Sunday, June 28, 2015

Elvio Cogno Barolo Ravera 2010

Date of Tasting: 4 March 2015
Wine Type: Red
Grape Varieties: 100% Nebbiolo
Alcohol: 14.5%
Origin: Piedmont, Italy
Appellation: Barolo DOCG
Expect to Pay: ~ EUR50
Web: http://www.elviocogno.com/
Chubby Appreciation: 92/100
Professional Rating: WA - 93/100, AG - 95/100, JS - 93/100, WS - 94/100, BH - 95/100, JR - 17.5/20, CT - 93/100


Appearance: Dark garnet
Aroma: Fragrance of dark cherry, tar, rose, earth, and spices
Palate: Fine and muscular tannins. Powerful and kind of dense. Deep and juicy fruits with juiciness. Playful acidity.

Quality terrior and production technique from gorgeous vintage without doubt, this is. The herbal and floral notes are extremely attractive. Though it is a kind for ageing, it is difficult also to keep hands off now. Cellaring for a few years should be interesting. Looking forward to next tasting in a few years: sniffing in particular. Grazia!!!!!

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Le Boeuf @ Marriott Executive Apartments Mayfair, Bangkok - เลอ โบฟ @ แมริออท เอ็กเซ็กคูทีฟ อพาร์ทเมนท์ เมย์แฟร์ กรุงเทพฯ

Cuisine: Steak and Fries
Charged Price: THB1,200 per person
Visited: 27 April 2015
Food: 5/10
Atmosphere: 6/10
Value for money: 5/10
Services: 5/10
Scale: [1=poor ---- 5=average/standard ---- 10=outstanding/exceptional]

From March 2015, Bangkokians do no more have to fly all the way to Paris or Geneva to have a steak-frites meal at the famous "Le Relais de l'Entrecote". Here, Le Boeuf, in Soi Lang Suan claims to have offered the very same divine herbaceous buttery sauce. David Perrot of Crepes and Co. has converted the previous Limoncello, which is located right in front of Marriott Executive Apartments Mayfair, into a Parisian bistro joint.

The concept of Le Boeuf is simply "just one great dish all day, every day". There are a few selection of starters but only a choice of main course: entrecote. In case you do not take beef, there are also two other choices to be chosen from: lamb (THB740) and salmon (THB880). As for the place, it is indeed a kind of bistro atmosphere located in the heart of Bangkok. Travelling here via public transport is not easy. The closest BTS station is Chidlom Station which is almost a kilometre away. But you can always grab a taxi or motorbike from the station. If you drive, you can park at Marriott Executive Apartments Mayfair conveniently.

Le Boeuf at Marriott Executive Apartments Mayfair, Bangkok

Le Boeuf sign

bistro kind of atmosphere

As mentioned, there are only a few choices of starter at the time of our visit and they are all terrine dishes. We did try Rillettes de Porc (6/10) or simply pork kind of terrine. It was smooth and flavourful, but not strongly pungent, which was nice with toast and some pickles. For Entrecote Steak (5/10), it came with walnuts green salad and french fries which is refillable. I believe the steak was sirloin of Tasmanian beef. The quality of beef was decent. However, the tedious part was preparation by the kitchen team. We had ordered medium-rare and medium and they turned be all medium towards medium-well. As for the Sauce Cafe de Paris, the herbal aroma and creamy texture were delightful. The down point was saltiness. I felt it was too salty to my liking. Even with french fries, I could still feel over seasoning in the sauce.

To end the meal, we did also try Tartelette Citron (5/10). It was not bad for a non-specialised shop on pastry. The tart was kind of too soft but the creamy citrus filling was smooth and not too sweet. If the abundance of citrus flavour was more, it would be much better in my opinion.

For this place, Le Boeuf, it is not the very looking forward kind of place but it is good to experience, especially if you had tried the one from Le Relais de l'Entrecote before. Nevertheless, the pricing of entrecote is not ridiculously expensive. It is not a bad choice at all to visit from time to time.

