The Yum List: Best restaurants, <b>hotels</b> and spas - <b>Malaysia</b>, Asia <b>...</b> - Hotel in Malaysia Blog |
| The Yum List: Best restaurants, <b>hotels</b> and spas - <b>Malaysia</b>, Asia <b>...</b> Posted: 22 Apr 2015 02:00 PM PDT
Shangri-La Hotels have never failed to furnish us with exemplary accommodation experiences, and as such the brand is always one of the first we look for when visiting a new location. On this travel adventure we found ourselves in Thailand, and spent our first three nights at the wonderful Shangri-La Bangkok, situated on the banks of the Chao Phraya River.
Stretched along the riverfront, only 35 minutes from the international airport, and with across-the-road access to the BTS skytrain and river taxi, the property makes a convenient and luxurious haven from which to partake in all Bangkok has to offer for both the business and leisure traveler.
Fun, Relaxation and Fitness The grand lobby entrance, with its shimmering chandeliers and giant pillars, leads the eye to glass walls revealing a rare oasis of green in the city centre. A free form pool forges a connection from the building to the river and chic food and beverage outlets take plots around its edge. The property arches around this verdant sanctuary and holds numerous amenities that make a stay in the warm embrace of the Shangri-La extremely comfortable.
A well equipped fitness centre with daily group exercise classes (I had one of the best workouts ever with Thai boxing instructor Wakful), and tennis courts keep both hubby and I content with options to stay trim despite the huge amounts of delicious food we can't seem to stop indulging in at the sumptuous breakfast buffet. And, CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La, an award-winning brand, offers some of the most spacious spa suites in Bangkok, and a chance for some pampering after some serious pavement stomping in the city's markets and shopping districts. We tried a De-stress Massage at CHI and our only complaint is that it wasn't long enough – seriously a heavenly experience.
Rooms Two adjacent towers hold 802 guest rooms ranging from a moderate 36sqm Deluxe room in the Shangri-La Wing, up to an opulent 215sqm Presidential Suite in the Krungthep Wing. Accommodations in the exclusive latter tower boast garden balconies overlooking a private pool and beyond to the river.
All rooms feature modern amenities styled with traditional Thai touches such as silk fabric and teak wood furnishings. And, as you'd expect from an internationally renowned 5-star property, each is fit with modern day comforts, including complimentary Wi-Fi, flatscreen TV with cable and movie channels, DVD player, safe, tea and coffee making facilities and so on. Computer-to-TV connectivity, bedside lighting and curtain controls, a pillow menu, high quality bathrobes and separate bath and rainshower, take the conveniences to the upper echelons of the standard.
Our Deluxe River View King Room delights with sweeping views of the Chao Phraya River. A fabulous way to rise in the morning is by drawing back the curtains and gazing out onto the buzzing river happenings as we slowly come to full consciousness. Bay windows and a giant carved and painted Thai style wooden bedhead impart local character and a change from standard large-scale hotel design. Upgrading to a Horizon Club room entitles guests to a personal welcome with in-room check-in and check-out service. They are also granted access to a private lounge where daily breakfast, evening cocktails and canapés, and all day beverages are supplied. Suit pressing, shoeshine service and up to two hours complimentary use of meeting room facilities make it especially enticing for those visiting the city on business. Food and Beverage It's not only our room that drinks in the magnificent views, but many food and beverage outlets too are set up to take full advantage of the picturesque locale. A spectacular introduction to Bangkok is two hours aboard the Shangri-La's vessel, Horizon, partaking in a dinner river cruise. Gently gliding over the soft ripples of the Chao Phraya River, guests dine on a smorgasbord of international cuisine, while taking in the wondrous sites of Bangkok at night. Follow this link to find photos and a more detailed recount of the experience.
Another close encounter with the city's life stream is a buffet breakfast at NEXT2 Café. Not to be taken lightly, the outlet was named as Bangkok's Best Buffet Restaurant two years running, which is no easy feat with the plethora of options available in the metropolis. Situated riverside, early mornings and evenings are ideal times to capture an al fresco bite.
Breakfast at NEXT 2 Café is worth a morning run to work up an appetite for. Numerous cooking stations see chefs preparing eggs, roti, pancakes and other delights to order. The bakery section has us overwhelmed with choice. There's so much to pick from, we take a good few minutes just browsing the different breads, rolls, pastries and muffins. The Indian section is another must visit. I delight in the Palak Paneer and decide it a better accompaniment to my poached eggs and grilled tomatoes than my regular spinach side. Hubby drools over the carving station where a leg of ham is sliced up and donned glistening on plates, and barbecued chunks of pineapple make sweet mates. Of course there are countless healthy items that guarantee a nutritious start to the day, and the local tropical fruit really must be devoured as it is some of the sweetest we've ever come across.
World-class wines and Italian cuisine are found in another award-winner, Angelini. Voted Best Italian restaurant in Bangkok, 12 years running now, the stylishly decked out outlet is worth further investigation. For a taste of local cuisine in beautiful teak pavilions, Salathip is the place to book. Cantonese cuisine is the specialty of Shang Palace, and chocolate lovers must not miss a dreamy browse through Shangri-La Bangkok's Chocolate Boutique. The home made chocolate fudge is something sweet dreams are made of.
