Each couple can choose an exclusive setting at the Pool Side, on The Deck, in The Old House or on The Terrace, while the resident pianist and guest violinist will serenade the two with tunes of love. Guests will receive a floral box and enjoy two glasses of rose or a bottle of champagne amid a romantic surrounding.

A romantic evening begins with a glass of bubbly and the innovative amuse bouche of Watermelon Tartare with mango yolk, and Sashimi tuna with crab meat salad roll topped with roselle foam, salmon roe and micro greens.

The next course is a heartwarming Butternut Squash Soup infused with truffle cream and topped with crispy Parma ham and asparagus, or the Cauliflower Veloute, infused with a light green curry and topped with crispy Parma ham and balsamic caviar.

Then guests can choose a main dish between Buttered Cod Fish marinated in miso soy sauce with potato seaweed, mixed green vegetables and citrus butter sauce and Veal Angus Beef Tenderloin served with vanillawhipped potatoes, mixed vegetables and red wine reduction.

The romantic dinner ends with the heavenly Baked Alaska with mixed berries, chocolate ice cream and a savory fruit sauce.

The Valentine dinner set menu is available on February 14 and priced at Bt3,900 per couple, inclusive of two glasses of Rose and Bt6,900 per couple including a bottle of champagne.

Find out more at (053) 247 788 or http://www.137PillarsChiangMai.com.

MOST THAIS only need to say the words – guay-tiew-ruea – for their mouths to start watering. There’s nothing quite like Thai-style boat-noodles, so aromatic with long-simmered herbs, so rich in flavour and spicy in a thick, dark soup.

Commonly served in a small bowl with lots of pork crackling and fried garlic, meatballs, chilli flakes, boiled morning glory and sweet basil, the noodles (to be absolutely perfect) ought to also have kanom tauy off to the side, a little coconut-milk custard for dessert.

Tell a Thai travelling upcountry that the nearest guay-tiew-ruea restaurant is far away and it won’t matter. It’s a meal that must be had, and any street vendor or passing boat that’s offering boat-noodles will do.

Thong Smith serves only traditional boatnoodles and seeks to bring back fond memories with its decor and design.

The various sources in Ayutthaya and in Bangkok’s Rangsit district are nationally famous. In the past, the noodles were named after the cook-vendor, the venerated individual who did everything from scalding the noodles and seasoning the soup to plunking the dish in front of you and pocketing the payment. These days you can still tell a great boat-noodle restaurant by the ornamental boat parked out front as a lure.

There are not a lot of boats being paddled around the Helix building at Bangkok’s luxurious EmQuartier shopping mall. But go to a shop called Thong Smith on the seventh floor and you won’t be disappointed with the noodles – authentic in taste and aroma, served in nostalgia-evoking surroundings.

As soon as you sit down you can have a pair of Khanom Tuay for Bt29, the original sweet-slightly-salty of coconut-milk custard treat. Irresistible, they don’t stick around for long.

Four pals who share a love of food put together Thong Smith. Atchara Burarak co-founded the popular iberry Group, as well as Kub Khao Kub Pla and Cafe Pla. Her partners here are her husband, Rojanin Arthayukti, COO and director of iberry Group, actress Intira Dangchamroon and Karn Kittivech, the chef.

“We’re all nuts about Thai-style boat-noodles,” says Karn.

“It started simply with the idea of just making a great bowl of noodles, taking the time to create a balanced and aromatic broth infused with aromatics like galangal, cilantro, lemongrass, pickled garlic, and so on.

“Then we added more, premium ingredients and essentially created the perfect bowl of noodles,” he says.

Among the many temptations on the menu is Thong Smith Ribeye Noodle (Bt529) with sliced Australian wagyu, braised shank and tendon in fabulous spicy soup.

Nam Tok Wagyu Thong Smith (Bt329) has sliced Australian wagyu round, beef meatballs, braised shank and tendon. There’s also Ox Tongue (Bt229) with beef meatballs, sliced beef, braised shank and tendon. Other premium ingredients include liver and tripe. The spicy soup has three levels of hot – one to three fiery stars – and you can opt out of spicy soup altogether.

