Bangkok takes its meat seriously these days. Foodies know their wagyu from their Angus, and if there are marbling grades lower than A5, I’ve never encountered such bland matter on any decent downtown menu. Committed carnivores require a place of worship to the pleasures of the flesh, a T-bone temple or a sirloin sanctuary. The devout will already know where to go.
Rib Room and Bar, located on the 31st floor of the Landmark Hotel, is such a place. It’s so celebrated that it recently celebrated its 12th birthday, and is set to romp into its teens without losing any of its charm - no mean feat, as all parents of 13-year-olds will attest.
The man leading the flock of hungry gastronomes is executive chef Philippe Gaudal. A jolly Frenchman, Philippe has been at the helm of the open kitchen for most of RR&B’s dozen years.
RR&B isn’t a typical steakhouse in the New York tradition. Chef Philippe brings a French gourmet perspective to the menu, and there are patriotic and pragmatic reasons for this. “We are in a hotel,” he explained. “People want vegetarian food and seafood, so we have to extend our range.”
If it’s your first visit to the restaurant, you’ll have to choose between marvelling at the Ferrari-red open kitchen or the fabulous view of the glittering lights of Bangkok. As you’re busy taking a couple of Instagram-worthy snaps, a selection of breads arrives, fresh from the oven. Next, your attention will be grabbed by the roaming Caesar salad station - a trolley with a giant salad bowl - within which your salad will be prepared to your exact specifications.
But you’re not here because of a salad. The menu mouth-wateringly lists Chef Philippe’s premium beef recommendations. The fiscally cautious can opt for 120 days grain fed Australian Angus beef. Those who want the best of the best have two wagyu choices - Australian F1 Stockyard Black Label or the Japanese Matsusaka beef. There’s a choice of cutting character also, with tenderloin, rib eye and sirloin options, as well as eight different sauces.
The menu also charmingly features a quote from one of the oysters, a Geay Fine de Claire which describes its life, growing up over 30 months before its 28-day stay in a claire (pond). It proudly presents itself as a light and vivid oyster with a slight nutty taste.
Other fish are less forthcoming but equally tempting. Pan-seared salmon swims next to snow fish while the Maine lobsters decide whether they’ll be served tagliolini or thermidor.
While all these delights are indeed delightful, the chef has prepared a special menu for the season. Available every day in December, the Christmas Inspiration menu offers four festive extras.
We begin with neither steak nor French food. Spain is our first destination, through the Carabinero sautéed prawns. Prawns and Bellota chorizo compete for your taste buds, and the delicious bisque sauce comes from the rich and creamy contents of your prawn’s head. Add a few Duxelle mushrooms and voila - or whatever the Spanish word for voila is.
“Scallops is a classic,” says Chef Philippe of his next special dish, “but I’ve done so many recipes I thought ‘What am I going to do now?’ I’ve done risotto, pasta, different beans and puree…so I said let’s make a sort of Michel Bras Gargouillou of vegetables.”
Bras is a French cooking legend and inventor of the Gargouillou - a vegetable spectrum of colours, tastes and textures which was inspired by the fields around his Laguiole restaurant in southern France. Bras even described the dish as his “translation” of the countryside, and the dish can include up to 60 different ingredients depending on what’s fresh that day.
At RR&B we lost count of the ingredients. Rather than a pile of veggies thrown on a plate, the dish is a sparse abstract, with endless permutations to add to your fork. The soft espuma, the crunchy raw vegetables and flavourful scallop give multiple delicious textures in each bite.
What’s next? Of course there’s a turkey course, and there’s no need to decide between white or dark meat as both are on the plate. The breast is sous vide and succulent, the thigh is rolled and richer, and the chestnut stuffing is designed to leave you stuffed. Because it’s Christmas, there are Brussel sprouts and a thankfully more acidic than sweet cranberry sauce.
But you’re probably here for the steak. The Christmas Inspiration menu presents a 6-week dry-aged Australian sirloin, with a marbling score of 9. It’s topped with a generous chunk of rich foie gras and highlighted with a swoosh of celery puree. Drizzle on some truffle sauce and enjoy.
And for dessert? Flambés are flambéed at your table. Booze hounds can also choose the Grand Marniere crème brûlée or the baba cake soaked in rum. And the pastry chef wasn’t playing around when he put together the sherbet maison. The lemon sherbet is so deliciously tart that it will have you pursing your lips like you’ve just heard some salacious gossip.
That’s all we tried from the menu, but by the time of your visit, the list may have some extra delicacies. Chef Philippe is restless and loves experimenting in his kitchen. There’s always something he’s trying out, and if you’re lucky you might get a little sneak preview of something new. On our visit it was a foie gras ravioli, which takes its inspiration from the traditional brasseries of Lyon in France. And that’s what makes Rib Room and Bar special - it’s a steakhouse that does French gourmet cuisine, with perhaps a Spanish dish thrown in, followed by a Lyon classic, followed by whatever Philippe’s endless imagination has recently conjured. What greater seasonal treat is there?
RIB ROOM AND BAR The Landmark Bangkok 138 Sukhumvit Road. Tel. 02 254 0404 ext. 7777. Email: fb@landmarkbangkok.com.
