Bitterman, handcrafted cuisine, fine dining plating.
THE SETTING
Bitterman, on Sala Daeng Soi 1, is a 40-yearold house complete with an atrium, full of plants. The restaurant also has leather chairs and tables inside. But since sitting outside in Bangkok is rare, the glass house is by far the most popular, especially during dinner and at weekends when brunch is served. It is also the best spot to be in the afternoon while the warm sun bathes you through the glass, which makes you forget you’re in Bangkok for a wee bit. “Even though the concept of the restaurant is home cooking, I think it’s a tad boring so I have changed the way we present the food. The best way to describe my menu is simple and sexy,” laughs chef de la cuisine Enzo Dela Cruz.
THE MENU
Chef Dela Cruz serves up modern fare inspired by a number of cuisines. “I like to keep it simple, but some dishes just come out they way they do,” says chef Dela Cruz. The menu is divided into Weekly Specials, which are small plates for sharing, of which two are limited servings. This only means chef Dela Cruz makes limited portions. I skipped ahead to the starters and began with the Tuna crudo (B280). I am a tad picky with my tuna and refuse to eat it out of a can (no cat, am I?). Luckily for me, Bitterman serves Maldivian fresh tuna, seasoned with a ginger dressing, capers, chilli, shallots and basil, which is served with a house-made cracker. A fresh start to a great summer meal! To wash it down, I ordered the Mango pennyworth (B160), which comes with a generous slice of fresh mango.
If I see beetroot on the menu, you can bet I am gonna order it and so the Beetroot ’N’ Brie (B250) sang out to me. A generous chunk (and I mean chunk) of Brie was lightly grilled and is served with figs, roasted walnut, blueberry sauce, sous vide beetroot and rocket for that bit of green. While the dish was yum, it could have done with a tiny bit more salt and perhaps needed a few bold flavours considering beetroot is so earthy.
There is so much deliciousness on the Bitterman menu, that I had to order pasta before tackling the mains. The Smoked sausage & Cajun spice pasta (B260), was a delightful serving of smoked butifarra sausage, smoked bacon garlic and chilli, served with spaghetti. Butifarra is a semi-cured garlic sausage from the Catalonia region of Spain. While I can see this pasta going down a treat with the Thai clientele, it also needed a touch more seasoning. The Truffle & ox cheeks (B360) was a heady mix of braised ox cheeks with a cream demi glaze, truffle paste and cheese served with fettuccine. The ox cheeks were amazingly tender, but I did find the truffle paste a tad too generous for my liking. Yes, apparently too much truffle is a thing! A very rich pasta requires a refreshing drink to wash it down, and the 3rd Quarter (B380), with Dillon Rhum agricole, orgeat, mint, lime, Ketel One and homemade brandied cherry was a great match.
I was far from done eating and the next treat for my mouth was the BBQ spiced lamb strips (B550). Lamb loin cut into strips and seasoned with Indian spices, mainly garam masala and cumin, is served with tahini yoghurt, grilled roasted baby carrots and sprinkles of feta. Chef Dela Cruz’s love for Indian food comes across in this dish. He told me that his Pakistani friend introduced him to the world of South Asian spices and this is evident. The Black cod (B420) was a very well, char grilled Atlantic black cod with an Asian glaze, served with grilled broccolini and sautéed wild mushrooms.
No meal is complete without dessert, and yes, I had space for it. The Banana banoffee (B260) was a deconstructed version of a British classic. Biscuit crumbs with dulce de leche, whipped cream, fresh banana, caramel sauce and meringues, served with Movenpick chocolate ice cream, was garnished with edible summer flowers and was a dream to look at. The passionfruit soda (B120) was an excellent accompaniment to this. A rather lovely ending to a summer meal!
INSIDER’S TIP
Expect to be surrounded by many, and I am not exaggerating, many Korean diners. Apparently, the restaurant was reviewed by a famous Korean blogger and since then has been bombarded by Korean tourists. Don’t miss out on Bitterman’s Brunch Club, served on Sundays, complete with a live DJ and happy hour from noon to 4pm. Expect to brunch on Baked chorizo & egg (B235), Avocado & roasted carrots (B285), Cobb salad (B240) and Cinnamon toast (B240). For those with an Asian palate, fear not there are also dishes like Beef rice & onion (B300), Spicy seafood rice (B250) and Lemongrass chicken (B175). In Bangkok, Chef Dela Cruz’s favourite restaurant to work in is Quince under chef Blair Mathieson and even though he is Filipino, he doesn’t cook Filipino food!
VALUE AND VERDICT
It is not merely taste that chef Dela Cruz serves up. His plating skills are on point and if it were not for the reasonably priced food, you’d think you’re in a fine dining restaurant. (Chef Dela Cruz used to work in a fine dining restaurant). Despite the 7% VAT and 10% service charge added on top of your bill, Bitterman doesn’t disappoint in value for money.