CHAR RESTAURANT - Visionary Cuisine and Stunning Vistas on Wireless Road in Bangkok
Amid the towers of steel and glass that line Wireless Road in downtown Bangkok stands The Hotel Indigo and on the 25th floor of this unique hotel resides Char Restaurant - a magnificent synergy of understated sophistication, culinary exploration, and unrepentant gratification.
Char Restaurant at the Hotel Indigo Bangkok presents a visionary menu of prime beef, seafood and innovative specials that challenge and captivate patrons amid lofty views of the Bangkok skyline.
Upon entering Char you are greeted with soothing dark woods, soft, warm lighting and soothing music. Floor to ceiling windows line the walls and afford generous views of Wireless Road and beautiful Thai sunsets.
The Thaifoodies team were proffered a wonderful table fantastically positioned inside 3 towering panes of glass providing both privacy and our own intimate window into Bangkok.
The menu at Char, as expected, focuses on prime cuts of beef, featuring a wonderful selection of Wagyu, Black Angus, and Kobe as well as Australian Lamb, and Kurobuta Pork. Seafood lovers will rejoice upon seeing Norwegian Salmon, North Pacific Black Cod, and whole Maine Lobster. Spring Chicken and Barbarie duck round out the selection of mains at Char.
We had the opportunity to spend some time with Chef Nikolas Ramirez Chef de Cuisine at Char during our visit. We asked him to surprise us and choose our dishes for the evening - little did we realize at the time but we were in for a memorable gastronomic experience.
Chef Nikolas started us out easily enough with Spicy Tuna Tartare and Homemade Crab Cakes. The tuna was fresh, tender with the right level of spiciness offset by creamy avocado. The crab cakes were thick and packed with sweet crab meat accented by a lovely onion remoulade - just enough to perk up our appetites.
Next up was a sucklng pig terrine with coconut curry and oyster demi glace. Honestly, we thought this was the weakest of the offerings on the evening. The pig terrine perhaps was perhaps overly ambitious. In trying to capture all the flavors of the pig the sweet suckling flavor was lost. While pleasant, the flavor was simply that of somewhat gamey pork lacking the complexity of the other dishes that simply - WOW'ed us.
The next selection was a special, Lobster Ceviche, and it was INCREDIBLE! I'm still uncertain that I can adequately describe the complexity of this wonderful creation - in this dish, lobster in warm chili milk, grilled carrots, crunchy calamari, watermelon, and caviar. The medley of these ingredients was a harmony of textures and flavors - sweet tender lobster, warm - slightly spicy chili milk, cool ripe watermelon, salty/savoury caviar all topped with crunchy calamari. This dish was tied for first as our favorite with the next masterpiece to hit our table.
Needless to say after that incredible Lobster Ceviche the bar was set pretty high but Chef Nikolas kept the surprises up with a dish simple by design but exceptional in execution - the Char Burger. Wagyu beef, a thick slice of cheddar cheese, and an amazing brioche bun. A good burger by itself is a wonderful thing but when made with exceptional Wagyu beef it is a treasure. A MUST TRY when visiting Char.
After the massive Char Burger we were hoping for something a bit lighter and we were well rewarded with a delicate Seafood Risotto. Prawn, cod, mussels all come together in a mosaic of subtle flavors underscored by a handmade sauce developed by Chef Nikolas himself. Divine!
The last main to be served was a a tenderloin cut of Darling Downs Prime Wagyu beef - wet aged 21 days. Topped with just a touch of sea salt this cut of beef was perfection! So tender, with a pleasing, rich flavor as one expects from choice Wagyu. The perfect dish to wrap up our evening - BEFORE DESSERT that is!
For dessert we were gifted a fanciful creation that harkened me back to childhood - A Cracker Jack Sundae made with popcorn ice cream and candied peanuts. This delight is quickly becoming a house favorite and we can see why. Sweet buttery ice cream, crunchy candied peanuts and caramel popcorn topped sparingly with milk chocolate. A decadent treat that wrapped up an unforgettable evening at Char Restaurant Bangkok.
Char is one of Thaifoodies new top ten restaurants in Bangkok. We look forward to heading back to dig in to a juicy cut of Ribeye and to discover what new and exciting ideas Chef Nikolas has made reality. You should too - You'll thank us!
A huge THANK YOU to the Hotel Indigo and Char Team - Thanks so much Khun Thirapong and Chef Nikolas for making the Thaifoodies Team feel so welcome!
Check out Char at:
Hotel Indigo Bangkok Wireless Road 25th and 26th Floor 81 Wireless Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 E:charbangkok@ihg.com T:02-2074999 F:02-2074998