Rillettes de Porc (THB295)

bread basket

Entrecote Steak (THB680 per person)

Tartelette Citron (THB240)

square cut of tartelette citron

Le Boeuf @ Marriott Executive Apartments Mayfair, Bangkok - เลอ โบฟ @ แมริออท เอ็กเซ็กคูทีฟ อพาร์ทเมนท์ เมย์แฟร์ กรุงเทพฯ
Floor G, Marriott Executive Apartments Mayfair
60 Soi Lang Suan
Lumphini, Pathum Wan
Bangkok 10330
Thailand

Open Hours: daily from 11:30am - 11:00pm
Tel: +66 (0) 2652 0207, +66 (0) 9 3971 8081
Webhttp://leboeufgroup.com/
FBhttps://www.facebook.com/leboeufgroup

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Shafer Vineyards Merlot Napa Valley 2010

Date of Tasting: 21 March 2015
Wine Type: Red
Grape Varieties: 84% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec
Alcohol: 15.3%
Origin: California, USA
Appellation: Napa Valley
Expect to Pay: ~ EUR50
Web: http://www.shafervineyards.com/
Chubby Appreciation: 93/100
Professional Rating: WA - 93/100, WE - 91/100, WS - 90/100, CT - 91/100


Appearance: Dense purplish red
Aroma: Sweet black fruits and cherry. Mild floral and spices floor. 
Palate: On the texture, it is almost full, kind of big and jammy but beautifully soft. Exhibit licorice, chocolate, blackberry, and integrated vanilla, earthiness and spice touches. 

It is a merlot base blend that is showing tremendously now. I had it along with rib eye steak and it did compliment each other well. Sensational mouth feel and aroma, it has. Though, there are some cabernet sauvignon and malbec in the blend but they do not seem to overwhelm the characters of merlot. But they more like enhancing structure of this wine. Throughout the course of this bottle, it kept developing along. Perhaps gentle decanting would do for those who need immediate consumption. Personally, I may wait until the end of 2016 before accessing another bottle to see how it develops.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

The Castle Restaurant @ Thames Valley Khao Yai, Nakhon Ratchasima - เดอะคาสเซิล เรสตัวรองท์ @ โรงแรมเทมส์ วัลลีย์ เขาใหญ่ จังหวัดนครราชสีมา

Cuisine: Brasserie
Price: THB700 per person without alcohol (what we paid for)
Visited: 15 February 2015
Food: 5/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Value for money: 4/10
Services: 4/10
Scale: [1=poor ---- 5=average/standard ---- 10=outstanding/exceptional]

It was mid February 2015 and it was at the beginning stage of harvest period of the area. I was eager to visit Khao Yai for a day to see how harvest festival thing goes in Thailand. Without fail, I managed to go along with a few of family members. As lunch time approach, we chose to drop by The Castle Restaurant @ Thames Valley which is located conveniently on the main road to Khao Yai, Thanaratch Road.

The Castle Restaurant is the main dining venue of Thames Valley which is a lovely and cosy boutique hotel. The dining hall is pretty large and I wouldn't think reservation is necessary at all except during long public holiday. The interior is decorated rather opulently and in greyish soft tone. The range of menu does not focus on any particular cuisine but consists of varieties from Thai to English to bistro / pub food and some fusion food.

The Castle Restaurant @ Thames Valley Khao Yai

spacious and cosy dining room

When it came to the actual ordering, we tended to order this and that sparsely without focus at all. The only two kind of starter dishes were Pumpkin and Herb Soup with Croutons (5/10) and Classic Caesar Salad with Roasted Chicken (5/10). Of course, we did not expect much but just an enjoyable meal. Spot on, we were just right. These two starters were fine to compliment the meal and that was it. Plain and basic pumpkin soup and caesar salad they were.

Pumpkin and Herb Soup with Croutons (THB150)

Classic Caesar Salad with Roasted Chicken (THB220)

As for more serious kind of dishes, the following are what we had. They were in overall ok.

