Blue by Alain Ducasse Assessment
The concept of eating in a shopping center wouldn’t have many individuals salivating with pleasure however Bangkok isn’t any standard metropolis and ICONSIAM isn’t any standard shopping center. Located on the South Western facet of the Chao Phraya River, ICONSIAM is a paean to vogue and designer opulence. Hermès, Patek Phillip, Salvatore Ferregamo, Bottega Veneta, and YSL are simply a number of the names which grace the huge emporium outlined by its gold escalators and black marble flooring. One of many world’s most celebrated cooks, Alain Ducasse, opened his sole Thailand restaurant again in 2019 and it’s nonetheless going sturdy in the present day with a Michelin star, as well.
Located on ICONSIAM‘s first flooring, Blue’s curved exterior blends in with the remainder of the mall and shimmers with a glowing yellow/gold vertical mild set up. Inside, the design is extra minimal. Not surprisingly a daring midnight blue offers the principle supply color for a concurrently edifying however relaxed ambiance and covers carpet, pillars, ceiling and far of the textured walling. One thing formed like a big comma hangs from the ceiling’s centre and, with intensive folds of hanging material, the construction affords a singular visible which could possibly be impressed by a jellyfish or the gills of a mushroom. Ceiling-to-floor home windows confide in the Chao Phraya River which is illuminated at evening by brightly lit, multicoloured cruisers.
Sporting a slick blue swimsuit with matching tie and white shirt, restaurant supervisor Giovanni Pitton welcomes us with a glass of R. Pouillon champagne which has a thick yellow color and a rosé tint. It’s shortly accompanied by two units of amuse-bouches. The primary is a Parmesan puff ball with a gentle centre and the second, a plate with shiny, luscious objects which might move as extravagant hand jewelry.
One is Foie gras on sponge with a berry jam, one other a Handled tomato with basil cream (curiously refreshing) and the third, Ham mousse with candy wine jelly crystals. The sweetness of the latter compliments the savouriness of the previous to delectable impact. A Dwelling-smoked sardine in mild tempura follows. It’s a bit like a British fish with out the chip.
All of the above come earlier than we even begin on the self-titled ‘Menu Voyage’ which is nothing wanting epic. We have now Black Fig and Bellota ham, the latter embellished on the previous like angular turrets. We have now the restaurant’s signature dish, the one one which has by no means modified: Smoked Salmon in French Brioche and yellow wine sauce.
The French Brioche varieties a crunchy roulade on the fish’s flanks and, from a distance, could possibly be mistaken for a super-sized Bassett’s Liquorice Allsort. A small scoop of caviar decorates the Norwegian salmon which is chunky, fatty and smoked in-house. We have now Celeriac and Hazelnut Tortilla in a unique yellow sauce however created from the identical grape as earlier than.
We have now Confit Japanese Sea Bream with girolle mushrooms. A rooster sauce is poured on the desk, which acts as a visible Yin to a greener sauce’s Yang. And earlier than desert, we’ve Margaret River Wagyu Beef from Australia with wild mushrooms. The meat is chargrilled on the skin utilizing binchotan BBQ and is tremendous pink on the within with a number of grains of sprinkled salt. The meat is ridiculously tender and the mushrooms are deconstructed and served extra as a type of soufflé mound.
Completely different waiters and waitresses serve us however the fixed is Bella, our beverage ambassador who has beforehand labored at a few of Bangkok’s most interesting. She sourced the wine personally and has visited lots of her chosen vineyards. She speaks with authority and data, love and fervour and shares tales accordingly. She’s very pleased with sourcing 2020 Champagne, Additional Brut, Rosé de Seignée, Jeaunaux Robin.
This winery is without doubt one of the only a few up to date ones established by a girl – Marie-Claude Jeaunaux, again in 1964. Among the wine is unique to Blue such because the 2020 Jura, Savagnin, Domaines des Carlines. Aged for 18 months, (moderately than 6 years), and harvested from 5 hectares, its acidity is saved alive and comes from the identical grape used within the yellow sauces. It completely compliments the salmon. The 1977 Languedoc-Roussillon, Maury, L’Archiviste is a naturally candy dessert wine created from Grenache noir grapes. It’s spent 50 years in an oak barrel and is one other restaurant unique. It has hints of dried fig and cacao and pairs deliciously with the intensive cheese board.
We’re given a fragile, reduce crystal hand bowl crammed with rose water and petals to rinse our palms in earlier than heading on to the ultimate dishes – don’t drink this as one visitor did! A recent pineapple sorbet surrounded by mint foam is mild and breezy and nearly acts as a palate cleanser earlier than one other Ducasse traditional. A beneficiant portion of chocolate made by a person in France is poured from a pot swirling with dry ice. A mascarpone sauce covers the sq. chunk of tiramisu, the espresso sponge of which is interspersed with vanilla ice cream. Within the center is extra chocolate, this time each chunky and crispy.
It’s a theatrical method to finish a theatrical meal which was each flawless in presentation and ample in shock and satisfaction. Blue by Alain Ducasse is included in our information to the most effective tremendous eating in Bangkok.