COCONUTS HOTSPOT – Zra Jiraratana of Iron Chef fame has re-imagined and relocated his Aston Gastrobar to join the big leagues downtown.
His old restaurant focused primarily on pairing Belgian beer with a molecular gastronomy menu. The new iteration is aptly named The Aston Dining Room and Bar, and its done some serious growing up.
Focus has shifted away from the trendy molecular theme to a more nuanced approach tof sourcing seriously high-quality ingredients and showcasing them through utterly simple plates.
This “degustation” menu rings in at THB2,300 per person and includes five courses with an optional sixth course, Qauil & Foie Gras, for a small supplemental fee. Zra tells us that most diners opt for the extra course just to try the melt-in-your-mouth Foie Gras.
The menu changes as Zra explores new ingredients. When we visited the series of courses was nicely balanced between light and experimental seafood dishes. The menu starts off with a light clean and crisp duo of raw scallop from Hokkaido and sea urchin, brought together by a soya and sake emulsion and garnished with an interesting medley of nasturtium and Japanese mint. Zra is clearly obsessive with the small details, making sure to note that the nasturtium is sourced from Chiang Rai and the majority of the herbs come from a small rooftop garden out back.
The second and third courses continue the emphasis on experimental ingredients, like the pipquino found in the second course. The Salmon dish features tiny watermelon-like fruits from South America and the third course, the tiger prawn and mentaiko capellini, utilizes kombu, a Japanese seaweed that is supposed to deliver the elusive “umami” flavor.
There was also a heavy hitter for the last course, imported lamb sourced from OZ’s Yarra Valley.
If all these fancy ingredients don’t bring out your inner gourmet geek, The Aston provides a bar downstairs serving up what is promised to be the finest collection of single-malt scotches in the city.
FIND IT:
Sukhumvit 31
1 kilometer down the soi on the right hand side
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