Spaghetti with King River Prawns in Panang Curry (5/10) : I always get confused with this kind of Italian pasta fused with Thai taste. Here is another one. Well, it could be enjoyable if you like strong and spicy taste of pasta.

Thames Valley Fish and Chips with Mushy Peas and Tartar Sauce (6/10) : A rather surprise one of fish and chips. Nice, crisp, and savoury.

Grilled Fresh Sausages (5/10) : Presented nicely and could be easily satisfied. But THB480 is a bit dearly cost.

Pork Spare Ribs in Red Wine Sauce (4/10) : It sounded drooling at the first place but turned out to be so-so. Taste was missing some dimension. Texture was not interesting.

Spaghetti with King River Prawns in Panang Curry (THB250)

Thames Valley Fish and Chips with Mushy Peas and Tartar Sauce (THB380)

Grilled Fresh Sausages (THB480)

Pork Spare Ribs in Red Wine Sauce (THB180)

We did also give a try on a few beverage range: The Castle (5/10): strawberry, yoghurt, milk, and syrup, and Banana Vanilla (5/10): banana, vanilla syrup, milk, and yoghurt. They were not bad at all. Ladies may like these kind of colourful beverage.

All in all, The Castle Restaurant is a nice place in term of atmosphere with acceptable kind of food. Nevertheless, the pricing is over the top. Perhaps not this expensive for a meal outside Bangkok but I might be wrong. These days, things get more and more expensive everywhere.

The Castle (THB150)

Banana Vanilla (THB150)

The Castle Restaurant @ Thames Valley Khao Yai, Nakhon Ratchasima - เดอะคาสเซิล เรสตัวรองท์ @ โรงแรมเทมส์ วัลลีย์ เขาใหญ่ จังหวัดนครราชสีมา
999 Moo 4, Thanaratch Road
Moosi, Pakchong
Nakhon Ratchasima 30130
Thailand

Open Hours: daily from 11:00am - 10:30pm

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Chateau Rauzan Despagne Le Grand Vin Rouge 2010

Date of Tasting: 11 March 2015
Wine Type: Red
Grape Varieties: 82% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc
Alcohol: 13.5%
Origin: Bordeaux, France
Appellation: Bordeaux
Expect to Pay: ~ EUR30
Web: http://despagne.fr/
Chubby Appreciation: 90/100
Professional Rating: WE - 90/100, JS - 90/100


Appearance: Deep garnet
Aroma: Cherry, black currant, vanilla, and toasty spicy aroma
Palate: Deep and big with dry but supple tannins. Structured character. Black fruits note. Grippy and decent finish of complexity.

A pretty nice bordeaux of merlot base at decent price, it is. The charm of this Rauzan Despagne is fruity notes that play along with big and dry structure. Lovely integration between power and fruit. Nice table wine for drinking now. It should be gorgeous with lamb and beef steaks.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Mixo Bar @ Hotel Sofitel So Bangkok, North Sathon Road - มิกโซ บาร์ @ โรงแรมโซฟิเทล โซ แบงค์คอก ถนนสาทรเหนือ

Cuisine: Bar
Charged Price: THB580 per person without alcohol
Visited: 15 April 2015
Food: 3/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Value for money: 5/10
Services: 6/10
Scale: [1=poor ---- 5=average/standard ---- 10=outstanding/exceptional]

Let's make it brief for this review of afternoon tea at Mixo Bar at Hotel Sofitel So Bangkok. First of all, the location is super convenient. Of course, it is right at the junction where Sathon Road and Rama IV Road intersect. There is a MRT station (Lumphini) right at the junction. Mixo Bar is on floor 9 of Sofitel So. It offers a stunning view of Lumphini Park. If you are going to visit Mixo Bar, especially of low tea, make sure you ask for window seats. As for the ambient, it is more like a modern kind of theme. However, it is spacious with high ceiling which makes the place comfortable. I would say that it is a rather decent place to meet up with clients for afternoon business discussion or even chitchatting among friends.

