The Dining Room at The House on Sathorn: #36 Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants

For our culinary adventure across Bangkok, this was what I would consider our most ‘casual’ experience.  To be fair, after as much as we had eaten, the venue was a blessing and the perfect final stop on our foodie tour of the city.  Deciding a bit late to follow up our lunch at Le Du, we walked over to the W and sidled up to the bar at The House on Sathorn (the property has a unique history and has evolved from residence to consulate to restaurant over the years).  Although it was relatively early for service, we met Chef Fatih, an extremely talented (and well traveled) man.  His tasting menu is creative, but in a very personal way.  In the courses, Chef Fatih tells the story of his world travels — where he’s worked and what has influenced him.  In person, it was fun to hear about his experiences and the why and how of the dishes on the menu (and made me wonder what my own culinary story would look like!).

My Favorites

Season. Picture the best cauliflower you’ve ever had.  Actually, wonder for a moment, ‘Cauliflower, really?’ then eat this vegetable absolutely bursting with flavor and you won’t be disappointed.  In fact, you might try and plot how to make this incredible dish at home (does anyone know where I can get my hands on some winter black truffle? #askingforafriend).  Simple, refined, and beautifully presented, I would be happy to see this on any menu.

Catch of the Day.  First and foremost, I loved that Chef Fatih brought out the live version of the Phuket Rock Lobster that I would be eating.  It’s super rare for any diner to have a moment of understanding that yes, the plate you are about to eat used to be alive.  I met wiggly Mr. Lobster and then a few courses later, he appeared in this capacity.  While the lobster was tender, it was the bami noodle with a secret (out of this world) sauce (with ingredients only available from a particular location in town) that made the dish.  Points also for the evocative coastal presentation.

Didn’t Quite Get There

Of the considerable amount of food we tried (nine courses, not including snacks), there were really only two dishes I didn’t particularly care for.  It will come as no surprise to anyone, that I did not like was the very first snack, a mussel type thing.  Overall, I’m never going to warm to the texture of a bivalve, and the foam was a bit ‘briny’ for me.

While the first bite started me off on the wrong foot (the menu recovered quite quickly and I thoroughly enjoyed the remainder of the meal), it was our dessert, Tarte (with Chestnut and a gelato that had infused Turkish coffee) that I also did not care for.  I found both components not sweet enough, lacking texture, and didn’t particularly care for the infusion of bitterness from the coffee.  I also thought the presentation could use some additional work as it just didn’t hit the mark for appetizing.

The Remainder of the Gorgeousness

The placement of the restaurant on the Top 50 list is well earned.  Dishes are plated and conceptualized with restraint and demonstrate excellent skill.  While I still think Sühring offers the more cohesive menu, I truly enjoyed taking a journey with a chef.  I would look forward to what else Chef Fatih has to offer — he’s a wonderful host and a visit to The Dining Room is well worth the trip (head for drinks in The Bar after, also worth stopping in).

Highly recommended.

A to Za’atar was a guest of The House on Sathorn.  Opinions are my own, just ask my husband.
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