Another wonderful lunch at Chesa Swiss restaurant, Bangkok

My family has been loyal patrons to Chesa for the last 6 to 7 years. We value the consistency in the quality and authenticity of fine Swiss cuisine being served here. One of my pet peeves is going to restaurants that do not stay true to the flavours of the cuisines. I've spoken to an English teacher in Japan who once complained to me,

"While I love Japanese food, and it is delicious, I truly miss North American style fast food. I absolutely cannot find a good pizza or hamburger here."

It is fortunate that Thailand has a larger and more diverse mix of foreigners coming to open up restaurants in the country. With more competition, they drive to excel by not only being innovative, but also emphasizing authenticity of their native cuisine. Chesa is no exception. The head chefs here work very hard to train Thai chefs, whether new or with experience, to refine their cooking skills in Swiss cuisine, creating impeccable meals. We noticed that around 85-90 % of the regular patrons are all Europeans. Should my observation and experience be of any indication, I can vouch that Swiss fare at Chesa is the real deal.

In 2000, Swiss chefs Thomas Nowak and Rene Kuhn joined forces and opened up Chesa in the heart of downtown Sukhumvit area and the restaurant has been the talk of town since. The restaurant was built into a charming 2 storey house, which gives it a very cozy, and inviting atmosphere. The interior is decorated with Swiss decor and dark wooden furniture. Head chef and co-owner, Thomas, is often seen in the dining area greeting and chatting with customers, making everyone feel welcomed. The elegant, yet comfortable setting is great for having intimate dinners or business lunches.

On a carefree weekday afternoon, I took the opportunity to go on a lunch date with my mom who has been to the restaurant so often that the servers remember how she likes her water. While Chesa has an extensive list of traditional Swiss fare (my favourite being the cheese fondue), they also offer 3 or 4 course lunch sets during weekdays at a great value of 350 - 380 bath or $12 - $13 (excluding tax and gratuity).

We were served with warm toasted bread rolls and whole wheat bread. I was supposed to lay off as much carbs especially white bread, but after I felt that it was fresh and warm, I couldn't resist. The butter was also as fresh, soft, and light as cream. So much for having diet restrictions....

To start off, the salad of the day was ham and swiss cheese salad with house dressing. While it was crisp and refreshing, I found my salad to be a bit too drenched in olive oil.

The second course to arrive was the soup of the day, spinach. It arrived in a vibrant emerald green colour. You could see from the soup attaching on the bread that it was pureed and made fresh. It was not too rich or heavy in cream, which was absolutely fantastic.

I was already getting full just before the entrees arrived. My mother ordered seafood thermidor with butter rice with sautéed onions, and a side of peas and carrots. I tasted it to see if it was as sophisticated as it looked, and actually, it tasted even more sophisticated than it looked. The seafood were cooked perfectly in a tasty white cream sauce. Of course, I had to have more than just one bite.

My entree, chicken stroganoff with butter noodles, arrived looking just as impressive. It was giving off a very alluring aroma, hinting how tasty it would taste. The sauce had a lot of depth and was very rich with succulent, pan-fried bite-size chicken. The dish was also extremely tasty. Though I couldn't finish it in one sitting, I definitely enjoyed it again later that day (and I was thankful I had leftover).

The dessert of the day was one of my favourites, tiramisu. The decadent treat had a section of creamy custard joining to the soft spongy cake, drenched in coffee at the bottom. The slice was small, but this was a case where good things come in small sizes.

So if you staying around Sukhumvit area, be sure to stop by this hidden gem in the middle of Bangkok metropolitan. It's definitely worth while.

Wasting money at Dusit Thani Hotel Bangkok

While on our way to finding dinner one evening, my parents decided to make a quick stop over at Dusit Thani Bangkok, a 5 star hotel located in the heart of downtown Bangkok. My family has been visiting the hotel frequently ever since my sisters and I were little. Last year, the hotel suffered heavily from the civil unrest and has renovated since. We were off to a bad start that night just by pulling into the parking lot. As my dad signalled his car to park for a spot, the parking lot security let a Mercedes that came out of nowhere after us to steal our spot instead. I think we were all frustrated and wanted to start a riot, or at least say something. But since we didn't think it was worth our time, especially when the parking security seemed to be absolutely clueless and oblivious, we brushed it off and walked down to Dusit Gourmet to pick up some breakfast sandwiches. While I love their delicious seafood and prociutto sandwiches, I remember hating the arrogant, indifferent customer (no) service based on our experiences ever since the previous year I was visiting. Basically, once their gourmet bakery goes on sale at a certain time (whenever they feel like), they start treating customers like second class citizens instead. Alas, I was still standing there, waiting to get those yummy sandwiches for half price and receiving the usual cold attitude service.