“Using premium ingredients is the key,” says Karn. “We go to the spice market together to find the best herbs – we use more than 15 types of herbs in the broth, Thai and Chinese, and simmer it for eight hours to get the right aroma and intense, authentic flavour.

“We also took time to find the right supplier of thin noodles, but the best are egg noodles made with traditional techniques so the noodles are soft but still have some bounce. The beef, chicken and pork are all premium grades, such as wagyu and ribeye and Kurobuta pork.

“It takes a day to simmer the ox tongue with herbs over very low heat to get the best quality, because we don’t want to lose any of the tasty fat before it’s sliced up. The stewed beef and pork are really tender too, so they melt in the mouth.”

Steamed wontons with Sichuan chilli sauce

Sliced Kurobuta Pork (Bt179-Bt259) has braised pork and liver, accompanied on the side if you like with pork balls, sliced pork, boiled morning glory, extra noodles or rice for another Bt20 to Bt60.

The prices will demonstrate that the good old days of cheap boat-noodles are behind us. But, on the other hand, who can resist all these dishes, or others like Grilled Beef or Pork Balls (three skewers for Bt119), Crispy Pork Fat (Bt50), Fried Crispy Pork and Shrimp Wontons (Bt100) and Steamed Wontons with Sichuan Chilli Sauce (Bt129).

At the end of the meal, to cool the tongue after its spicy revelry, Pandan Noodles with Coconut Milk and Glass Jelly and Longan Syrup are both excellent choices for Bt79.

Karn chuckles that, since the restaurant specialises in boat-noodles, the partners had a “headache” coming up with a name for the place. They gave up trying to fit ruea (boat) into it and went instead with Thong Smith.

“It means ‘expert’ and is homophone for the Thai word samrit, meaning ‘success’. And the name is rendered in an old-style font.

“Plus, since it would have been difficult and unfashionable to have a boat moored outside, we have a picture of a boat on the wall and chose dark wood for the chairs and tables and engraved the restaurant’s name on the bowls.”

RICH, SPICY, SCRUMPTIOUS

>> Thong Smith is on the seventh floor of the Helix Building at EmQuartier in Bangkok.

>> It’s open daily from 10 to 10.

>> Book a table at (02) 003 6226.

If you are looking for an auspicious, thoughtful gift for your family and loved ones, Mandarin Oriental shops are now selling an exclusive Chinese New Year hamper. Featuring a fine selection of gourmet treats, such as “Yuan Bao” ancient money chocolates, Mandarin Oriental jasmine tea, homemade XO sauce, homemade Shanghainese Chilli Sauce, “Nian Gao” Chinese New Year rice cake, and other lavish delicacies sure to bring good luck, prosperity and health, the hamper is priced at Bt2,688 net.

You’ll find it at Mandarin Oriental shops including in Siam Paragon, Central Chidlom, The Emporium, Gaysorn Village and The China House at Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok from today through February 8.

Call (02) 659 9000 extension 7390 or email mobkkrestaurants@mohg.com.

“Italian Romance” at award-winning Biscotti will feature a terrific four-course set menu prepared by chef Andrea Buson and served in the restaurant’s cosy surroundings.

“Contemporary Steakhouse Seduction” at Madison will be a five-course feast perfectly designed for couples. Red roses perch on the table as sumptuous steak and seafood arrive from the kitchen of Nico Merten.

It’s five courses as well for “Japanese Delight” at Shintaro, where chef Satoshi Sawada will focus on wasabi-glazed lobster, Wagyu striploin and more.

“Dining by Design – Romantic Poolside Dinner” is one of the Anantara’s signature private-dining concepts, with a hundred candles casting their seductive glow over swaying palm trees.

Everything is sweet at Mocha & Muffins, which from February 7 to 14 has “Valentine Gifts & Roses” in store – chocolates, cakes, red roses, fine wines and inspired gift ideas.

And the Anantara Siam’s marvellous Valentine’s Hampers are full of treats of all sizes and tastes.

Meal prices range from Bt4,490 to Bt5,500 per couple. Make reservations at dining.asia@anantara.com, (02) 126 8866, extension 1201, or http://www.SiamBangkok.Anantara.com.

