Lamb Chops & Red Wine in Bangkok

[SimonD]

Hi,

 

I'm arriving in Bangkok at the end of this month to marry my long-term TGF.

 

She is a convert to good western food - lamb chops, red wine, strong cheese and green olives (but not all in the same dish ).

 

I would guess that most of the 5-star hotel restaurants in town would provide all or most of the above but I'm looking for a restaurant near Asoke BTS (preferably within walking distance), or within one or two stops on the BTS/Metro from there?

 

Romantic atmosphere would be a bonus but not essential....

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Simon

[likeke]

The Landmark Hotel near Nana Plaza on Sukhumvit. They have a nice steak house on the 31st floor, and other nice restaurants in place. Also, they have wine tasting every week. Check out their website. 

[smokie36]

Harvest Suk Soi 31....Pumpkin soup then lamb stew....can't go wrong...absolutely delicious.

 

Nice atmosphere too.

[smokie36]

1 hour ago, likeke said:

The Landmark Hotel near Nana Plaza on Sukhumvit. They have a nice steak house on the 31st floor, and other nice restaurants in place. Also, they have wine tasting every week. Check out their website. 

 

I have to say given the prices charged....likely over 3000 Baht for a steak, chips and a sauce before drinks you would expect it to be bloody good.

 

I had my G&T and went across to Foodland for noodles in disgust.

 

OP my lamb stew dish is 500 Baht...discounts available through the Eatigo app as well.

[smokie36]

Another place I would recommend for the food but not so much ambience is Sfizio on Asoke.

 

Its an Italian with some great pizza and pasta dishes...all of their food is good and they likely have a tasty cheese or two to enjoy as well.

 

Good wine here.

[smokie36]

Yet another option is the lamb shank at No Idea on Suk Soi 22.

 

Its delicious and good value as well....always had a good portion size here.

[SimonD]

21 minutes ago, smokie36 said:

 

I have to say given the prices charged....likely over 3000 Baht for a steak, chips and a sauce before drinks you would expect it to be bloody good.

 

I had my G&T and went across to Foodland for noodles in disgust.

 

OP my lamb stew dish is 500 Baht...discounts available through the Eatigo app as well.

 

Thanks Smokie, I was just looking through the photos on the Trip Advisor Harvest website. It does look like it has a good 'vibe' but it's not a wagyu steak or lamb stew that will rock her boat. That would be a moist lamb chop and nothing else but (red wine)...

 

Her first experience of perfectly grilled lamb chops, with a succulent redcurrent sauce, was at the Marriott Hotel on 2nd Road, Pattaya in 2007. She has never forgotten that meal (nor I the look on her face as she took that first bite) and it is my desire to somehow recapture that moment of pure culinary bliss for her.

 

She had ordered the prime fillet steak and I went for the lamb chops.....at first. After we exchanged our first bites across the table she swapped the plates over! The look on her face of pure heaven is what I want to replicate.

 

November 30th is gonna be a landmark day in our lives - I want to treat her to lamb chops grilled to perfection with a glass of red wine but all alternative suggestions are welcomed.

 

Simon

Edited November 17, 2016 by SimonD
spellink

[smokie36]

The lamb shank at No Idea might well do it...its served in a red wine sauce I believe.

[SimonD]

7 minutes ago, smokie36 said:

Yet another option is the lamb shank at No Idea on Suk Soi 22.

 

Its delicious and good value as well....always had a good portion size here.

 

This place looks good, the menu is varied and enticing. Will be checking this one out for sure. Thank you.

 

Oysters as well huh? Just gets better and better...

 

Simon

[Wilted Flower of Scotland]

4 hours ago, smokie36 said:

Yet another option is the lamb shank at No Idea on Suk Soi 22.

 

Its delicious and good value as well....always had a good portion size here.

No Idea the Kiwi restaurant I was just trying to think of the name and up it popped!

[blackcab]

4 hours ago, Wilted Flower of Scotland said:

No Idea the Kiwi restaurant I was just trying to think of the name and up it popped!

 

If you want culinary bliss then do not eat there.

 

Seriously. 

[Wilted Flower of Scotland]

4 hours ago, blackcab said:

 

If you want culinary bliss then do not eat there.

 

Seriously. 

Never eaten there but it did seem a little overpriced looking at the menu,no good then can you tell us more?

[MrJohnson]

Try Rossano off Asoke - great Italian food including great grills, antipasto, pastas, and a really extensive and reasonable wine list,

[gdgbb]

Plenty of suggestions for places that don't do lamb chops, then!

