Ever since Pagoda first opened its doors in 2017, the word has been that this fine-dining Chinese restaurant offers some of the best Cantonese cuisine in Bangkok.
Shamefully, it had taken me almost two years to finally give this well-loved establishment a try. And my recent visit turned out to be a smart decision.
Stepping into the 180-seater, located on the 4th floor of Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen's Park, was as if entering a classic Chinese quadrangle compound.
Behind a vermilion-hued entrance gate, a main dining area occupies the centre "courtyard" bordered by small corridors with green-glazed ceramic eaves to portray a warm and welcoming residence.
Seven private rooms, with the biggest ones accommodating up to 20 diners, are decorated to offer various dining vibes from formal to intimate to homey.
The kitchen is directed by Hong Kong native chef Oscar Pun, whose 20-year career profile includes many Michelin-starred establishments.
His 15-page menu is a quintessential collection of gourmet Cantonese dishes prepared with premium ingredients from the world's best sources. Chinese cuisine connoisseurs can expect to find delicacies such as top-quality fish maw, abalone, sea cucumber, bird's nest, goose web and live seafood.
From a list of the restaurant's barbecue specialities, you cannot miss Hong Kong-styled Peking duck (1,600 baht), which proved to me one of the best-tasting and most value-for-money Bangkok's fine dining scenes has on offer.
The price includes a whole roasted duck, wheeled and presented to your table before being carved and served as a three-course entrée.
Glistening slices of the brittle fatless skin (approximately 10 of them) with some juicy meat purposely intact are to be eaten with soft thin pancakes, fresh vegetable sticks and tasty hoi sin sauce as the first course.
The second course features a generous helping of aromatic, firm and succulent roasted meat from the legs. While the last course, stir-fried duck meat with ginger and spring onions, gives the poultry affair a piquant finish.
As much treasured and truly order-worthy was steamed sticky rice with crabmeat in bamboo basket (2,000 baht).
The glutinous rice, seasoned with crabmeat, crab roe, garlic and spring onions, was cooked to showcase nice firm and glossy grains that were perfectly gummy soft, and not soggily gooey. Even after being kept in the fridge and reheated a day after (the portion was so big we had to bag half of it home) the rice still retained its pleasant bite. The generously-given crabmeat meanwhile was flavoursome and enhancing the rice wonderfully.
A mundane-looking dish of stir-fried okra with Lao Gan Ma sauce (320 baht), which came next, was recommended to me by the service staff. It turned out to be this food writer's super delicious new discovery.
The spicy salty sauce, inspired by China's phenomenally popular sauce brand, was concocted in house with salt-cured soy bean, roasted chilli oil and spices. When matched with the pleasantly slimy crunch of the okra, comes another comforting delight.
In a Cantonese kitchen, a chef's dexterity is often judged by the subtlety of his soup. And through a crystal clear and soothingly tasty consommé of his double-boiled fresh fish maw soup with morel mushrooms (680 baht per person), I'd say Pagoda's Chef Pun is no second-best in the field.
Should you be there at lunchtime, do not miss sampling some from the restaurant's 30-item dim sum selection.
Its siu mai (steamed pork dumplings, 120 baht); ha gao (steamed prawn dumplings, 180 baht); and steamed pork and prawn dumplings topped with whole abalone (180 baht) were proved first class in terms of taste, texture and expertise.
As highly recommended is steamed rice noodle roll which comes with options of filling including barbecue pork, prawn and vegetables.
I went for a crispy prawn filling (180 baht) and was pleased with the scrumptious and firm, tempura-like prawn blanketed in a flat rice noodle superbly enhanced by salty sweet warm soy sauce.
Being a fan of pheuak thod, I was excited to see and quickly assume that my favourite treat -- the deep-fried savoury taro ball with its characteristic fluffily flaky crust -- had here been upgraded to another gourmet level.
Described on the dim sum menu as deep-fried sweet purple potato with shrimp and pork filling (120 baht), the flamingo-like delicacy may be a candy to the eye but, unfortunately as its lovely appearance hints, the taste was overwhelmed with sweetness.
To match up with the excellent quality of the savoury counterparts, dessert, too, was praiseworthy.
The best-selling mango pudding (150 baht) featured a silky panna cotta-like delicacy infused with soft morsels of sweet mango flesh dressed with full-cream milk. While another popular treat, Chinese date pancake (120 baht), was crispy, grease-free and not at all too sweet.
Service during my visit was impeccable. It nicely blended 5-star efficiency with Thai-style cordiality.
Pagoda
Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen's Park, 4th floor
Sukhumvit 22
Call 02-059-5999
Open daily 11.30am-2.30pm and 6-10pm
Park at the hotel's car park
Most credit cards accepted
