Lunch today at one of my favourite places in Bangkok - ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ง๐ฒ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ผ๐บ at the Grand Hyatt Erawan. Ever since it opened in 2004, itโs become one of my go-to places for a casual Thai meal amidst its beautiful tropical-modernism decor, designed by American interior designer, Tony Chi. As the restaurant is managed by Grand Hyatt Erawan, one also gets to experience its ultra-attentive 5-star service.
๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ง๐ฒ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ผ๐บ is actually a reincarnation of the old Tea Room at the original Erawan Hotel, which stood on this very spot from 1956 t0 1988. At the time, it was ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ luxury hotel in town, besides the legendary Oriental Hotel. Its emphasis on projecting a Thai character was subsequently emulated by Siam Intercontinental Hotel (which stood where Siam Paragon is today) and the Dusit Thani.
The cooking quality at ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ง๐ฒ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ผ๐บ has been erratic the past few years, and this last two years, I think it failed to even rise above popular mall-based chain eateries like Kalpapruek, See Fah and Laem Charoen. I think Iโm returning here more out of loyalty than for the food per se.
Whilst browsing the menu, we were served prawn crackers with a tamarind-palm sugar dip.
- Chor Muang - steamed crabmeat dumplings, tinted blue using the extract butterfly pea flowers. Beautiful and delicate, but didnโt taste of anything at all, and definitely not the crabmeat. A pity. Iโd always loved this dish after having my first taste of it at the now-defunct Bussaracum Royal Thai Cuisine back in 1992.
This Royal Thai dish translates to โpurple bouquetโ (โchorโ = bouquet, โmuangโ = purple). The color comes from the petals of the butterfly pea flower, which yields a blue tinge, but turns purple when an acidic element like lime juice is added to it.
The version here tastes nothing like a true chor muang should, which is sweet-savory, as the minced meat filling (preferably pork) shouldโve been cooked with lots of palm sugar, and crushed peanuts will be added to the filling for additional crunch. The ones here were tasteless. Are Thai chefs in Thailand even allowed to mess up their own traditional dish?!
- Khao tang na tang - puffed rice crackers with a chicken-shrimp-peanut dip. This was pretty good: the rice crackers being fresh and crisp. The dip was enriched with coconut milk, but is blander than Iโd have liked.
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Yum woon sen - one of my fave Thai dishes of all time: glass noodles dressed in fish sauce and lime juice, minced pork, shrimps, purple onions, tomatoes, Chinese parsley and toasted peanuts. The version here was okay.
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Tom kha kai - another of my fave Thai dishes, and Iโd always preferred this coconut milk-flavored chicken-and-galangal soup. The version here is good - if I have to come back here, this is the first thing Iโll order.
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Steamed Thai red rice
If ever there was one saving grace for this place - itโs the flawless service: polite and attentive. Iโd return just for that, plus its inimitable ambience.
Beautiful space, nonpareil service, bad food.
Address
Erawan Tea Room
2nd Floor, Erawan Bangkok, 494 Rajdamri Road, Pathum Wan, Lumpini, Bangkok 10330
Tel: +662 254 1234
Opening hours: 10:00am - 10:00pm daily
