Took us a while to finally get a table here. Chef husband is typically spontaneous and last minute and we didn’t manage a table the last time, but this time I made reservations in advance through fellow Foodiehub Hong Kong expert FDE who is friends with chef Gaggan.
mango and uni ice cream cone in a crepe
So Asia’s Number 1 restaurant in the World’s Top 50 List, worth the pilgrimage? Well, we live in Asia and it’s a short flight for us – Bangkok is always a good idea for food, massages and spot of shopping.
I’d say it’s definitely a unique and wonderful experience, perfectly executed food that still retains the strong indian cuisine identity. The menu is creative and exciting. I am not sure how often chef Gaggan updates his menu, but when he does I’d definitely be back to try it.
What stuck with me was the molecular yogurt filled with complex richness of spices, all served in a small molecular sphere and the old style tiffin carrier of lamb curry. We remember those rich and complex flavours fondly.
Beautiful plating of sauce inspired by Indian ranggoli with our lamb.
I have never been a fan of innovative creative desserts – more a classic old school chocolate fondant, cheesecake kind of girl, so all the desserts fell flat for me and it was more fluff and theatre than real food. And the mignardises, definitely too sweet for me.
So, the verdict? Yes it’s worth a on time experience, I’ve heard mixed reviews from many friends, but I fall into the yay category. You’re given quite a clear explanation on what kind of cuisine is “progressive Indian”, and careful not to label it as molecular Indian food. It clears up any creative fluff and confusion one might have.
The food is complex, rich and flavourful and perfectly executed with great technique. Degustation menu (there’s only one menu over the evening anyway) not too excessive and you leave nicely full.
We ordered a bottle of New Zealand red to go with our meal and started with glasses of champagne. The bill is definitely pricey by Bangkok standards and the likes of *** Michelin dining. Our bill came up to about the equivalent of 4000HKD for two, including the bottle of wine. Alcohol tax is high, so if you did without a good bottle of wine, it’d be much less.
We stayed at The Oriental Residences which was the perfect location. On the other side, there’s the St Regis if you’re travelling just to eat, both spots convenient locations.
