with smoked fish, or white meat in a cream sauce and also with dishes made with frogs, as they have an abundance in Franche-Comté.”

The Franche-Comté is called the Jura often as not, and the two names are used interchangeably. This is the land of Gruyère cheese, and the people of the Jura were making it centuries before the Swiss were. It is a Herculean job but it is worth the effort, for when they finally wrench it from the earth, they have the gentian root, an aromatic substance which, distilled, forms the basis for many a liqueur and apéritif including the popular Suze. Absinthe plants abound in these hills, also, and it is not surprising to learn that this is the home of Pernod. The banks of those lakes and streams are inhabited with frogs. Frogs’ legs are a subtle delicacy awaiting in many country inns. There is also fish stew, filled with undertones of flavor—white wine, herbs, spices, small onions, and mushrooms. Called i matelote, a pochouse, or a meurette, it doesn’t matter. He should have subtlety, savor, and seductiveness. Tench, carp, perch, eel, and pike will all contribute to his happiness. And there are a dozen of dry white wines of the province to act as companions.

“Château Chalon is only for special occasions”, Mr. Berthet-Bondet says. “There simply isn’t much of it with only 136 acres specified for its production. And it takes ages for the wine to realize its full potential”.

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Gladstone’s, Paradise Cove – Malibu

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

Gladstone’s Restaurant in Malibu has an undeniably fantastic setting, directly on the beach in Paradise Cove. Regarding the food that they are dishing out, the annoying, seagulls swallow it and seem to like it, but I will steer clear of this subject without remarking on it, as it is indeed as terrible as has been chronicled over the years by most Los Angeles food critics.
Is it possible that there may finally be something edible at Gladstone’s at Paradise Cove?
If the rumor that SBE (Katsuya, XIV, Foxtail etc.) will be taking over management of Gladstone’s then it is a resounding, Yes!
Paradise Cove is one of the most lovely settings on the Southern California coast nestled behind the southern side of Point Dume in a beautiful cove, I used to skin-dive in the kelp beds when I was a teen and later on when I had a boat we used to anchor there for days and catch fish that we placed on the grill in the fireplace below. Occasionally, when friends from Japan visited we usually trolled on the way up from Marina del Rey, and caught bonito, which they would instantly turn into sashimi.
Paradise Cove has always been a sought-after site for filming Southern California beach movies and some famous ones have been shot there including Gidget.
A $25 parking fee for each car and $5 for walk-Ins is levied as you enter, although the parking fee will be refunded if you dine at the restaurant. However, there is a 3 hour limit on parking, although if you parked on the highway and walked the mile or so on foot I suppose you can stay as long as you wish.
Several years ago, when the wine list contained a few decent, albeit overpriced, French selections, at least, you could drink your lunch, but I sampled almost everything on the menu, trying to find anything that was edible to accompany the wine, unfortunately, it was utterly hopeless. Today, even that is impossible, considering the current ordinary wine list.

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Festa Della Vendemmia Wine Tasting Event, Grand Hyatt Erawan, Presented By G Four

Monday, August 17th, 2009

The Festa Della Vendemmia, on 17 August 2009, at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel was presented by G Four and it was a Wine Tasting Event that attracted a diverse crowd that included a great number of Bangkok’s celebrities, both film stars and TV personalities, which meant the local paparazzi and TV News was represented in full force.

There was a large selection of Italian wines, and a great number of them new requisitions although, I am still looking forward in the near future to sample G Four’s semi-secret addition of a new selection of wines from France, which are due to be introduced to Bangkok sometime in October. G Four is a company that is expanding rapidly in this market. Congratulations to them!

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Hollywood & L. A. Dance Clubs, Bars, Lounges – Los Angeles

Sunday, August 16th, 2009

The current, 2009, Los Angeles club scene is as diverse as the people that live within this sprawling network of townships both big and small, linked together by a web of Freeways, which make up the Greater Los Angeles Area. The clubs themselves range in style from very exclusive to regular joints, but be assured you can strut your stuff on the floor, no matter which club you choose. The current beats are not surprisingly: Latin, top 40, hip-hop, funk, disco and pop. Please note that many of the dance clubs, bars and lounges listed here are next to impossible to gain entry, due to their strict and sometimes rude attitude at the door. Don’t be discouraged, as there is a wide choice and you will always be able to find a place to have fun and dance.

