Heads above the rest.
By Ayush Madan
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
One of the most virally-shared locations on your Instagram stories feed, TopGolf Megacity now has its very own rooftop bar! Pink Giraffe is an open-air rooftop bar on the 4th floor of the TopGolf complex, and despite the distance from where I lived, I was especially eager to sample their unique offerings as well as check out their unique, all-in-one “play, food, fun” concept. Part of my excitement stemmed from meeting Chef Daniel Bucher, the Executive Chef & Food Sustainability Manager of TopGolf Megacity, whose culinary offerings are renowned in Bangkok, and especially in the Thai-Indian community. “There are 80 different TopGolf locations in the US, but since this was the first franchise in Asia, I knew the food would have to stand out,” he tells me, and I couldn’t wait for him to be proven right.
Walking out onto the deck, my first impression of the venue was that I had woken up in a BoJack Horseman (2014-2020)-inspired acid trip – in the best way. The walls were covered in big splotches of bright colourful swirls, boxes, flowers, and giraffe prints. There were giant, wiry, electric pink giraffe heads poking out of the walls, with their glowing neon feet standing on the opposite side of the bar as though they had just walked through a portal. The view of the course was clear, and you could see golf balls whizzing across the field below you. Meanwhile, the lighting was pink and minimal, with the circular bar being the centrepiece where you could share a moment of intimacy.
FOOD AND DRINK
The first menu item we got to try was the Big sashimi platter (THB 990) with salmon filet, tuna, scallops, kampachi, akagai, and ikura. The seafood was fresh, and contained many different little bites that awakened my palette for the feast to come. Next, the Unagi avocado roll (THB 460) featured the signature umami flavours of roasted eel, evened out by the buttery and fresh avocado and sweet tamago. For those who prefer cooked fish, they have Kampachi mentaiko (THB 490), baked amberjack in a cod roe beurre blanc sauce that is savoury, creamy, and delectable.
Additionally, the restaurant also serves Giraffo-dons which are a medley of different cubed sashimi, tamago, and cucumber laid on a bed of Japanese rice. We also tucked into the Chirashi don (THB 470), which featured a mix of salmon and tuna. For fans of finger food, there are Temari golf balls (THB 90), which are golf ball-shaped nigiri with options for amberjack, scallop, and wagyu. Make sure to order their signature Gyu bulgogi roll, prepared tableside; a scrumptious, melt-in-your-mouth roll that is simultaneously cold and hot, and altogether titillating.
Of course, we couldn’t visit a rooftop bar without sampling their signature cocktails. Their namesake cocktail, The pink giraffe (THB 320) is, aptly, comprised of pink gin, Aperol, lime juice, rose syrup, coriander bitters, and tonic. It was topped with foam and a beautiful edible drink topper of a giraffe, with a background of jelly beans. The drink was sweet and packed with a lot of botanical flavours, as well as some brightness from the lime juice. The pink panther (THB 340) is another signature drink with a gin and plum sake base topped with grenadine and malai. For fans of sweet umeshu flavours, this is definitely a cocktail that will satiate you.
MASALA RECOMMENDS
The Tower of power (THB 1,400). I can’t think of a better Friday night than enjoying some golf at the bay with some friends, then coming up to sip some cocktails and treating ourselves to a tower of 16 oysters. The tower has Classic oysters, Tomato miso oysters, and my favourite flavour, which is the Yuzu ponzu oyster. The yuzu oysters featured a tart and bright citrus sauce that contrasted the natural salinity of the oyster in one perfectly balanced bite. The oysters themselves tasted fresh and were quite well priced, starting at only THB 90 per piece.
Chef Daniel Bucher, the Executive Chef & Food Sustainability Manager of TopGolf Megacity, gives us more of the inside scoop behind the restaurant:
“I spent months in the US visiting some of the TopGolf franchises across the country. For this branch, the first one in Asia, I wanted to step away from the burgers and fries and lean more heavily into Cali-Japanese cuisine, with a décor and ambience resembling a Florida beach bar. This is how we ended up with one of our signature dishes, the Gyu bulgogi roll, which features Wagyu beef wrapped in kimbap and roasted tableside, and paired with kimchi and katsuo. I also worked closely with the mixologist to scout the best sake that would pair perfectly with this nontraditional and unique interpretation of Japanese cuisine.”
All in all, Pink Giraffe is a hip, stylish, vibrantly decorated, and relaxed rooftop bar that would be an amazingly fun finish to any TopGolf visit. I can see myself headed back here with a group of friends any day now to enjoy more of the future disco beats, signature tipples, and curated bites.
PINK GIRAFFE
4th Floor, TopGolf Megacity 971 Moo 8 Bang Kaeo Bangpli 10540
Open Sundays to Thursdays from 9am to 11pm,
and Fridays and Saturdays from 9am to midnight
TEL: 02 114 1289
FACEBOOK: Top Golf Thailand
