Here’s another fine mess you’ll want to get into
The Westin Grande Sukhumvit, Bangkok‘s bright and spacious dining venue Seasonal Tastes is offering a unique midweek dining experience that’s as much good eating as it is original. Part picnic, part dinner meal, and part seafood explosion aftermath footage, the new Sea-To-Table promotion should satisfy the most ardent seafood cravings, and features a welcome weekend-vibe dining option right in the middle of the workweek.
Served up in stylish metal buckets, this flavourful crustacean potpourri mingles crab legs, scallops, squid, and shellfish, all prepared with the diner’s choice of sauce, as well as a choice of supremely nibble-friendly sides.
Now here’s where things get interesting—and a little bit messy but, admittedly, quite a bit of fun as well. While grab-it-yourself silverware is near at hand, the table setting for this saucy seafood soirée is not your everyday noshing kit. It consists of plastic gloves, a bib, and table-width wax paper sheets, onto which the richly aromatic bucketsful of ocean-fresh seafood are dumped in piles of sensationally seasoned deliciousness.
But in its decidedly “let your hair down” serving approach, the house keeps its collar crisp—so to speak—in the most delightfully cheeky way possible. After pouring out the contents of each bucket, waitstaff use the edge of the bucket to deftly trace out a sassy streak of sauce, drizzled artistically for an unexpected last-minute touch of culinary panache.
Something else that makes this hump day promotion even more attractive is the flexible pricing, with buckets available in single serving Small Portion plus 1 Side Dish (B399), duo serving Medium Portion plus 2 Side Dishes (B599), or sharing-friendly Large Portion plus 3 Side Dishes (B799). So whether it’s an after-work solo dinner, weeknight date, or an evening out with the gang, you’ll find a bucket of seafood that’s a perfect fit. Meanwhile, side dish options include French fried potatoes, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, spinach gratin, and sautéed vegetables.
Sauce-wise, we very much liked the Japanese curry and black pepper sauces, just two of a selection of flavours that has Tom Yum, hot basil, tomato & chili, and Chinese Mala rounding out the other offerings. In addition, a selection of appetizers beckons with comfort food faves like nicely toasted Garlic Bread and Battered Onion Rings (B120/ea.) along with Golden-Fried Seafood, Fried Shrimp, Baked Mussels with Cheese and, our favourite, Fried Crouton-Crust Shrimp Cakes (B250/ea.). Of the two wines available by the glass—one red, one white—we found that a glass of Concha y Toro Frontera Chardonnay (B260/B1,300, glass/bottle) served as a gustatory reference point amid the plethora of flavours we encountered.
The 7th floor restaurant itself features a bar and two distinct dining areas, with a modern-elegant motif that incorporates nautical-themed highlights, like a faux ripple reflection effect projected onto the high ceiling, while a full-height window wall offers a sweeping view of the bustling Sukhumvit-Asoke junction area.
The Sea-To-Table promotion at Seasonal Tastes runs every Wednesday and Thursday, from 6pm till 10:30pm.
Seasonal Tastes
7F, Westin Grande Sukhumvit, Bangkok | 259 Sukhumvit Rd.
Open daily: 6am-11pm | Tel: 02 207 8000
www.westingrandesukhumvit.com
By Chris Michael