BANGKOK PART I: SIROCCO

Sirocco – Bangkok

The Dome at Lebua 63rd floor, 1055/42 Silom Road, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand

+66 2 624 9999

http://www.lebua.com/sirocco

Jill: Sirocco is nominated as the best romantic dining place in Bangkok, on the 63rd floor of State Tower – Lebua hotel- regained its fame after the movie- Hangover II. Our table was right in front of flower garden and Bangkok city view that almost made me to feel like I was in a part of Versailles; the dining area was spaciously arranged which gave us private yet comfortable feel while dining. The scene was beautiful, the dome shaped architecture with marble pillars on top of the hill, live jazz musicians, and the breeze- the night seemed complete..  (Thanks  Jack for picking out this place!)

Jack: Whenever I go to these “must” see restaurants with spectacular views, they are never up to snuff. Sure, the views are great but everything else tends to be underwhelming – especially the food. There are a couple of these site-viewing restaurants–It almost feels a bit “touristy” is gimmicky too strong a word? I went in with apprehension hoping Sirocco would be different. Even with a 10:30pm reservation, the place and elevator was packed with guests. Judging by the people in the lift, the crowd was an eclectic and international mix of people. As we walked out of the elevator and walked out towards the main stage area, platform and staircase – featured in “Hangover 2” – I was immediately swept away by the view overlooking the city.

 Jill: I decided to take it easy on the ordering since it was a late dinner.. half dozen of fresh oysters to share (Tarbouriech << Pink Diamond>> France – they had 4 types of Oysters from France; Tarbouriech, Gillardeau, Belon & Fines de Claire). And I just ordered a la carte menu- Foie Gras & Wagyu Tenderloin, with a Glass of Red wine..

Jack: I ordered a Chef’s tasting menu- the pricing on the list was top-end for Thailand and Bangkok...the pricing seemed consistent across the board except for a section on the menu that featured super-expensive caviar  ie 300g of Almas, Beluga.. etc. starting from 20k up to 51k Thai baht? – That did not make sense at all and seemed out of place with the rest of the menu? I wanted to check what the wine/champagne menu was like given the disparity of pricing and as I suspected – it was fully well stocked with all the fine wines you would expect at the highest echelons of restaurants. Jill said fine wine and champagne is a lot more expensive in Thailand than in other Asian cities – she wasn’t kidding. 

(Sirocco’s Chef Tasting Menu- 7 courses THB 4,500 / THB 9,900 (with Exclusive Champagne Pairings + 10% service charge & 7% GST)

Jill: We started off with a complementary Amuse Bouche- cheese with lobster foam – it actually contained a bit of whiskey- 3 layers of this amuse bouche was surprising, the first part of the taste was fishy because of the lobster foam, followed by a creamy cheesy part and the drop of whiskey- which saved my palette to cleanse my tongue of any taste.

Jack: The oysters came out and had minimal expectations given oysters in the region not being flavorful, with very little meat.  The oysters at first glance did not look like your typical homegrown Asian oysters – not only did they taste fresh, they were – meaty, chunkier and had a tender texture. The spicy chili, and oyster sauces also added another dimension to the taste to the oysters. While, I could eat the oysters without the sauces, I marinated each oyster fully in each of the sauces, drenching the meat, so I could have the full blown effect of the meat and sauce tastes..this had to be a highlight amongst the dishes and amongst oysters in Asia. (I find few too restaurants get it right here)

Jill: The service was considerably attentive with friendly smiles all around, a staff noticed that I was feeling a bit cold due to the heavy wind (Once again, Sirocco is an outdoor dining area on the 64^th floor), and she brought me a silky light-weight Pashmina that kept me warm in style during dinner. My ‘Foie Gras’ arrived presented beautifully - even though I was expecting to have a perfect bit of crispy fat on the edge.. the soft crumbly, browned and pan-seared.. instead of pate, I rushed myself to take a bite. It tasted as good as its presentation.  A long log-shaped pate was creamy and warm which allowed me to spread it on a slice of French buttered toast; the chocolate syrup and a hint of orange marmalade was a good combination and gave it a bittersweet taste (imagine tasting a dark chocolate paste.- creamy bitter-sweetness)

Jack: I thought the service while attentive, could have been tad better. It took a while to get the waiter’s attention given most were busy with other customers and they forgot our oyster dish until we reminded them in the middle of the third course! They profusely apologized but still did not make of their inattentiveness – that’s going to be a tradeoff in a larger restaurant with a busy location..I saw guests still arriving way after we were seated at 11pm. My wagyu sirloin which was part of the tasting menu came out – I tend to find the textures of sirloins thicker and prefer softer, more chewable meats. This wagyu was a bit too salty, although admittedly a well prepared meat, it did not hit the spot in any way noticeable. I was expecting a better combination of sauces, gravies or marinated combinations of all of the above but none was to be found…

Jill: Wagyu tenderloin was just okay- Sirocco puts more effort in decorating each dish using the right balance of colors- green peas, carrots (orange) finely sliced-yellow capsicums paring with a loaf of medium-grilled beef. It was tender and juicy, but the surface of the meat was unexpectedly salty. Despite its saltiness, I just carried on slicing the meat because I couldn’t be bothered to ask them to remake it- I was hungry.. and didn’t want to wait for a newly cooked dish).

Overall Sirocco Review

Jill:  The food was good for me, I wouldn’t say it was a spectacular, outstanding but it was decent. The dining at Sirocco is more about the total experience - with good ambiance overlooking a 360 degree of the BKK city view and the soulful jazz live music cemented Sirocco in my mind one of the most romantic dining experiences in Bangkok if not all of Asia.

Jack: I thought the view was “killer” – and lives up to its expectations being “the tallest Al Fresco dining in the world.” Afterwards, Jill and I strolled over to the Skybar – which also had equally impressive views. And finally went downstairs to the 52^nd floor to their other restaurant –which we both found enchanting, almost magical – although the view was not nearly as impressive, it was not as windy and had a nice, warm ambiance. I think the key operative word for Sirocco is ambiance – which it had plenty of while the Jazz band was world-class. While Sirocco does not do a bad job of the food – saying the food is outstanding would be downright flattery. I want to give it a 2 thumbs up, but just missed the mark for me…

Ratings:

Jill: 1 ½        Jack: 1 ½

Visited on Sat 09 Feb 2013