HOLLYWOOD

El Floridita

Dance Club
1253 Vine St #3, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Savor the flavors of old Havana at this traditional Cuban supper club. Order a mojito or well-steeped sangria. As might be expected, an energetic salsa band is provided.

Fat Slams grand Slam @ Teddy’s
7000 Hollywood Blvd – Hollywood
Strict dress code: skirts for ladies and suits for gentlemen. Quite a fun club in spite of the silly name.

Opera
1650 N.Schrader Ave – Hollywood
Another “more of the same” minor celebrity hangout in the heart of Hollywood.  Mood, just down the street is owned by the same group and it means; obtaining permission to enter the club, by the animals at the door, is extremely difficult.

Villa
8623 Melrose Ave – Hollywood
Another new place that recently opened on Melrose and is referred to as: “frequented by A-listers”. I am soooooo, so impressed. Really!!!??  Gentlemen (and I use that word loosely), don’t even try to approach the door unless you are prepared to order and eventually open, and drink, a few bottles or are accompanied by a gaggle of females.

Shag
1835 N.Cahuenga – Hollywood
An interesting name but nothing is guaranteed! Well known DJ’s spin top 40 Hip Hop, Indy Rock, Pop, 80’s, and more Hip Hop.

Play
6423 Yucca Ave – Hollywood
This club’s most popular meeting place is on the large smoking patio with it’s own bar. Inside you will find a mini dance floor and even a go-go pole!

Ritual
1743 N.Cahuenga Blvd – Hollywood
An “in” club at the moment. Go early and dress to impress the gate.

Holly’s

1651 N.Wilcox – Hollywood
This place is more of a bar/lounge than it is a club. Extremely difficult to gain entry because of its small size (50 persons). It is very popular, good luck!

Tigerheat @ Avalon
1775 N.Vine Street – Hollywood
This is an anything goes club, which means; expect trans-genders, bizarre shemales, bi-sexuals, gay & lesbian, weird straights, the rest of the mix is made up of ordinary groupies of one persuasion or another. Another dance floor spins 80’s too! 18+ Entry $8

Social Hollywood
6525 Sunset Blvd – Hollywood
The old Hollywood Athletic Club was located in this building, now the refurbished site is called Social Hollywood and it seems to be mostly membership only and a special events club and restaurant (however, this place has already been through a lot of changes and does not know in which direction it is headed, so there could be many more switches in the future).

Boulevard 3
It is in the same complex as Social (but a separate club)
A restored ballroom, with a garden outside and a fire pit.
No cover charge (long, long wait to gain access).

Cabana Club
Dance Club
1439 Ivar Ave, Hollywood, CA 90028
For club-habitués looking for an escape from the stress of the city, Cabana Club is just the ticket. Be prepared to be pampered on the back patio that flaunts a reflecting pool, miniaturized waterfalls, and of course, palm trees, it is California after all, and private cabanas with bottle service and spa treatments available. In addition to all this, no trick has been missed in trying to make this club successful, including: a gilded bar, a two-tiered dance floor and what they call “a VIP area”.

Goa
1615 N.Cahuenga Blvd – Hollywood
This is just another “hard to pass through the velvet ropes” club that is now serving out its limited time in the haloed spotlight.

Respect @ Larchmont
5657 Melrose Avenue – Hollywood
This place still does big business especially on weekends, it is known for endless droning on of drum and base.

The Forbidden City
1718 Vine Street – Hollywood
This good looking bar, lounge and restaurant looks over the Capitol Records building.  It has a charming outdoor patio. The theme is mostly red and it stays open late and continues through the morning. Be forewarned, that you might encounter some very unsavory, drugged-out characters during these late night/early to mid-morning hours so be on highest guard. It is entirely possible that the staff might be in the same condition or even worse . . . means, you are pretty much on your own.

