Sunday, February 28, 2016

BKK Food #2: Sirocco, Best Sushi Ever, etc.

HEY ALL!
So now I'm back with Bangkok Food Review-Guide #2 or whatever you wanna call it.
(If you missed out the first one, click here)

First up is Sirocco.
Sirocco is a popular  "touristic" rooftop restaurant located on the 63rd floor of State Tower at lebua Hotel. If you didn't know, some scenes from The Hangover Part II were filmed at lebua.
Anyways, I'm not going to write more facts about this place (cause it can be found on their website) so I'll just skip to my own experience.

It was drizzling that night and so we had to wait indoor for quite a while at first. 

We ordered a beer and a cocktail. One thing that surprised me is that they provide pistachios as complimentary snacks and I believe that pistachios are quite an expensive type of nuts, am I right?
But whatever... we paid so much for the food and drink anyway. lol
At first, I wanted to order just the dessert but the waiter says I can't just order dessert. 
He said that because there are 2 of us, then there must be at least 2 main courses.
How annoying is that... I think I saw people who only ordered the dessert without main. THAT IS SO UNFAIR :(
Thus, main course it is.

I ordered Wild Blue Fin Tuna and my boyfriend ordered Lamb Loin.
Actually, we didn't really know what we ordered cause the descriptions are quite hard to understand so we just asked what is his recommendation and what not.
Like a typical fine dining place, we were given few types of bread as the complimentary appetizer and some flavoured butter. I think there were 3 types and one of the bread is just nice but the other 2 are inedible for us... for me actually. hehehehehe

Now, the main course.
Wild Blue Fin Tuna 
(Pan seared the sliced, ratatouille occitan, tapenade, preserved lemon, basil & lemon relish)

The tuna is medium rare (as suggested by the waiter) and I've never had medium rare tuna before because I've never really like raw tuna after all. So before it's suggested best to be eaten that way, then I gave it a try. 
The outer cooked layer has a flaky texture and when you bit into it, the raw part will give you the jelly-like feel in your mouth. It doesn't sound very appetizing is it? probably it's my problem in describing stuff lol.
Having the tuna itself might be a little bit too much for me but when I had it with the tapenade, which I believe is the olives and capers, and other stuff on the plate, it gives the most interesting flavours ever. The tapenade is very sour and tangy and the green juice has also a unique taste to it.
My conclusion towards this dish is that it's delicious to be eaten all the elements altogether and it's a very interesting and unique flavour combination. I couldn't really eat all of it because I'm just not a big fan of uncooked tuna but I'm glad that I give it a shot.
Lamb Loin 
(Pyrenees lamb saddle, alla Milanese, parmesan "Royale" wrapped in papardelle, black 
truffle tomato stir fry, herb jus)

As you all know, lamb has a distinct smell which can be overpowering when cooked in some ways and in this case, it does. The lamb smell is too much for me. However, this dish doesn't taste bad at all. Our most favourite element in this dish is the wrapped parmesan. Who doesn't love cheese???
We didn't know what it was at first so when we bit into it, it has a very smooth texture with a bit of a chew from the papardelle. PERFECTION.

The only thing that bothered me the most is the weather. Seriously, it wasn't cooperating at all that night. It drizzled in the middle of our dinner and we had to hold the umbrella to prevent the food from the rain water. Thankfully it only lasted for a couple of minutes. However, the rain didn't come once, it came few times later that night (Thank God after we finished our meal). Plus, because it was raining, the wind was blowing hard and it was quite cold for me and made me feel unwell. Thus, after few photos here  and there, we decided to go back because I really couldn't take it. 
^That is how windy it was...
If you have the time, do come and enjoy your night here. The view is spectacular as you can see the lights of Bangkok. It has a very nice ambiance but it can be quite crowded around the Bar. So if you are not dining in, be prepared for the crowd. But I do suggest you to dine in cause it's a great place to chill and relax, and enjoy the view as much as you can. (Best place for dates, too ;)) Do make a reservation through their website or call them because it can be very packed and you don't want to be there, dressed-up, and have no place to sit. 

Address: 63rd floor, lebua at State Tower Hotel, 1055 State Tower, Silom Rd
BTS: Saphan Taksin
Opening Hours: 18:00 - 01:00
Tel: +66 (0) 624 9998