[MrJohnson]

23 minutes ago, gdgbb said:

Plenty of suggestions for places that don't do lamb chops, then!

 

Rossano does lamb chops

 

[blackcab]

2 hours ago, Wilted Flower of Scotland said:

Never eaten there but it did seem a little overpriced looking at the menu,no good then can you tell us more?

 

It used to be very good. Not so much now; to the extent I won't be going back until it's sold.

[Wilted Flower of Scotland]

2 hours ago, MrJohnson said:

Try Rossano off Asoke - great Italian food including great grills, antipasto, pastas, and a really extensive and reasonable wine list,

Signed Giuseppe?

[smokie36]

2 hours ago, Wilted Flower of Scotland said:

Signed Giuseppe?

 

Rossano has excellent food.

[Wilted Flower of Scotland]

Just now, smokie36 said:

 

Rossano has excellent food.

Do they do real pizzas in a wood-fired oven there?

[SimonD]

Thank you for all the replies. 

 

Lamb chops and red wine are my base criteria. Rossano seems to be leading with No Idea now in second place.

 

Simon

[smokie36]

5 hours ago, Wilted Flower of Scotland said:

Do they do real pizzas in a wood-fired oven there?

 

For that go to Sfizio...its just across the road...excellent pizzas.

 

[SooKee]

Been in the same boat for ages with the lamb chops after having the best I've ever had at Catch Club in Phuket (now closed but new version opening this year) and we've yet to find something that matches them in BKK. Girlfriend lived in BKK for the last 20 years and has memberships (mostly for the 50% of for dining for two) at most of the big hotels and with one exception, none of them deliver the goods to be honest.

We really like No Idea and eat there often but not for what your'e after.

Of the places that we've done the lamb chops the only ones that come close for us are:

El Gaucho in Soi 21. Can be a bit noisy and busy but book a table upstairs and it's OK. Good choice of wines too and they do grill meat well there. Given your looking for somewhere with a nice atmosphere I'd probably go there, albeit it's not going to be quite so romantic as an Italian style place. Not something I've generally ordered at Italian restaurants TBH.

Pullman hotel Sunday buffet lunch. Probably the closest TBH. Tons of other food too. Lamb chops are cooked to order and you can order as many and as many times as you want. Freeflow red / white / sparkling wine / beer too. OK if you don't mind eating at lunch time. Not sure what day 30th falls on.

Royal Oak Soi 33/1. For a cheap and cheerful version if you fancy another score of lamb. Was really surprised here. The chops are on the menu as lamb rack which it isn't. But it's three good sized lamb chops cooked really well in a very tasty BBQ style marinate. Around 500 baht too. But it's a pub. You could maybe go the day after the main event for a look. Good Guinness too if that's your thing.


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[SimonD]

@ SooKee, thank you for that comprehensive write-up, much obliged.

 

I'll look into all your suggestions - the agony of choice...might have to try them all.

 

Funny you should mention Guinness. It's not my tipple but I'd forgotten that she loves a half of Guinness & Black!

 

Simon

[RaggaTwin]

On ‎11‎/‎18‎/‎2016 at 0:26 AM, SimonD said:

She is a convert to good western food - lamb chops, red wine, strong cheese and green olives (but not all in the same dish ).

 

My wife who is resident with me in the UK loves mature cheddar and olives.  Not lamb, though, as with a lot of Thais.  She makes a cracking lamb curry but won't eat it.  It's the smell apparently and not the texture or taste that puts her off.

 

We have a reservation at the Smokin' Pug in Bangkok in a few weeks as BBQ is another western food that she loves.

 

Anyway, have you investigated Sofitel Sukhumvit?  Just a few minutes walk from Asoke BTS.  We stay there a lot and the food is always top notch.  The menu rotates every few weeks, though sure they will improvise if requested and are advertised on eatigo.

[SimonD]

@ Ragga Twin,

 

Sofitel Sukhumvit duly added to list, thank you. Might have to add another couple of nights to the hotel reservation.

 

"She makes a cracking lamb curry but won't eat it."   That is a crying shame, not even tried just one bite?

 

You are quite right about most Thai's avoiding lamb. They tell me it's sweet smell that puts them off, a scent they associate with slightly rotten meat, much like game birds have. My missus is the only Thai I know who eats it. She adores strong and punchy flavours and would eat Marmite with a spoon if I let her! Her favourite cheese is Cambazola, followed by strong cheddar and Stilton. Needless to say they are in my checked luggage...