Cinespace
6356 Hollywood Blvd – Hollywood
Convenient location on top of IVAR this supper club offers an upscale bar and restaurant where you may watch classic films and video. Consume nothing by mouth, except liquid!!
DJ/Dancing After 10 PM to House and Hip Hop!

Circus Disco
Dance Club
6655 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90038
An enormous space divided into different areas and what seems to be a must for every club: a patio, VIP lounge, disco room, and bungalow “for dancing and  relaxing”. The sounds are nothing unusual; techno, salsa, and disco in the main room, and another dance floor above the bar features hip-hop spun by top LA DJs.

Tropicana Bar @ The Roosevelt Hotel
7000 Hollywood Blvd – Hollywood
Sit by the pool and order drinks—relax! This is not exactly a club. Anyway, who cares? It is a really nice place to have fun and enjoy the evening.

The Green Door
1429 Ivar Ave – Hollywood
Gaining entry to this club is very difficult at anytime, but don’t waste your time trying to get in on weekends, unless you are known by the management. Celebrities and an upscale crowd have somehow designated this, as a current “must do”, at least, for the moment.

LAX
Dance Club
1714 N Las Palmas Ave, Hollywood, CA 90028
Expect a long wait to enter this airport-themed club, owing to celebrity patronage, lines are laboriously long however, most will agree it is worth the wait.

Mood
Dance Club
6623 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028
This club with its pseudo Balinese motif generates a lot of interest from a young Hollywood crowd with better than average looks, although not necessarily better behavior. Hip-hop, R&B, and rap are the genres of choice. Singles looking to hook-up mainly gather around the bar.

OUTSIDE HOLLYWOOD

Sky Room
Dance Club
40 S Locust Ave,
Breakers Hotel, Long Beach, CA 90802
If there was ever a reason to go to Long Beach this is it. The Breakers Hotel is an elegant spot to indulge in drinks, dinner and dancing throughout the entire evening. This is a completely different venue from all of the aforementioned clubs and, it is a breath of fresh sea air and miles apart in terms of sophistication, although it is not for everyone. If you live in the area, certainly you are already familiar with the Breakers Hotel’s Sky Room.

The Derby
Dance Clubs
4500 Los Feliz Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027
For 20 years, this location was one of many famous Brown Derby Restaurants around the city. Its trademarked domed ceiling was covered up during the sixties when the building was a restaurant although now the dome has been exposed, and the 1930s-era decor is just another benefit of this dance club.

Dialate @ Little Pedro’s

120 N.Vignes(at 1st St.)- Downtown LA
This is a new After Hours Club that opens from 2am – 6am and the cover charge is $10. Comfortable booths.

Rumba Room
Dance Clubs
1000 Universal City Walk #208, Universal City Walk, Universal City, CA 91608
Everyone here dresses to the nines, as the dress code is strictly enforced. The Rumba Room rocks seven nights a week with couples shaking it to the strains of salsa, rock, and pop. On weekends, live bands perform.

The Mayan
Dance Clubs
1038 S Hill St, Los Angeles, CA 90015
Built in 1927, The Mayan was originally a legitimate theater. Today, its dancing to salsa, merengue, and Rock en Espanol bands.

Akbar
4356 Sunset Blvd – Silverlake
A neighborhood bar/dance club in Silverlake; a magnet for every type of person: gay, straight, bi, you name it, they all congregate here. Anything goes.

Body Music @ The Overlook
1745 N.Vermont Ave – Los Feliz
This is a hard to find club but worth the effort if you are looking for something different.

Afro Funke @ Zanzibar
1301 5th Street – Santa Monica
Dance to African sounds and also rock to funk.

Recycled @ Mor
2941 Main Street – Santa Monica
It is a great destination for Westside residents, there is now no reason to drive all the way to Hollywood.

Little Temple
4515 Santa Monica Blvd – Silverlake
Silverlake Hot Spot with some cool DJ Nights. Always an interesting crowd, mixed from all walks of L.A. Life!
On a lower key than some of the “so called” Hollywood A-List Clubs, which does not mean it is less entertaining, aux contraire, on most evenings it can be more amusing and/or satisfying.

