Savoey Bangkok

Savoey should be a name that's familiar if you are Thai. They have a chain of restaurants in Bangkok, and have been expanding through the years, with their latest extension at Tha Maharaj, by the river where you get an obstructed view of the sunset, and the perfect breeze while dining at night. Whether it's a date, a gathering of friends, or even a family dinner with kids - the venue is perfect.

The menu offers modern Thai dishes, so don't expect curry served in traditional terracotta pots. With a slight twist to their dishes, we enjoyed how they have a wide variety of dishes ranging from appetisers to mains and even dessert, with choices from spicy dishes to those that are not-spicy, ensuring that there's a dish to fit everyone's tastebuds.

For a start, you have to try the Samui's Fresh Oysters served with Thai Condiments. The oysters arrive daily and are freshly shucked only upon your order. Top it off with the condiments offered on the side (shallots, garlic, a special chilli paste and a zest of lime) and you get an explosion of flavours in your mouth that doesn't overpower the freshness of the oyster. The recommend serving is 1 per person but we'll gladly tackle double or triple the portion, anytime.

Another seafood dish that's a must-try is the Fresh Raw Shrimp that marinated in fish sauce and a Thai-style spicy dressing. We were a bit skeptical to have raw prawns but were told that the acidity from the lime actually "cooks" the shrimps a little. The verdict was fresh shrimps that were very tasty and sweet at the same time, and completely safe to consume!

For mains to share, we highly recommend the Special Baked Pineapple Fried Rice that comes served in a pineapple, topped with a generous amount of seafood like fresh crab meat, prawns and pork floss. The rice was extremely robust with flavours and was very addictive after the first mouthful, with bits of fresh pineapple that added a little bit of acidity (in a good way) with every bite.

Other dishes we enjoyed were the Stir-fried Curry Crab and the Sour Tamarind Ragout with Deep Fried Serpent Head - a tangy tomato tasting soup filled with flavours and spice, something very different from the common Tom Yum that we get in Bangkok.

The drinks were also very interesting, with takes like the Sparkling Butterfly Pea Lemongrass Drink, Kale Frappe (yes, the vegetable, kale), Rose Lemon Iced Tea. For desserts, we enjoyed the Coconut Granita that was served with water chestnuts and grass jelly - a refreshing way to end off a hearty seafood meal.

The prices at Savoey are slightly above the average, but the consistency of seafood and the guaranteed freshness makes up for it and explains, making it justifiable. Oh yes, and not forgetting the view of that sunset in the evening. I'd like the food and ambience on repeat, please.



Savoey Restaurant Bangkok
Tha Maharaj
2nd Floor, Building G, Tha Maharaj
Trok Mahathat, Maharaj Rd. In Rattanakosin Island
+66 02-024-1317
http://www.savoey.co.th


This was an invited media tasting.