Mixo Bar @ Hotel Sofitel So Bangkok

the view overlooking Lumphini Park

(petite) afternoon tea set at Mixo Bar

As of early 2015, the price of an afternoon tea set (3/10) for 1 person is THB495++. Not so bad for the pricing. Nevertheless, the overall impression was not so great for me. What you would get in the set comprises of tiny pieces of sandwiches, pastries, and free flow choices of tea, coffee, or soft beverage. On the day of my visit, sandwiches were ham sandwich, tuna sandwich, cucumber sandwich, prosciutto and vegetable sandwich, and smoked salmon bagel. These sandwiches were dry. I suspect that they had been prepared in advance and left exposing to air. It would be great if these sandwiches are prepared just when ordered.

As for tea and coffee, tea range seemed to be a better choice. I ordered cafe latte to try and it was a standard machine brewed one: forget the barista. Tea quality was ok but not great, with approx. 20 choices to be chosen from but mostly those aromatic and non-milk based tea. There are only a few milk based black tea.

Ham Sandwich (top) and Tuna Sandwich (bottom)

Cucumber Sandwich (bottom ones)

Prosciutto and Vegetable Sandwich

Smoked Salmon Bagel

just swirling sugar in tea (^w^)

For the pastry range, there were fruit scones which were not quite scones for me, raspberry macaron was a fine one, green tea madeleine was not really my choice of madeleine at all, chocolate eclair had too thick pastry, chocolate tartelette also came with thick part of tart, and opera cake was kind of thick and dry texture. Disappointment really for pastry range. I would think that high end hotel like Sofitel So should be able to an afternoon tea a more worthwhile for their guests. Indeed, there is nothing to argue about the atmosphere and the view. Only if delicacy of food would compliment the experience better. Wish to see improvement of Mixo Bar.

Fruit Scones

jams by Bonne Maman

Raspberry Macaron

Green Tea Madeleine and Chocolate Eclair

Chocolate Tartelette and Opera Cake

Mixo Bar @ Hotel Sofitel So Bangkok, North Sathon Road - มิกโซ บาร์ @ โรงแรมโซฟิเทล โซ แบงค์คอก ถนนสาทรเหนือ
2 North Sathon Road
Bang Rak
Bangkok 10500
Thailand

Open Hours: daily from 08:00am - 01:00am (02:30pm - 05:30pm for afternoon tea)

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Domaine Nicolas Rossignol Volnay 1er Cru Fremiets 2005

Date of Tasting: 19 March 2015
Wine Type: Red
Grape Varieties: 100% Pinot
Alcohol: 13%
Origin: Burgundy, France
Appellation: Volnay 1er Cru AOC
Expect to Pay: ~ EUR90
Web: http://www.nicolas-rossignol.com/
Chubby Appreciation: 91/100
Professional Rating: WA - 92/100, BH - 91/100, CT - 92/100


Appearance: Dark red
Aroma: Blue and red berries on the nose with earthiness
Palate: Rather full and concentrate with tannins. Meaty and sweety red fruits. Acid and mineral elements seemed to be diminished.

Not my kind of volnay just yet, this bottle was. However, I feel like it is not quite at its potential level just yet. Things are shut and muted at the moment: it was broad and confusing. Revisiting in a few years should be interesting to see how it reveals. Good night for now for this volnay by Nicolas Rossignol.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Chef Man @ Royal Place 2, Ratchadamri, Bangkok - เชฟแมน @ โรยัลเพลส 2 ถนนราชดำริ กรุงเทพฯ

Cuisine: Chinese
Charged Price: THB1,700 per person without alcohol
Visited: 5 April 2015
Food: 6/10
Atmosphere: 5/10
Value for money: 4/10
Services: 5/10
Scale: [1=poor ---- 5=average/standard ---- 10=outstanding/exceptional]

A few years back, I did a review on Chef Man at Eastin Hotel Makkasan branch which was quite a good dim sum experience. This time, an opportunity came again with family lunch at Royal Place 2 branch which is on Ratchadamri road. For this Royal Place 2 branch, it is rather convenient in term of commuting: parking spaces available and within a few minutes walk from BTS Ratchadamri station. As for atmosphere, it is more like its 1st branch, Eastin Grand Hotel Sathorn: more of Chinese contemporary feel. The thing I do not like about this branch of Chef Man is the way it is crowded. Noise is everywhere.