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Panorama Restaurant, Pan Pacific Hotel – Bangkok

Friday, August 14th, 2009

952 Rama IV Road , Bangkok 10500, Thailand
Tel. +66 2632 9000 Fax: +66 2632 9001
Opening Hours:
Email: info.bkk@panpacific.com or visit bangkok.panpacific.com
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Expensive – Very Expensive

Panorama Restaurant on the 23rd floor of the Pan Pacific Hotel is an amazingly good restaurant due to its ground-breaking cuisine and comfortable, yet awe-inspiring design, which manages to stay in touch with the current generation of diner’s vibrant lifestyles. One of the most innovative and refreshing design ideas was to convert the space running along the windows into a type of enclosed balcony, build a large bar in the center and two informal dining areas on either side. It can be converted into an open-air deck by turning off the air-con, folding back the windows; or not, depending on the time and heat of the day. This entire stretch of airborne real estate is completely separated from the restaurant per se, and the unique convertible indoor/outdoor terrace also has a designated smoking area on one end, and a birds-eye view of the Sports Club and surrounding buildings down below.
Executive Chef, Joseph Martin is backed up by well versed kitchen staff performing their culinary miracles in two self-contained “Show Kitchens”. The restaurant design is by renowned Tokyo-based design firm SPIN.

The new amiable General Manager, Thomas Mayrhofer usually spends his time in the Pan Pacific’s corporate offices in Singapore, and he finds it a welcomes change to be able to interact with hotel guests. He says that it gives him another viewpoint as the hotel business, is after all, a service business.

Allow me to present a few of the many dazzling dining highlights that I experienced at Panorama and are pictured below:
Foie Gras with a Caramelized Fig, Pan-Fried (hot), Terrine en gelée (cold), and in a very imaginative version: freeze the foie gras with a stick in it, in the form of an ice cream bar and dip it in chocolate (frozen).

Canadian Lobster Cappuccino with North Sea  Shrimps, Hokkaido Scallops and Hennessy VSOP Cream

Atlantic Cod “en cocotte”

Open Squid Ink Ravioli with Andaman Tiger Prawns, Fava Beans, with Fennel

Magnificent Colorado lamb with an interesting ‘al dente’ ratatouille, not stewed to mush, but magically achieving the same intricate taste.

Apple Tart with Espresso and Mascarpone Ice Cream

Panorama imports the finest gourmet products available such as: Scottish salmon, Spanish Jamón ibérico, Dutch veal, Tajima wagyu beef.

At Panorama guests are given the option of having their meat cut and weighed to order table side, which is de rigueur at classic New York and Chicago steak houses, it is then given to the grill chef in the show kitchen where he exercises great skill carefully grilling it over hardwood charcoal.

Be sure to peruse the wine list, there are 130 wine labels to choose from, and after ordering, you may follow your bottle’s travel from its removal from one of the ‘specially designed’ twin plate-glass, double storied wine towers as it is carefully brought to its final destination—your table.

The private dining room seats 10 diners around a large circular table, it is called The Krug Room where Chef Steve will tailor-make a tasting menu for any group, or he can weave his magic and create a dish on the whim of any guest (with advance consultation, of course).

Guests have only to walk a few feet from the restaurant to the Finishing Post, the exclusive cigar lounge where they may order a rare 40 year old single malt whisky, blended at one of Scotland’s oldest family owned distilleries, from the large selection of single malts on hand, or a post dinner cognac and cigar.
There is always an impressive list of musicians, ranging from live resident DJs to jazz; the sounds drift through to the Lobby Lounge.

An interesting point to note is: you do not immediately recognize that the center area of the restaurant is under the atrium of the hotel, as you have ascended 23 floors to arrive in the lobby, it does not occur to you to take a good look upwards, as you might do if you were on the ground floor. When you finally have a more scrutinizing look around and up, you will discover that the center section of the restaurant where the show kitchens are situated is a showcase, so to speak, as all the hallways on all floors above are open and look down onto the action, and yet at the same time, the design team have allowed privacy for the guests by allowing only the area around the show kitchen to be observed. Panorama Restaurant is in reality a great stage and the chefs that are giving their culinary performances, presumably for their guests, are being silently watched by the entire hotel.

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