 

Simon

[RaggaTwin]

1 minute ago, SimonD said:

@ Ragga Twin,

 

"She makes a cracking lamb curry but won't eat it."   That is a crying shame, not even tried just one bite?

 

You are quite right about most Thai's avoiding lamb. They tell me it's sweet smell that puts them off, a scent they associate with slightly rotten meat, much like game birds have. My missus is the only Thai I know who eats it. She adores strong and punchy flavours and would eat Marmite with a spoon if I let her! Her favourite cheese is Cambazola, followed by strong cheddar and Stilton. Needless to say they are in my checked luggage...

 

Not at all, Simon, my wife has eaten lamb on many an occasion and quite likes it.  In the end, though, she just can't get over the smell and has pretty much given up now.

 

She also eats Marmite, peanut butter and Nutella [peanut butter and Nutella are the Devil's puke, IMO].  She brought over about ten kilos of western delights to her family last week and we'll take well over ten kilos of Thai delights back to the UK in a few weeks time. 

 

My wife certainly enjoys the best of both worlds now.

[smokie36]

46 minutes ago, SimonD said:

@ Ragga Twin,

 

Sofitel Sukhumvit duly added to list, thank you. Might have to add another couple of nights to the hotel reservation.

 

"She makes a cracking lamb curry but won't eat it."   That is a crying shame, not even tried just one bite?

 

You are quite right about most Thai's avoiding lamb. They tell me it's sweet smell that puts them off, a scent they associate with slightly rotten meat, much like game birds have. My missus is the only Thai I know who eats it. She adores strong and punchy flavours and would eat Marmite with a spoon if I let her! Her favourite cheese is Cambazola, followed by strong cheddar and Stilton. Needless to say they are in my checked luggage...

 

Simon

 

Its unusual for a Thai to enjoy strong blue cheeses....my lass spat it out at our table at the Intercon then of course turned bright red....a funny moment lol.

[SooKee]

3 hours ago, SimonD said:

@ SooKee, thank you for that comprehensive write-up, much obliged.

 

I'll look into all your suggestions - the agony of choice...might have to try them all.

 

Funny you should mention Guinness. It's not my tipple but I'd forgotten that she loves a half of Guinness & Black!

 

Simon

 

Welcome.  Just re-checked with the girlfriend and she said yup the chops at El Gaucho were excellent.  Bonus with El Gaucho, their potato gratin and sauteed mushrooms are excellent!!  One serving enough for two except I'm a real Gannet where the potatoes are concerned so order 1 each :)  Normally polish off what my girlfriend can't eat too.  I need a fix already!!

 

PS: There is a new El Gaucho opening up in Soi 11 but not sure if it'll be open by then.  My mistake too, the original is Soi 19, right on the corner of Sukhumvit, not 21 (always get those sois mixed up).

Edited November 19, 2016 by SooKee

[SimonD]

20 hours ago, smokie36 said:

 

Its unusual for a Thai to enjoy strong blue cheeses....my lass spat it out at our table at the Intercon then of course turned bright red....a funny moment lol.

 

@ Smokie, that made me chuckle.

 

The first time my girl encountered cheese was almost the end of our blossoming relationship. At the end of a good meal in Chiang Mai I ordered the cheeseboard. She eyed it suspiciously and sniffed each piece then flatly refused to even have a nibble. I teased her for her lack of adventure and she went into a huge strop. I couldn't believe how a 28 year old woman could transform into a six year old girl in a few seconds! It ruined what had been a great evening up till that point.

 

Later, back at the hotel, the row continued and she phoned Mama expecting some sympathy. She got the opposite as Mama told her to grow up and accept that if she wanted a farang boyfriend then she had better get used to eating strange food. This was after the lamb chops episode two weeks earlier which she had conveniently forgotten about. When we went to bed the atmosphere was so frosty we didn't need the air-con...

 

Next morning, she apologised for her childish outburst and agreed to try again. We went to the same restaurant that evening and ordered the cheeseboard. Her first, cautious, bite of the gorgonzola saw that rapidly disappear, followed in quick succession by the cheddar, stilton, camambert, edam and whatever else might have been there... I hardly got a look-in and had created a cheese-monster!

 

@ SooKee,

 

El Gaucho is perfect. It's just over the road from where we're staying in Soi 18.

 

I'd like to thank everyone who replied to this thread. She's in for a treat!

Simon

Edited November 20, 2016 by SimonD