CHAR’S NEW CHAPTER

CHAR Restaurant & Rooftop Bar, New Menu, Ongoing

CHAR Restaurant & Rooftop Bar has started a new chapter with its recently joined chef de cuisine, Nikolas Ramirez. You may remember him for being in charge of 22 Kitchen & Bar at Dusit Thani and how we were impressed by his skills in our past review. The Hawaii-born chef of Mexican heritage clearly translates his multicultural background through his dishes. And he does it deliciously too. Here’s a lowdown from our tasting.

The recipe of Rosa’s tacos with cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomato originally came from Nik’s grandmother. He jokingly calls it “a poor man’s taco” but we thought the dish was pretty rich in flavours and textures. The crispy tortilla carried a really refreshing filling inside and left our mouths with flavourful explosions.

Char’s take on Lobster roll was a juicy jumble of Maine lobster on top of a big and buttery brioche instead of the usual hot dog bun. A squeeze of lemon added some zest to the already delicious mix.

Scallop sashimi with preserved lemon and Vietnamese dip nuoc cham is both savoury and refreshing. The bivalve beauties gave that bouncy feel once we sunk our teeth in them. The light sauce that came along with watermelon, avocado and pickles worked together like a savoury symphony.

The not-too-oily Crab cakes offered a crunchy exterior and an inside that was delicate yet flavourful. We bet our bottom baht that the other patrons will turn their heads when you order the Tomahawk ribeye chop or Australia lamb rack. They looked commanding with the taste to match.

The Peruvian seafood rice was our fave. It may look overwhelmingly rich and creamy but every mouthful was so satisfying, what with the chubby grains of rice, the plump scallops and shrimp.

Nik’s creativity and borderless approach to his cooking continued through to his desserts as well. Lemon tart toasted meringue may look like a pointy winged little monster but it’ll send you off into a sweet and sour duet.