Contemporary Chinese gastronomy
It’s rare to find a Chinese restaurant that comes with the total package in terms of distinctive creations, sophisticated atmosphere, and a passionate staff. But Liu at the Conrad Bangkok hotel is succeeding on all counts by combing the culture and traditions from Cantonese, Shanghainese and Sichuan cuisines.
The decorative aspects of Chinese culture are well-known around the world, so it shouldn’t be difficult to picture what the restaurant’s interior looks like. The red tones found in the cushions, napkins, and lanterns are complimented with shades of brown from the exposed brick wall, wood furniture, and decorative wood branches—turning it into an instantly recognizable Chinese style restaurant, but with a modern, elegant initial impression.
A splendid introduction to the restaurant’s menu is the highly-recommended Deep-fried shrimp dumplings with chili and garlic (B130). Here chunks of plump shrimps are cloaked in translucent yet sturdy dough and then deep fried, giving a nice crust on the outside while the meat is still soft and tender on the inside. Another menu highlight that will get your meal off to a good start is the mouth-watering Pan-fried turnip cake with Chinese sausage and dried shrimp (B100), which is flavoursome and filling, with an unforgettable texture.
Don’t fancy oil? Then peruse the wide selection of steamed items, such as the authentic Har Gao (B120)—steamed fresh shrimp dumplings—and continue with the Steamed minced shrimp and scallop dumplings with wasabi mayonnaise dressing (B150), which are served in a silver spoon with a delightful scent of fresh seafood. Or, go with the adorable pig-shaped Steamed custard lava buns (B100), which arrive white and fluffy and are filled with an astonishing explosion of sweet custard and savoury salted egg yolk.
Explore the countless upscale choices from the restaurant’s à la carte menu, but be sure to allow your taste buds the reward they deserve with the Dong Po pork (B320), a stewed pork belly bathed in dark soy sauce served hot and attractively with Chinese steamed buns. The braised pork is so soft it melts in the mouth—without being greasy—and provides a perfect pairing with the Assorted mushrooms with Goji berries in clear soup (B180). Other stars of the show include the Crispy filo pastry with king prawn and wasabi dressing (B240), and the Baked BBQ pork buns in clay pot (B100), which carry the flavours and textures of contemporary Chinese gastronomy. Finally, among a dozen of the desserts, the Japanese pumpkin pastries and ginkgo nuts served in coconut (B200) is definitely a winner.
Liu’s Dim Sum ‘All You Can Eat’ buffet is also available for lunch, serving up a medley of traditional and modern dim sum delicacies. The buffet is priced at B900 for weekdays and B1,150 on the weekend.
By Pongphop Songsiriarcha
Liu
Conrad Bangkok, 87 Wireless Rd, 3F
Tel: 02 690 9999
Open daily: 11:30am-2:30pm, 6pm-10:30pm
www.conradhotels.com/bangkok
