Real-deal Belgian cuisine has landed atop Sofitel Sukhumvit Hotel, where you want fries with that is not a question.
No stranger to cuisine-highlighting venues and game changing culinary innovation, Sofitel Bangkok Hotel has recently launched the city's first-ever Belgian restaurant & bar. With its warm, cosy and elegantly casual ambience, Belga Bar & Brasserie is a worthy showcase for this storied European nation's world-renowned beer and food.
Located on floor 32 of the 5-star lower-Sukhumvit property, the barely two-month old venue features can't-be-any-more-authentic Belgian nosh made with top-grade imported ingredients, along with a more than three dozen-strong selection of craft beers – some unique to the region.
We dove right in with Belgium's national dish pair-up, Mussels in white wine and shallots (Bt 590++/sm.) served with signature "Belgian" fries (Bt 250++/snack). Made from premium-import Monalisa potatoes, the to-die-for Frites Maison are triple-cooked to produce a heavenly texture and flavour. And expect a visit from the house's Maître Mayonnaise, (mayo steward) who mixes a batch of dipping sauce before your eyes, seasoned to taste with options that include Spicy Tom Yam and black truffle.
Highly recommended starters include Shrimp Croquettes
(Bt 350B++) with lobster bisque sauce filling and Cheese Croquettes (Bt 290++) invitingly stuffed with a quartet of elite curds, namely Gruyère, Emmental, Mozzarella and Parmesan (both).
By the time the Pan-Seared Hokkaido Scallops with Braised Endive (Bt 620++) arrived – with its sweet, firm-textured shellfish and lettuce hearts browned and crunchy – it was clear that this was not mere Belgian style eatery, but an unofficial culinary ambassador of the country's cuisine. This sterling authenticity cred is thanks in large part to versatile head chef Nicolas Basset. Having mastered the cuisine of his native France, Chef Nico took the extraordinary step of travelling to Belgium for a from-the-homeland master course in Belgian cooking.
Meanwhile, in keeping with Belgium's famously passionate propensity for the amber brew, Belga stocks nearly 40 craft beer labels (Bt 280-450++) including blondes, bruins, wits, IPAs, fruit beers, lambics and even a trap selection of brews made by Trappist monks.
Among the premium draughts (Bt 250-390++) are four exclusives – Maredsous Blonde & Bruin, De Koninck and Duvel – the latter available on tap at just nine venues worldwide.
If the daunting suds selection seems a bit overwhelming, venue GM and Beer Master Peter Laird will be happy to explain the myriad nuance of ingredients and flavours represented in Belga's vast brewski curation. A virtual font of knowledge regarding the art of the brew, the affable Irishman can even tell you about the various shaped drinking glasses unique to each brand.
Our Sampling Flight (Bt 560++) of five draft brews served in 150ml tasting vessels was a cerevisaphile's dream-journey of flavour notes that included caramel, banana and fermented dark-malt liquorice.
And this is where the essence of house tagline Feel The Craft Moment really comes into play. It's no accident that the beer and food menus delectably dovetail in pairings such as the oat-based Tripel Karmeliet and the Braised Beef Carbonnade (Bt 790++). The brisket cut is so tender it simply forks apart, while the cubes of sourdough bread end up bathed in the dish's mustard-pancetta sauce.
We were not about to end our visit without trying that most iconic of Belgian fare – the waffle, and Belga's Brussels Waffle (Bt 290++) is every bit as satisfying as one might imagine. The crisp-crusted griddle cake is served with chocolate sauce that seductively fills the signature square indents, rendering the cultural-flagship dessert utterly irresistible.
Belga Rooftop Bar & Brasserie
Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit
189 Sukhumvit Rd. (Between soi 13 - 15)
Phone: 02 126 9999
