Steeped in Flavour
BY AIDEN JEWELLE GONZALES
A landmark perched by the River of Kings, Asiatique the Riverfront is known to locals and visitors alike for its iconic, 60-metre high Ferris wheel, ‘European-style’ buildings, attractions such as their Haunted House of Mystery Mansion, superlative shopping opportunities, and the reimagined, three-masted Thai ship, Sirimahannop, which also doubles as a restaurant. With such opportunities for fun and entertainment, it’s easy to forget that it’s also one of the largest food and beverage destinations in the city, bringing together gourmet offerings and street-food favourites from all over Bangkok under one proverbial roof.
Some of Asiatique the Riverfront’s most celebrated restaurants were launched by the renowned Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park, who’ve brought the likes of Crystal Grill House, a glitzy surf-and-turf restaurant in unique glasshouses; The Siam Tea Room, an authentic Thai restaurant and café; and Sirimahannop itself; to the riverfront destination. The fourth of these culinary ventures, Asiatique Ancient Tea House is simultaneously a stylish dim-sum restaurantand after-dark cocktail lounge, boasting a menu curated by the hotel’s award-winning Pagoda Chinese Restaurant, as well as a selection of global teas and tea-inspired cocktails that promise a tea-lightful dining experience.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
From the outset, the restaurant charmed us before we even walked in, with its chic, colonial- style architecture surrounded by carefully-manicured flora. Situated in a fully-restored and refurbished 111-year-old heritage house, the restaurant’s original building was first built in 1912 as part of the East Asiatic Company’s warehouse, and the olde-worlde glamour of the space is apparent when you enter. End-to-end windows and skylights allow a glut of sunshine to spill in, while a mitch-match of patterned tiling, Chinese wall prints, elegant wicker furnishings, porcelain collections, and art installations set the stage for their “Celestial Hint from Heaven” design scheme, starring modern Chinese touches.
Surrounded by doors in dark wood and glass is a more intimate space where the ritzy bar sits in pride of place, featuring recessed lighting and sumptuous seating; ideal for an after-dark haunt where you can sip a cocktail or three after dinner. The restaurant also encompasses the 1890s Blend Gallery, a magnificent collection of premium teas from Thailand, India,
China, Japan, and beyond; and The Blooming on the second floor next to a balcony, which showcases the restaurant’s concept based on Emperor Shen Nong, who, four millennia ago first discovered tea, a product that became one of the bulwarks of trade between China and the ancient Siamese Kingdom.
FOOD AND DRINK
Revolving around tea and dim sum, the restaurant aims to elevate Cantonese classics with premium ingredients and chic plating. I personally love tucking into a selection of dim sum, not just because of their variety in bite-sized portions, but also because they’re easily shared in a group, and I’m a firm believer in the philosophy that camaraderie begins with shared
food. I was therefore eager to add another dim sum destination to my list, and the selection did not disappoint.
The Alaskan king crab and shrimp with spinach dumpling (THB 170), served piping hot in a classic steamer basket nestled inside a golden container, indeed set the gold standard for the rest of the meal. With the mild hint of sweetness from the crab and sweet shrimp, both cooked to tender perfection, the bite-sized indulgence is topped with salmon roe for an extra indulgent touch. I love dishes with a little kick, so I was particularly delighted by the Shrimp wonton in spicy szechuan oil, peanuts and spring onions (THB 170), with outsized wonton portions and aromatic chilli oil, offset by the umami hints from the fermented black beans stuffed inside each morsel. As much as I’m a self-proclaimed seafood enthusiast, however, I was blown away by the vegetarian Shitake fen guo, corn, black truffle, chinese lettuce (THB 180) – stuffed with corn and Chinese lettuce, the star of the dish was of course the black truffle, which elevated each bite and was an intriguing addition to the Eastern flavours.
If you prefer rolls over dumplings, look no further than their Steamed crispy prawns rice roll (THB190), stuffed with beetroot-infused pink rice and crispy prawns, lending both colour and texture to a perfectly-balanced mouthful; or if you’re vegetarian, the Steamed rice rolls morel mushroom with bamboo fungus and chinese cabbage (THB 170), made with spinach, morel mushrooms, and bamboo fungus is a unique and scrumptious alternative.
Next, we tucked into what turned out to be one of my favourite dishes in the entire meal, the Pan-fried diced wagyu beef, crispy garlic (THB 390). Served in an edible shell, the Wagyu beef was cooked to perfection, pan-fried and tossed in a savoury sauce and topped with a healthy and mouth-watering dose of crispy fried garlic, which made it hard to stop eating the dish once I’d started. For those who don’t eat beef, opt for the Crispy fried tofu with garlic and chili (THB 280), which consisted of fried tofu that had the ideal crisp on the outside but was still hot and tender once you bite in, with garlic and chilli adding a punch of flavour and heat.
Make sure to pair your meal with any of their array of delicious side dishes, such as their Steamed hong kong kale with oyster sauce(THB 160), crispy and refreshing; or their Chinese clear soup with bamboo mushroom, shitake, and goji berries (THB 280), a nutritious and heart-warming option in between courses with a wealth of subtle flavours.
Even when stuffed with the plethora of delightful morsels, don’t forget to fill your second stomach with dessert! For a refreshing end to the meal, I would recommend the Chilled sweet sago soup with melon with coconut sorbet (THB 120), comprised of a frozen melon granita topped with fresh melon and sago pearls, which is the perfect Asian dessert – not too sweet, delicious, and cooling in the summer. The dessert that stole the show, however, was the Chilled mango pudding (THB 160), served in the shape of a koi fish and served with fresh milk, which was almost too pretty to eat – but make sure you do, as the fresh mango makes it a tropical treat that’s so good you’ll eat every crumb.
The restaurants teas and cocktails are not to be missed, so make sure to order one or both to pair with your meal – I would recommend the White (THB 390) cocktail, which looks like a piece of art in itself, and is made with Silver Needle white tea-infused gin sourced from Fujian, China, with jasmine rice syrup, coconut milk, egg white, soda, and lemon, for the quintessential tastes of the East in a single sip.
MASALA RECOMMENDS
The Braised e-fu noodles with alaskan king crabmeat in x.o. sauce (THB 980), served with tender Alaskan King crabmeat and
with lashings of their homemade X.O. sauce made with scallops and dried shrimp, for a hearty and flavourful dish that could be a meal in itself.
ASIATIQUE ANCIENT TEA HOUSE
Charoenkrung Soi 72-76, Charoenkrung Road, Wat Phrayakrai, Bangkor Laem, Bangkok, Thailand 10120
Open daily from 12pm to midnight
Tel: 02 059 5999
Instagram and Facebook:
@ancientteahousebkk
www.asiatiqueancientteahouse.com