If you are to come here for business discussion, make sure you ask for a private room. Nevertheless, there is a price for it. There is a room charge at THB1,000 per room. Personally, this is a ridiculous charge. If you are in a large group, it is unavoidable to get a private which comes with big table and you should not be charged at all. On the other hand, if there are only a few of you and asked for a private room, then it is sensible to charge. Remember, booking in advance is essential here as it is very famous at the time of writing.

Chef Man @ Royal Place 2, Ratchadamri

kind of busy dining hall

The impression of dim sum here has been constantly delightful. From the steam range, Ha Kao (7/10) was mouth-filling with fresh and big shrimp. Siu Mai (5/10) and Steamed Seaweed Pork Dumplings with Wild Mushroom (5/10) were below Ha Kao standard: kind of bland at a certain point. As for fried dishes, I feel steam range is more superior. Deep-fried Bean Curd Skin Roll with Shrimp (5/10) and Crispy Shrimp Wrapped with Rice Noodle (6/10) were not so satisfactory crisp and savoury but generously filled with shrimps. Deep-fried Taro with Curry Sauce Dumpling (6/10) was, on the other hand, crispy and flaky. The filling was enjoyable but not excellent. At least, the balance between taro and curry played a nice role.

Ha Kao (Shrimp Dumpling) - ฮะเก๋ากุ้ง (THB130)


Deep-fried Bean Curd Skin Roll with Shrimp - ฟองเต้าหู้ทอด (THB110)

Crispy Shrimp Wrapped with Rice Noodle - ก๋วยเตี๋ยวหลอดกุ้งทอด (THB170)

Deep-fried Taro with Curry Sauce Dumpling - เผือกทอด (THB105)

For more famous dishes, Xiao Long Bao Dumpling (6/10) was juicy and big. But xiao long bao from the chain Din Tai Fung is still the favourite vote with juicier and thinner dough. Rice Noodle with Barbecued Pork (5/10), however, did let me down really. I expect more than just generous filling of barbecued pork. Dimension of flavour is needed here. As for the dish that gave the birth of Chef Man in Bangkok, Steamed Salted Egg Yolk Cream Bun (6/10) was another disappointment. The bun used to be thinner and the filling used to pop out like lava explosion. It was not the case this time. Perhaps it is so crowded and consistency cannot be kept at Chef Man. Despite some disappointment, good things also arrived. Baked Snow Buns with Barbecued Pork (7/10) and Baked Barbecued Pork Bun (6/10) did bring liveliness to the table. Did not expect them to be as nearly good as ones in Hong Kong. But they almost did. Thump up especially to Baked Snow Buns with Barbecued Pork.

Xiao Long Bao Dumpling - เสี่ยวหลงเปา (THB115)

Rice Noodle with Barbecued Pork - ก๋วยเตี๋ยวหลอดหมูแดง (THB150)

Steamed Salted Egg Yolk Cream Bun - ซาลาเปาไส้ไหล (THB125)
Baked Snow Bun with Barbecued Pork - ซาลาเปาหิมะ (THB125)



Baked Barbecued Pork Bun - ซาลาเปาหมูแดงอบ (THB110)