While there's no chance to get hungry at the Shangri-La Bangkok, it's highly unlikely you'll ever be thirsty either for too long with the Lobby Lounge, Riverside Lounge and Long Bar all awaiting a beverage order. The mixologist behind the Long Bar is quite a whiz with his shaking, throwing and general showmanship when whipping up beverages. We try two signatures, Cloud 89 (vodka, Curacao, lychee liqueur, lime juice and Grenadine), and the Dolce Vita (rum, crème de cassis, passionfruit, pineapple and bitters). Both are well balanced and very easy drinking. The giant windows backing the bar allow us a stunning view of the river making sunset a flawless time for a visit.
Also not to be missed in this section is the Lobby Lounge's Golden Birdcage Afternoon Tea. Gorgeous presentation is equally matched with delicious detailed bite-sized savouries, sweets and scones. Follow this link for full details.
While we personally don't often give it a thought, the hotel management realizes that travel with children can be quite expensive, so provides some child-friendly options that are easy on the pocket for parents traveling with young ones. Up to two children under the age of six of registered guests are entitled to complimentary buffet meals in All Day Dining and Pool Cafes when accompanied by a paying adult. Corporate Social Responsibility Thoughtfulness and care is not only reserved for paying guests, but is spread further afield to the local community too. Corporate Social Responsibility is a firm priority for Shangri-La properties and, besides numerous other Good Samaritan activities, the Bangkok team have chosen Lersdin Hospital as the beneficiary of their domestic efforts. Serving patients with cases of thalassaemia, blood transfusion machines get a heavy workload at the hospital and this tertiary care facility was identified as in need of support. Through the relationship, the team at Shangri-La have made renovations of the blood transfusion rooms a top priority, with two rooms completed and more underway. A sound CSR policy, excellent location, comprehensive facilities, a range of rooms, gracious service and some delicious food and beverage options, Shangri-La Bangkok continues to uphold our favourable opinion of this 5-star brand. Reasons to visit: 5 star facilities and service; excellent location on the riverside; convenient access to the BTS skytrain and river taxi; don't miss some cocktails at the Long Bar and Golden Birdcage Afternoon Tea in the Lobby Lounge; CHI, The Spa. Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok 89 Soi Wat Suan Plu New Road, Bangrak Bangkok, 10500 Thailand +(66 2) 236 7777  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Yum List: Best restaurants, <b>hotels</b> and spas - <b>Malaysia</b>, Asia <b>...</b> Posted: 20 Apr 2015 02:00 PM PDT
The entrance to Nahm is unassuming giving nothing away as to the delectability of the experience awaiting our taste buds inside. The interior is stylish yet simple, seeming to provide more of a palette for the cuisine to be highlighted, rather than competition for design.
Shiny black floor tiles, dark wood latticed dividers and exposed brick pillars are brightened with vibrant orchid arrangements. Ceiling spotlights illuminate a warm glow on the ochre bricks, and encircle the floral posies brightening petals and casting pretty shadows on the polished cement wall backings.
An ambience of sophistication is felt with smartly dressed diners filling the tables. At the same time however, the hospitable good-naturedness of the Thai service staff charges the room with affability and a cheerful ease. It seems awards and stars follow Chef David Thompson wherever he lays his hands in a kitchen. Beginning in Sydney with Darley Street Thai crowned Best Thai Restaurant in Sydney eight years running, and ensuing further afield in London with his first Michelin star, the accolades only continued in Bangkok with Nahm, the deserving owner of multiple appearances in the World's Best Restaurants and Asia's 50 Best Restaurants lists.
Chef David takes an academic approach to the kitchen, carefully researching royal Thai cuisine and recipes passed down through generations. He places emphasis on the strong, fresh tastes of authentic Thai cuisine, reinterpreting traditional recipes and yielding unanticipated flavour and finish. With a robust use of powerfully flavoured ingredients such as garlic, shrimp paste, chillies, and lemongrass, balance is extremely important. Chef David manages to gracefully merge these strong savours in one place, finishing with an elegant sophistication that might otherwise seem impossible at the hand of another.
We were lucky enough to score a table at Nahm during a recent trip to Bangkok. Photos were not encouraged while dining, so I was unable to capture an image of every dish. Hopefully the few photos that I did mange to snap however do justice to the beautiful plates served. An Amuse Bouche provided an immediate taste of Thailand. Yellow triangles of ripe pineapple were topped with balls of minced chicken, pork and Thai dried shrimp, crushed with palm sugar and tamarind, and rolled in peanuts. The juicy sourness of the fruit blended wonderfully with the savoury summit, giving a hint of what was to follow: intense flavours of sweet, salty, sour and bitter evident in every dish, but balanced to refined perfection.
