LUNCHEON ON THE 76TH FLOOR
MAHANAKHON BANGKOK SKYBAR TAKES THE MIDDAY MEAL TO NEW HEIGHTS
Making waves as Thailand’s highest restaurant and bar with its dinner service since July, Mahanakhon Bangkok Skybar is now ready for lunch, offering a two or three-course menu. At the starting price of B850, you can choose either a starter-and-main combo or a main-and-dessert combo. Or go all out with a three-course menu for B1,200. Regardless of how you choose to lunch, your choice of coffee or tea, the classy and eclectic decor and the breathtaking view from the 76th floor are included with the price.
For starters and mains, you choose one out of three for each course. Dessert is a choice of two daily surprises. In the name of journalism, I sampled everything off the lunch menu.
Cured Norwegian salmon is a refreshing start. Three strips of salted and torched salmon intertwine into one tasty twirl. Their surface is slightly firm while their insides remain juicy and raw. The side salad is also impressive with cucumber that burst with dashi and fennel dressed with a lemon vinaigrette. If you want a meaty start, go for Grilled pork jowl. The pork from Nan sits in a peppery marinade for 24 hours. Jaew is turned into two red dots with a thicker consistency but nonetheless tastes authentically spicy. If you want a vegetarian start, the Grain salad is definitely for you. Given the diversity of greens, no two spoonfuls are quite the same with this one. Three puffed grains in the form of buckwheat, barley and quinoa give the salad crunch.
Of the three choices of main, one is vegetarian. Grilled pork loin is served with salad and mash. The delicious pork is brined for 24 hours before being sous-vided. The creamy mash has been jooshed up with garlic while the salad is a savoury mix of finely chopped Brussels sprouts, mustard, bacon vinaigrette and bacon bits. Seared Andaman sea bass is basically a sophisticated interpretation of pla
ka pong with nam jim seafood. The fillet is seared near perfection, being slightly brown on the outside while the inside remains tender and moist, and is topped with herbs for crunch and aroma. The seafood dip is turned into an emulsion for a creamier consistency. The third choice for main is Parisian gnocchi, which is made without potatoes unlike the Italian version. Executive chef Joshua Cameron manages to keep it pleasingly pillowy, nonetheless and pairs it well with aromatic mushroom ragout and shaved Parmesan.
The two desserts of the day were Blueberry Earl Grey tart and Lemon meringue pie. Both have a fruity touch to end the lunch on a refreshingly sweet note. The lemon cream that comes with the tart gets a special mention from me. It is light and has a milky touch that keeps me going back for more.
For night-time drinking, Mahanakhon has also recently rolled out 10 signature drinks for its “Fall/ Winter Collection 2019”. They are concocted by Benny and Danny Sorum, the Swedish brothers of former Rocket fame. They derive inspiration from local ingredients like sun-dried banana while experimenting with more sophisticated ingredients such as sparkling coffee, dry-hopped passion fruit tonics and black pepper wine. Their selection is divided into three categories; pre-dinner, after-dinner and social (for sharing between four to six people).
Lunch is usually regarded as a perfunctory meal where you quickly get in and out as the break lasts only an hour (for most of us anyway). However, Mahanakhon redefines and refines it to the next level, transforming it into an occasion. And a memorable one at that. Mahanakhon Bangkok Skybar opens daily for lunch from 11am-3pm (last order at 2.30pm) and dinner from 5pm-1am / Naradhiwat Rajanagarindra Road, BTS Chong Nonsi / visit www.mahanakhonbangkokskybar.com or call 02-677-8722.