Dusit Gourmet

Despite lack of service, their salmon and prawn sandwiches remain scrumptious

Prociutto and roasted vegetables on sesame bagels

smoked salmon and prawn salad with cornmeal bread

As usual, we were turned down with them saying that it wasn't the right time yet. While we were waiting for the cashier and staff to make up their mind, my mom and I decided to go check out the Pavilion, an international buffet restaurant located on the same floor of the hotel. After a quick look, the food looked descent in the eyes of a starved family. Judgements were made on a quick glance, and I managed to convince my parents to give the buffet there a try. For 1,401 bath ($47) pp, the price would be reasonable if the quality of the food and service match the number of stars the hotel has. Lets take a glance of what captivated us initially.

The Pavilion

Carrot soup

Salad bar

My very own custom rocket salad with anchovies

Antipasti

Seared tuna in dijon mustard and roe

Roast beef wrapped asparagus and tomato in jus

Bacon wrapped sausage in Sriracha hot sauce, too easy???

More appies!

Duck breast with hummus

If you remember my salmon canapes post, I'm a sucker for bite-size, pretty looking hors d'oeuvres and anything in shooter glass. I think the Pavilion has more impressive selection of appetizers than entrees. Most are elegant and tasty, while some (such as the bacon wrapped sausage in hot sauce) could also be found in elementary school cafeteria.

Traditional Thai appetizers

Som Tum papaya salad station

I tried most of the Thai appetizers, and was disappointed that they were left cold and hard, some were tasteless. We were also told that some of the appetizers such as the dumplings were bought and not made in-house. I would imagine that if I were a foreigner trying Thai appetizers for the first time, I wouldn't be impressed. It is crucial that more attention to quality control be placed most especially when serving Thai cuisine to foreigners, especially in a 5 star hotel restaurant with Le Cordon Bleu school situated at the front of the hotel.

Japanese station with sushi and sashimi

Maki rolls

Cold soba noodles

There isn't much to write about the Japanese selection. There were basic maki rolls and small cuts of sashimi. Some were drying out as they had been sitting for a while. Compared to the Atrium at Landmark hotel, the selections are limited and very basic, something you can find at a 3 star hotel.

Assortment of caviar

The station of caviar was probably the most luxurious and what I enjoyed the most next to the seafood. The caviar types were of lower grade and less costly than sturgeon roe. Along with toppings and creme fraiche, different types of caviar offered include salmon, flying fish, capelin, whitefish, and trout.

Seafood were served cold, cocktail style, and included rock lobsters, mussels, shrimp, river prawns, scallops, crab, squid, and raw oysters. The oyster were small, but very fresh. I almost forgot about other hot entrees and just indulged on the seafood and caviar instead.

Roast beef and broiled lamb

Prawn to be sauteed by order

Barbecue duck and pork station

Noodle station

Kao Mun Kai (Boiled chicken and garlic rice)

Accompanying soup

Thai dishes

Frog legs baked with herb and butter

Since frogs freak me out, I was too scared to try the legs. But I did try the lamb stew, the only entree that looked appealing, and it was delicious.

Lamb stew

Steamed seafood

The steamed seafood was even tastier than the seafood cocktail, just because they were served fresh and hot. I really enjoyed the river prawn, and the meat was so succulent. As you may have noticed, I didn't take many pictures of the hot food or entrees because they were that plain.

Oh look, more cheese and caviar....

Traditional Thai desserts

European desserts

Fresh fruits

Green tea and rum raisin ice cream

Ending things off with Earl Grey

The verdict - Are the managers paying attention?

With each less than stella experience we received at Dusit Thani, we begin to feel less inclined to returning. Don't get me wrong, the food was not terrible, but we all agreed that the overall selection and taste were comparable to a 3 star hotel. It simply wasn't worth the value. At times, we felt neglected with the service with servers hiding behind a pole when the restaurant was absolutely dead. There were times when our family friend had exhausted all means of getting their attention; waving, calling, clapping (making more noises), more calling. We've definitely received more attention at much more casual, lower-price restaurants that was 5 times busier. Also as mentioned earlier, more passion should be placed in crafting fine Thai cuisine at 5 star hotels especially when they are being served to foreigners on a daily basis. While some dishes were excellent, the overall experience at the Pavilion was mediocre at best. Some aspects of the dishes were missing such as flavours, temperature, and freshness. Though the buffet price of $45 is not considered high in North America, it is considered overpriced compared to other competing 5 star hotel chain buffet restaurants that we have been to. We most likely won't be returning to the Pavilion in the near future.