Here comes the BEST SUSHI RESTAURANT EVER - ISAO.
Don't be fooled by it's small restaurant appearance. It'll be full inside when you entered. 
How I grade sushi: based on the (1) ratio of sushi rice to filling, (2) freshness, (3) flavour, and finally (4) texture. 
For me, sushi that has more amount of sushi rice than the filling is a big no no. I believe that sushi rice must be slightly lesser than the filling. 
This sushi place is A MUST TRY if you're AT BANGKOK.
It has the thinnest layer of rice on rolls I've ever seen in my life. 
So, the ratio of rice to filling: PERFECT.
Freshness: CHECKED. 
Flavour: BEYOND SCRUMPTIOUS. 
Texture: AWESOME.
Jackie - definitely for the shrimp lovers. It was love at first bite. The rolls are covered with shrimps and the filling there is more shrimp tempura which gives it a double shrimp attack. The sesame sauce or whatever sauce it is compliments the rolls so perfectly. Although the roll is quite big for me, and since my boyfriend is kinda allergic to shrimps so he can't eat much, I still devoured the whole roll as I can't refuse to see such delicious food being left to waste. HAHAHA
Sushi Sandwich - chunks of fresh fish (salmon I think) and tempura flake sandwiched with sushi rice which is then deep-fried until crispy. I'm gonna say this based on my first and until the last bite, THIS IS GENIUS. The frying process gives it a nice crunch followed by the filling which gives a good amount of creaminess. 
Spicy Salmon - basically the roll is stuffed with salmon mixed with their special spicy sauce. I might sound and look simple, but taste wise is delightful. However, texture wise is not that great since it's more towards creamy and no crunch at all.
Volcano - baked scallop in creamy spicy sauce. Although the sushi is great, this one is a total let down. The sauce tasted bitter and I think they baked it too long and burned it or it's just the way it should be. Anyhow, both of us dislike this one.

I will definitely come back if I'm visiting Bangkok in the future. It's something not be missed and must be on top of your "to-go" list if you're a sushi lover.

5 Sukhumvit 31 Klongtoey-nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110
Opening Hours: 11 am - 2.30 pm & 5.30 pm - 10 pm
Tel: (0) 2258 0645 6

Omurice is something I've been eager to try for a long time and this OMU place seemed to be the right place to try one because it has a good rating on foursquare too.
Choosing what to order is a bit hard cause they offer a range of sauces. However, after asking the waiter of her recommendation, we decided to try Demiglace Sauce without knowing what it is.
When it came to the table, I am quite disappointed because this isn't the omurice I wanted. 
The one that I wanted is the one that can flow when the egg is split and the one we had is rice wrapped up with egg. 
Another disappointment is that the sauce sucks. We HATE it. 
To find out what sauce it is, I googled it and found out that it's a sauce with reduced red wine in it.
My boyfriend isn't a fan of wine on food. For me, I can tolerate it and sometimes I do like it but this one is just awful.
However, I will definitely be back to try the curry one with the omurice I wanted because I just want to try omurice so badly and this is so far the only place I know. LOL

4, 4 - 1/2, Central World, 6th Floor, Rajdamri Road, 
Pathumwan, Khet Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Opening Hours: 11 am - 10 pm
Tel: +66 2 264 5555

This is the WORST SCONES I've ever had (and probably, I'll ever have) in my entire life.
That jam and cream are such a nightmare!!!
I bought the lavender and rose scones because I thought it would be interesting to try new flavors. The scones are very very dry. It does have the crumbly texture but it tastes very aweful. Ugh and that jam and cream... so disgusting... I just can't describe how grossed I am. ohmygod!

Level 2, Central World
Nearest BTS: Chit Lom

It is my first time ever having Thai Tea Cream and it is from Minibar Cafe.
Yes, you heard me. Thai Tea Cream. If you're a thai milk tea fan, then you will definitely love this!
The one I ordered is as simple as its' name "Grilled Buttery Toast Served with Thai Tea Cream".
Nothing fancy or surprising and the add-on is just the sprinkles of chopped peanuts. 
Although it's very simple, this dessert is heavenly indulging.
I feel that it's very rich and best shared among 2 people. 
Plus, the cafe is quite a nice place to chill and they also have outdoor sitting which was apparently still closed when I go. 

Level 5, Central Embassy, 1031 Ploenchit Road
Opening Hours: 11 am - 10 pm / 12 am on Friday & Saturday
Tel: +66 2 160 5610

These few eats below are "unidentified" places cause I don't remember the name of the shop/stall, but I'm gonna share with you anyway because why not?
So, I walked by this shop which is located nearby Minibar Cafe and attracted by the super cute mini cone ice cream. Didn't really expect much but I turned out to be wrong. The ice cream is up to the standard. I got the coconut one and it somehow tasted very nostalgic. Be sure to check it out if you're at Central Embassy. Your belly gonna thank you later ;)
Next is this pork noodles which is from the stalls opposite of our hotel (Holiday Inn). I'm not sure whether it was a bazaar or anything, but they looked like pop-up stalls. Some sell handmade stuff and other random things, but most of them sell food. We just walked around it and was drawn towards this noodle shop. AND that bowl of noodles is SUPERB. Seems like Thais know how to make a bowl of pork noodle! DAYUMMM!
Okay now. Last one, is this Mango Sticky Rice from a random place at Siam Paragon's Food Center.
I feel that it wouldn't be a legit trip without a mango sticky rice... who's agree? hahaha
So, I found this one and it looks interesting. You can't really see from the picture but the sticky rice has actually few different colours; the original white colour, green, blue, and yellow (if I'm not mistaken). Not only that it looks very pretty, but also tastes very good. The mango is a bit sour so when you eat everything altogether, you don't feel overwhelmed by the sweetness or richness of the coconut cream. A downside is that the ratio of mango to sticky rice is too little but... it's alright... 

Now you have come to the end of this post. I hope you find this information useful and please leave me a comment if you have any other recommendations for me try in Bangkok. Thank you for reading loves!! xx Julia

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