The Pavilion restaurant of the Dusit Thani Bangkok has long been one of the city's favourite destinations among buffet hunters.
Its weekend brunch, held on Saturday and Sunday, features a presentable all-you-can-eat array of cuisines prepared with prime -- mostly imported -- ingredients.
Recently, to commemorate Dusit Thani's 48th anniversary and offer its epicurean guests an indulging goodbye before the property's massive transformation that will start in 2018, the hotel has come up with a string of promotional dining deals.
The Pavilion guests, in particular, now get a 48% discount on buffet price, plus a complimentary celebration cake for a party of four people or more.
On top of that, a group of 10 guests pays only for nine persons and is exempt from a corkage charge. A group of 30 people also gets a complimentary bottle of sparking wine.
Freshly carved herb-crust lamb chop.
For the attractive price of 1,866 baht net per person after discount (900 baht for a child aged seven-12 and free for kids below seven), l decided to check out the Pavilion's weekend deal, dubbed "Ultimate Seafood Brunch Buffet".
Set at the lower ground floor space of the legendary hotel, the feast boasted, for examples, a carvery corner, a grilling station, a live-cooking pasta counter, an assortment of seafood on ice, a European charcuterie bar and an international dessert line. On the day that I visited, the carvery corner showcased herb-crusted lamb chops, honey-glazed ham and wagyu beef Wellington.
The barbecue station featured cooked-to-order sea bass, salmon, mantis shrimp, tiger prawn, mussels and scallops.
Warm dishes included Peking duck and a variety of pungent Thai fare. While the Japanese line-up simply featured salmon, sea bass, tuna and squid sashimi and a few options of classic nigiri and contemporary maki rolls.
Different selections of prime seasonal produce take turns to be highlighted each week. During my visit a week ago, crab and lobster were centre stage.
The two crustaceans were offered both chilled and hot. Fans of Boston lobster at my table found a great joy from warm and buttery lobster thermidor and piping hot orange-scented lobster bisque.
While a crab aficionado friend couldn't keep her hands off the steamed French mud crab that came sumptuously packed with eggy roe.
Other seafood choices, namely chilled Alaskan king crab legs, freshly-shucked Fines de Claire oysters, chilled king prawn and steamed blue crab, were also available.
Other than the protein-centric fare, the Pavilion presents also a comprehensive line-up of salad and house-made bread.
Those who find the array of cakes, pastries, tartlets and chocolate fountain too humdrum a meal ending, I recommend they go for crêpe Suzette with buttery orange sauce, which is prepared à la minute and served to the guest's table.
Our lunch, amid a homespun Polynesian setting, was entertained by acoustic ukulele tunes performed by students from Faculty of Music, Silpakorn University.
Service from front-of-the-house staff was enjoyable.
The Pavilion
Dusit Thani Bangkok, lower ground floorRama IV Call 02-200-9000 Open Saturday and Sunday, noon to 3pm Park at the hotel's car park Most credit cards accepted