Appetizers Prawn and Coconut Wafers (350) resembled an open taco. Slim flaxen shells held finely chopped pieces of coriander, bean sprouts, prawn, peanuts, tofu, ginger and Chinese radish pickle. Sweet, salty, sour and spicy were again all present, but this time the scale tipped slightly towards sweet. Served atop a cut banana leaf, Blue Swimmer Crab (330) strips rode a puffed rice cracker. Crumbles of peanuts and pickled garlic lifted an already bright, fresh and extremely more-ish combination. A sharp green chili left the edges of our tongues tingling long after swallowing: a tiny green surprise packing a whole lot of oomph. Soups and Mains Thai mains and soups are supposed to be consumed a little from each plate all in one session. Our waiter suggested that we think of all of the dishes, including the soup and rice, as one main course and enjoy forks from across all plates, bouncing back and forth between them. With some recipes being mild, others rather hot, and each furnishing its own distinct flavour profile, when all combined they artfully balance each other out. Clear Soup of Roast Duck (280) was packed with fresh Thai basil, shitake mushrooms, young coconut flesh and strips of roast duck. It was well balanced and mild in character. Sips between tastings of other items provided a welcome respite from some of the other spirited recipes on the table.
Steamed Coral Trout (750) was flavoured with bank rak yellow beans and pickled garlic, ginger, loads of fresh coriander and spring onions - at least, that's what I could see to start with. But… there was a wallop of flavour, unexpected with a steamed fish dish, that I couldn't quite identify. Upon a little pressing of our host, it was revealed as pork belly! Used in the gravy it added both intensity and thickness to the sauce: what a great mate to the white flaky Andaman Sea catch.
Minced guinea foul was shaded by a lean-to structure of fresh veggies in the Chiang Mai Larp of Guinea Foul (550). We learned that the heap of fresh garden veg: dill, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, French beans, a group of sour leaves of different shades (ranging from bitter to astringent to tannic in taste), cabbage and Vietnamese mint, are meant to be broken off and mixed together with the poultry, similar to a salad. When the heat of the seasonings in the poultry become too much, it's recommended to chew on some cabbage to tone down the kick somewhat. The minced foul was coated with chili, shallots, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, garlic and red cumin, and its piquancy reached all the way down to the back of our throats. Small nuggets of skin crisped to the likeness of pork crackling – brittle and salty – imparted gems of fatty melt-in-the-mouth deliciousness in between forkfuls.
What initially appeared to be a petite portion, turned out to be so rich and luscious that we were not able to finish off the entire bowl: Green Curry of Beef (650). Pea eggplants, basil, kaffir lime, green chili and coconut milk made a delectable marinade for tender pieces of beef. A large slice of green chili crossed the top, heeding us to proceed with caution rather than diving straight in. Hot and Sour Soup (370), while simply named was far from basic. One of two versions of Tom Yum soup made at Nahm, this example is multi-layered bestowing a complexity and unique style that provoked much conversation. Coriander and toasted garlic floated on the surface of the broth, and green chillies drifted underneath. Prawns, chicken and wild mushroom gave the soup its heartiness. It was deceptively smooth at the beginning, furnishing a herby smokiness in the middle, but the end departed a sharp agitation that fired across the whole underside of my tongue. It was unexpected and too late before I realized its power. As saliva welled behind my teeth, releasing some of the spice, I was all too quickly encouraged to spoon in again, nabbing numerous scoops before the heat attacked once more. It was indeed how hubby had described it over and over again in the space between his first scoop and mine, "a roller coaster ride for the taste buds." Dessert A Sweet Thai Wafer held Poached Persimmons and Golden Duck Egg Noodles in its clutches (320). An uncooked meringue stuck the amber shreds to their envelope and the whole thing was sprinkled with raisins. The creaminess from the whipped egg white, the crispness of the shell and the stringy filling intertwined into a tangle of textures, delicate and very pleasurable.
Only available for one month a year, we found ourselves in luck with the final dessert, a seasonal dish with Marian Plum (320) as the main ingredient. The striking orange peeled fruit sat in a bowl of shaved ice that had been flavoured with a sweet liquid. Shredded green mango and ginger, and fried shallots, strewn across the top balanced out the fruity sweetness, almost like salt does to caramel. I discerned floral notes in the aftertaste and upon further query discovered jasmine flower had been used in the syrup. Overall it was refreshing, while at the same time satisfied that desire for sweetness we often crave to complete a meal.
Tables at Nahm are highly desired bookings, so a three week advance reservation is recommended. Set lunch menus are available at 1500 Thai Baht per person and are a great way to sample the diversity of what Chef David has to offer. Two appetizers, four main courses (including a soup and rice) and dessert make a feast, so bring an appetite. Reasons to visit: exquisite Thai cuisine; tranquil refined yet casual ambience; Blue Swimmer Crab; Prawn and Coconut Wafers; Green Curry of Beef; Hot and Sour Soup. Nahm Metropolitan by COMO 27 South Sathorn Road Tungmahamek Sathorn Bangkok 10120 Thailand +66 2 625 3333 Open daily Lunch: Monday to Friday Noon – 2pm Dinner: Daily 7pm – 11pm |
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