Every element of Anantara Siam Hotel is steeped in ornate tradition, and nothing less can be said of its holiday dining offerings.
The New Year’s and Christmas buffets at Parichart Court, which carried over from when the hotel was known as the Four Seasons, blend local and family favourites with high-end international flavours.
Between the foie gras corner, the Thai, Italian, Chinese, Indian, Mediterranean stations and carvery serving up prime rib, leg of lamb, and baked salmon coulibiac, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
Start your five-star culinary journey at the “Spice Market” with Mieng Kham, a traditional Thai welcome snack. The banana flowers, shallots and cucumbers wrapped in a fragrant betel leaf combined with a bite of Som Tam Phonlamai, or garlic chicken done with a perfectly crispy outer layer, will certainly stoke your appetite for the next stop.
Follow those light snacks up with a seafood fritter with your choice of shrimp, crab or squid and a batter that gently sizzles while it cooks in the pan before dissolving in your mouth.
Make your way over to the “Chinese Kitchen” station to try the delightfully crunchy peking duck on a steamed rice pancake, topped with a light plum sauce glaze.
After that, go inside to find a lovely cheese, lox and charcuterie selection including Camembert de Normandie and Gruyere cheeses, coppa, parma ham and house smoked duck breast.
Follow your cheese and charcuterie with an exquisite seafood on ice assemblage including Fine de Claire oysters, Alaskan crab legs, steamed black mussels, langoustines, scallops and ocean slipper lobster -- so fresh you can still taste the ocean.
For more seafood, stop at the same counter for the fish roe station, serving spicy cod and salmon roe, and check out the salmon corner for a home-smoked Tasmanian salmon, Gravlax with Thai herbs, beetroot cured salmon and confit of salmon.
For a more classic Christmas dish selection, head over to the “Carving” station for the succulent and tender leg of lamb done blue with pepper or rosemary gravy and lamb jus, and topped with a dollop of slightly sweet mint jelly.
The thinly sliced prime rib is done medium-rare and commands a juicy and rich flavour with a soft texture. For a lighter carving, try the baked salmon coulibiac topped with hollandaise sauce or the traditional roasted turkey with the family-favourite sides of bread stuffing, brussel sprouts and fresh cranberry sauce.
The star of the buffet’s show, is, however, the foie gras station. An unusual find, even at Bangkok’s finest establishments, the foie gras at Parichart Court is offered in four separate dishes; Foie gras terrine in apple jelly, foie gras sausages and foie gras-topped beef tartare, which is furnished with a deep citrus taste in the beef, a creamy texture and served cold. The foie gras filets are pan-seared and served with a balsamic glaze. With a slightly crispy outside and soft inside, these filets melt in your mouth like butter.
The free-flowing Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve pairs well with each dish. Alternatively, go for the Prosecco or order one of the house cocktails. For a classic brunch cocktail, go for the martini, Bloody Mary or cosmopolitan.
Parichart Court hosts the proper ambiance to relish your meal in, with both indoor and outdoor dining options. Enjoy a lamb kofte from the Mediterranean station next to the colourful koi pond, surrounded by the sounds of a live jazz performance, or sit inside and enjoy the fresh seafood.
The buffet includes offerings from their Italian restaurant, Biscotti and award-winning Japanese restaurant, Shintaro, whose producers source ingredients directly from the fish markets in Japan.
Top your meal off with the divine dessert selection of raspberry panna cotta, chestnut “Buche de Noel” or any of the traditional Thai desserts on offer including mini mango with sticky rice or khanom luk chup (sweet mung bean).
Comforting dessert favourites also include pumpkin and pecan pie and eggnog tarts, or the crepe suzette with a decadent chocolate banana souffle and creme anglaise.
Complement your sweets with a signature cocktail like the “Kiss from a Rose”; a light and flowery combination of vodka and apple, lime and rose flavours to get you started for the day or ring in the new year.
When it comes to a testament to the superiority of Parichart Court’s menu and ambiance, the guest list speaks for itself. With regular patrons who have been attending for over 15 years and families who travel from all corners of the world to celebrate their holidays with Anantara Siam, the Christmas and New Year’s Eve buffets are sure to be one of the most exquisite meals you can find in Bangkok, with something for everyone in the family to enjoy.
It’s the wide variety of offerings with each dish done perfectly, the devoted service and the knowledge that every ingredient has been carefully selected to create the most superb version of each item that keeps its patrons coming back year after year to celebrate the holidays.
Their executive chef, Jan van Dyk, has even travelled the world to hone his skills and search for the finest ingredients for each dish, with a focus on both sustainability and taste.
The meal, however, isn’t the only part of the celebration. On New Year’s Eve, the theme turns to “Glittering black and gold jazz night”, where guests will count down to 2019 in the lobby under the fresco ceiling painted with mandalas and traditional Buddhist symbols -- designed by some of Thailand’s most notable artists at the time of the building’s opening in 1983.
Although Parichart Court’s holiday brunch is a classic Bangkok tradition, its menu is always evolving. As for 2020, chefs are already laying plans.
With a true Bangkok classic like Parichart Court’s holiday buffet, guests are sure to see their Christmas Eve and last meals of the year well spent, with delicious dining options, lively music and a warm setting to bond with family and friends.
ANANTARA SIAM – BANGKOK HOTEL
155 Rajadamri Road. Tel. 02 126 8866. Email: festivedesk.asia@anantara.com. Website: www.siam-bangkok.anantara.com.
