WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Rising star Carne is so much more than the beef-centric establishment its marquee suggests
For first-timers and passers-by, Carne may look and sound like another “so what” new player in Bangkok’s nearly saturated restaurant scene. But the meat-centric eatery, as its name suggests, has proved its staying power since it first opened three weeks ago, to be a true rising star in this food-driven city.
Clientele on the weekday evening that I visited was a nice mix of veteran epicures and happy returning guests. Some lone diners, some with friends and family. Impressively inviting, especially for this food journalist, the stylishly-decked-out Carne, which is tucked behind an expansive red-brick wall in the middle of Soi Prasanmit, offered no sense of so-called gastronomic hype. People come here clearly for the food.
In fact, Carne is the newest venture of a restaurateur family, which runs award-wining eateries The Local by Oam Thong Thai Cuisine, Crab and Claw, and Kinkao.
Their new branch-out establishment was built up from a humble idea to promote local produce and help sustain low-key cattle farmers. Most of the ingredients are sourced locally with great attention to quality. Vegetables and edible flowers are grown in the owner’s private organic garden.
Carne’s large show kitchen, equipped with josper oven, open-fire grill and smoker, is led by Texas-native head chefcum-grill specialist Mateo Roberson.
Thus the menu is crafted up from a concept of fire cooking and smoking, with a lot of exciting culinary inspiration from his Latin heritage.
Roberson’s ember-roasted beetroot (260 baht) salad promises to turn beetroot shunners into faithful acolytes. The beetroot was salt-crusted and cooked on glowing hot embers before being sliced and tossed with fresh watercress, quinoa, spiced caramelised pecan and Green Goddess dressing. The latter is a heavenly mixture of mayonnaise, basil, lemon, black mint and other herbs.
Also from the salad section is sweetcorn succotash (150 baht). It’s a scrumptious helping of fire-grilled corn kernels seasoned with chorizo and pimento served with smoked aioli sauce, pickled bird’s eye chilli dressing, grilled lime and a garnish of fresh peperomia pellucida, a local weedlike vegetable that helps add a mild cilantro-floral fragrance to the dish.
Should you look for a very refreshing salad, I highly recommend radicchio, spinach and grilled orange pulp with guanciale, Gorgonzola DOP, and bee pollen-sherry dressing (240 baht).
This personal favourite dish of mine marvellously unifies the light crunch of the greens with briny strips of cured pork cheek, sweet smoky tang of the grilled orange and captivating taste of Italy’s most special Gorgonzola.
Well, whether or not you are a fan of the Italian blue cheese, a bread buff should never ever miss Carne’s pan de cassava (150 baht for five pieces). Prepared to a South American recipe but with the protected designation of origin Gorgonzola, these super aromatic and moist and tasty cheese breads are guaranteed to send you to culinary nirvana.
Carne’s sea bass ceviche (320 baht) is among the best ceviches I’ve ever had. Impressively cool and springy fillets of local sea bass come marinated in tiger’s milk (Peruvian-styled citrus-based sauce) and served with roseapple-avocado salsa, fresh chillies and sharp pungency of lime juice.
Beef tongue connoisseurs are guaranteed full satisfaction here with chargrilled braised wagyu beef tongue (380 baht) served on warm salsa molcajete.
Carne’s pasta list is small but original and creative. There you’ll find the likes of parpadelle with sugo beef sauce; risotto with smoked burrata and mushroom cream; and risi pasta with crab lump and miso butter.
I tried the latter (480 baht), which was also flavoured with truffle and specksmoked cured meat, and was delighted.
From the day’s selection of wood-fired steak, I went for the 240g cut of Australian wagyu rib-eye (620 baht per 100g) and had nothing to complain about. The steak showcased its top-grade quality through the juicily tasty mouthfeel it offered, complemented by roasted chilli jus and hasselback sweet potatoes.
Beef is not the only protein available at Carne. From the day it opened its doors, one of the restaurant’s best-sellers has been the pork tomahawk steak (590 baht).
Served on a bed of sweet potato puree, the large, thick cut of locally raised Kurobuta pork had been marinated in red yeast koji rice and spices then flame-broiled to get a nice charred crust while still retaining well its nice chewable texture and succulency. Giving a perfect complement to the pork steak is grilled pineapple salsa and roasted onions.
Poultry, too, is a highlight here. And fire-grilled chicken roulade with hominy puree, jus and braised leek (480 baht) proved to me truly worth ordering.
Rolled chicken thigh, stuffed with avocado and herbs, had been sousvide before given a golden brown finish in a charcoal oven, so the meat was tender and juicy while the exterior crusty with a nice charred whiff. The accompaniment of hominy puree, made with dry maize and corn juice, and garlic confit added a light creamy touch to the poultry.
At this young stage, Carne’s dessert selection is a single-item list. But, let me tell you, it’s worth being a soloist.
Again to reflect Roberson’s attachment of his Latin culinary roots, here you’ll find one of the city’s best renderings of tres leches (280 baht). The three-milk cake is prepared with whole milk, condensed milk and coconut milk together with coconut flour and pineapple-fostered local white rum. Lending a perfect complementing contrast to the rich cake are fresh cheese semifreddo, grilled caramelised pineapple and lime gel.
Carne’s drink list is huge, almost triple the size of the food menu. Service was lovely. Reservations are recommended.