Now moving on to more serious dish of non dim sum. Roasted Crispy Pork (7/10) was well prepared definitely. The crispiness, the juiciness, the tenderness, and the savoury were all there. The only problem for this dish was pricing surely. THB1,200 for this plate, you must be joking me. Deep-fried Prawn in Wasabi Salad (5/10) was an ordinary dish that you now may find in many Chinese restaurants in Bangkok. As usual, it was enjoyable but on average of satisfaction. Wasabi and mayonnaise look like belonging to each other but not compliment each other well in my opinion. It was just a creamy crispy dish with spice of wasabi. Roasted Pigeon Hong Kong Style (6/10) was well made with crispiness in flavourful tenderness. Again it is expensive with the charge of THB500 per small pigeon. For Barbecued Peking Duck (6/10), it was delightful with variation of both skin only and meat on skin. The sweetness and distinct aroma of mango brought out another dimension well. However, I still prefer the matching of lychee at Fei Ya at Renaissance Ratchaprasong Bangkok. This time, we had the duck meat cooked in the recommended way: Deep-fried Duck with Garlic and Chilli (7/10). I admit that this was a great recipe and technique. Well flavoured and well fried: crisp but still tender. Cheers chef.

Roasted Crispy Pork - หมูกรอบ (THB1,200)

Deep-fried Prawn in Wasabi Salad - กุ้งทอดซอสวาซาบิ (THB500)

Roasted Pigeon Hong Kong Style - นกพิราบทอดหนังกรอบ (THB500)

Barbecued Peking Duck - เป็ดปักกิ่ง (THB1,600)

Deep-fried Duck with Garlic and Chilli - เป็ดทอดพริกกระเทียม

To end savoury meal, it is often to be soup and starch. For the soup, it was Red Grouper Cooked in Supreme Broth (7/10). Nice, creamy, and rich in flavour the soup was. The freshness of red grouper played its role pleasantly. This is almost my favourite dish for Chinese food. However, I would really recommend this dish at Silk Road at Plaza Athenee Bangkok for max satisfaction. The left over head of red group was then cooked to another wonderful dish: Braised Red Grouper Head Chef Man Style (8/10). Again, it was rich in flavour with sticky chewy tenderness of texture. Last but not least, it was Lobster with Egg Noodle Chef Man Style (5/10). Well, it was delicious. But I am sure there are much better ways to cook lobster to bring out its unique scent. It seemed to lack this and that: the texture, the overcooking, the lack of savouriness, and the lack of magic touch supposedly. 

Red Grouper Cooked in Supreme Broth - ปลาเก๋าแดงลวกยอดซุปสไตล์เชฟแมน (THB4,680)

fresh and rich soup

Braised Red Grouper Head Chef Man Style - หัวปลาเก๋าน้ำแดง

Lobster with Egg Noodle Chef Man Style - บะหมี่กุ้งมังกรเชฟแมน (THB4,500)

For dessert, we had Black Sesame Dumplings in Ginger (6/10) and Mango Pudding (6/10). Both were nice but too typical. They can be found anywhere at Chinese restaurants. It just happens to be of good quality here.

All in all, the experience was at satisfaction though not memorable. What they need to improve here is probably its service. Often the service from staffs here seems to be a bit heartless. It is like the place is so popular and staffs do not have to care much about their customers. The other let down point is the pricing. In two years only, the price has been marked up by 25% - 50% depending dishes: see the previous review of Chef Man at Eastin Hotel Makkasan. We feel it is somewhat taking advantages out of customers truly. Well, judge it yourself then.

Black Sesame Dumplings in Ginger - บัวลอยน้ำขิง (THB95)

Mango Pudding - พุดดิ้งมะม่วง (THB95)

Chef Man @ Royal Place 2, Ratchadamri, Bangkok - เชฟแมน @ โรยัลเพลส 2 ถนนราชดำริ กรุงเทพฯ
6/1 Soi Mahatlek Luang 2
Ratchadamri Road
Lumphini, Pathum Wan
Bangkok 10330
Thailand

Open Hours: daily from 11:30am - 02:30pm for lunch and from 06:00pm - 10:00pm for dinner
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