Drift into the lower level of Bangkok’s august Dusit Thani Hotel on any given day for a slice or a sandwich from the excellent deli or a suit fitting at the tailor and one is struck by the buzz around The Pavilion restaurant. Its open plan almost gives it a popup vibe except that its faux-antique filigreed silver silk wall hangings, gold-rimmed miniature signature roof domes, upscale granite-topped dining tables and sturdy wooden arm chairs, the décor exudes a paradoxical, private club-like permanency.
It’s not what one expects these brand-obsessed days from a five-star hotel’s anchor eatery, even one that has worn those laurels with the hi-so grace of its core customer base for more years than anyone cares to remember. But therein lies its timeless charm and, apropos, a pointer to the main reason for its perennial popularity: its old-school quality.
Back in the day when F&B directors still wondered if the buffet idea would catch on and, lest their worst fears be proved right, minimized the start-up risk by having all the restaurants under their charge chip in while also establishing an independent kitchen to create more venue-specific dishes.
The secret of The Pavilion’s unfading relevance is that it has never really strayed from those ways. So if when the word’s “Dusit Thani” are mentioned you think of the multi-award winning Benjarong (Thai), Mayflower (Chinese), Thien Duong (Vietnamese), Hamilton’s (steak house), 22 Kitchen & Bar (Pacific Coastal Cuisine), and Gourmet (deli) you are de facto also on the scent of The Pavilion, especially its current Friday and Saturday Dinner Buffet Extravaganza and Saturday & Sunday Brunch.
So while The Pavilion has never been afraid to be the first to experiment with new draws, including, in the past year, starting the unlimited lobster craze that has swept the city, it has also never stopped featuring signature dishes from the above-mentioned fine dining institutions on its multi-faceted, consistently delectable buffet line.
Hence the lightly poached lobster, king crab legs, French brown crab, crayfish, river prawn and whatnot on ice are as perfect as they would have to be for inclusion in a Hamilton’s seafood cocktail or even lobster thermidor, unlimited supplies of which there also are on the Saturday and Sunday editions. You’ll find them right next to the gratinated oyster Portuguese and baskets of more crabs still steaming.
“Mmmmm, Hamilton’s” moments are also evoked by the deeply rich lobster bisque into which you cast spoonfuls of chunky succulently sautéed lobster chunks, as opposed to those who cheat with shrimp! Ditto the quirky ice-packed crates arrayed with freshly shucked fines de claire oysters.
And while we’re on the topic of the restaurant that embraced US founding father Alexander Hamilton long before Ron Chernow’s Grammy-winning stage production, its pedigree pervades the roasts and live grills- and steams section, too. Not for Pavilion the token roast beef that turns out to be tough as old boots. This magnificent mound of rib-eye carves like jelly and melts in the mouth with a beautiful beefy flurry leaving no residue.
Same goes for the wonderful herb-crusted lamb rack, carved at the station and finished with a pan-searing before plonking on your plate. Not to mention the glistening, out-size honey-basted ham.
Similar excellence infuses the live grills- and steams section, including prime salmon, tuna, squid, scallop, prawn, razor clam, black mussels and skewers thereof, though here also with influences from the other restaurants, depending how you like ‘em.
Back with the seafood, the sushi and sashimi are chips off the same block while The Mayflower takes charge of its ambrosial fish maw soup that jostles that bisque for attention and goes swimmingly with neighbouring Peking duck and dim sums of similarly uber quality.
Benjarong, meanwhile, fronts up with the likes of an impressively oniony massaman chicken curry, green curry chicken fried rice and sakoo sai moo.
In other eras, the hotel has also housed high-end French and Italian restaurants that have also left their marks on Pavilion. The live pasta station, for instance, is unusually epicurean, including an excellent tagliatelle bolognaise that the clever chef whips up into something quite special. Heavy, too, is the Italian influence on the circular salad and antipasti bar packed with Parma ham with cantaloupe and other fine cold cuts, smoked salmon and gravlax, Caesar salad, and all sorts of leaves, dressings and add-ins.
And no, they don’t forget the foie gras which is served to the table pan-seared soused with a superb wine and berries sauce over crunchy crisp bread.
With Dusit Gourmet steps away, the quality of the desserts is another no-brainer. And when the labels read apple strudel, chocolate mousse, strawberry mousse, carrot cake, chocolate tart, panna cotta, tiramisu, egg tart, log cake, fruitcake, fruit tarts, crème brulée, stollen, pinacolada, chocolate fountain and the ice homemade creams, not to mention Benjarong’s Thai coconut confections, one somehow does find room.
It would be remiss not to also mention the fresh fruits, and street-chic guava and mango with sticky palm sugar, chilli, fish sauce dip, courtesy of Benjarong, and Hamilton’s last hurrah – definitive crêpes suzettes with flambé effect. Or the cheese board packed with pungent choices with unpronounceable names.
All in all, Pavilion is class but not the pretentious kind. It’s the old school quality of respecting your customer’s intelligence, sophistication and decency, and treating them with courtesy and kindly indulgence.
Weekend Buffets Extravaganza Friday and Saturday dinner buffets are currently offered with an automatic 48% discount for everyone, so adults pay only Baht 1,315 net. Plus a happy hour (The Pavilion also has its own bar) with buy one, get one free on selected beverages.
Saturday & Sunday Brunches featuring free-flow lobster, Alaskan king crab, signature dishes from the specialty restaurants, happy hour beverages, and a live Polynesian-style trio, is Baht 1,866 net ea. (after 48% discount).
And long may it continue to be a leading contender in Bangkok’s buffet canon, whether under The Dust Thani Bangkok’s roof and whatever is to come.
THE PAVILION Dusit Thani Bangkok. 946 Rama IV Road. Tel: 02 200 9000 ext. 2345. Email: dtbkdining@dusit.com; www.dusit.com/dtbk; www.facebook.com/dusitthani.