A whole suckling pig goes for Bt3,600++, while half a suckling pig goes for Bt1,900++.

In the Chinese zodiac, the pig is considered to be an icon for diligence, kindness, generosity and wealth, and is often noted for its easy-going attitude, luck and happiness. So mark its arrival at the ATTITUDE Rooftop Bar & Restaurant on the 26th floor of Avani Plus Riverside Bangkok and enjoy a panoramic view of the Chao Phraya River and the city.

For more information and reservation, call (02) 431 9120 or email reservation@attitudebangkok.com or visit http://www.attitudebangkok.com.

“We have had the honour and privilege to host many international Michelin-starred chefs in the past two years from Italy to Japan and we’re delighted to be collaborating with chef Noah for an one-off dining experience,” said Vorasit “Wan” Issara, managing director.

Oriole was awarded two Michelin Stars in the restaurant’s first eligible year and has retained two stars them. Sandoval himself was recognized as a Food & Wine Best New Chef, received three semi-finalist James Beard nominations, and was named Chef of the Year by the Chicago Tribune. Oriole has also earned 4-star reviews from various publications.

“I’m so thrilled to be in Thailand and Phuket for the first time and looking forward to showcasing some of Oriole’s signature dishes while incorporating some of the finest local ingredients like the Phuket Tiger Prawn and Thai herbs into the menu,” Sandoval told reporters.

He will be offering an eight-course Tasting Menu for Btt5,000-plus excluding drinks featuring, among other delights, Golden Osetra Caviar with Kampachi, Saffron and Coconut; Aged Hamachi Nigiri with Fermented Truffle Honey and Fresh Wasabi; Phuket Tiger Prawn with Makrut Lime, Mint, and Caramel and Halibut with Phuket Beer, Bok Choy, and Genmai.

NO ONE is going to stumble by chance on the Oqposite, a Bangkok cafe. It’s hidden in a residential compound in an alley behind Wat Sommanat. You have to find the house nameplate that says “Baan Sathapitavej” and go through the gate. Oqposite is the building right in front of you, next to a cluster of residences where the family lives.

Siblings Donruedee and Piyamon Bantadthong set out to do something clever with the dilapidated two-storey wooden garage in the compound, and Oqposite is the result. They’d both tired of their full-time jobs – Donruedee at a marketing firm and Piyamon plying her certificate from Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary School in various food-industry positions.

The Oqpostie, a concealed gem in Bangkok’s Nanglerng area, looks intentionally unfinished with its crumbling bricks and flaked plaster. The food, by contrast, is intentionally scrumptious.

“We decided to run our own business and make use of our own area,” says Donruedee. “We want this place to be a hideaway where you can spend some leisure time with a good cup of coffee and tempting comfort food.”

The sisters initially envisioned the cafe as a loft, but the creaky garage was too fragile, so they has a new steel structure built and decorated with some of the old woodwork to evoke a little nostalgia.

Both the exterior and interior deliberately look unfinished – or maybe overdue for demolition – with their aged surfaces, crumbling bricks and plaster and worn patterns on the floor tiles. On the roof is flaking, rusty corrugated zinc, on the walls smears of paint and plaster.

The cafe’s appearance is quite literally the opposite of what’s gone into the planning.

On the second floor is an old bookcase filled with novels that haven’t been thumbed since the sisters’ grandma, Pratin Sathapitanon, was alive. She was a great cook, they say, and Baan Lae Suan Publishing collated some of her recipes in “Dishes of the Sathapitanon Family”.

There’s also an outdoor balcony that’s lovely for loitering.

“The building might look unfinished, but it’s very welcoming when you come in and have a seat,” says

Donruedee. “The tables and chairs are a jumble of contemporary and vintage style. The ladies’ restroom has a dark portrait of a man and the men’s room is vice versa, all black with a portrait of a woman done in a white palette.”

Design students and other alert readers will have realised that Oqposite isn’t an Inuit word but in fact spells “opposite”, with the “q” just being contrary.

At lunchtime on weekdays, the eatery is busy with the folks who work nearby at the UN office, Government House and Bank of Thailand. If you want to chill out, it’s better to go in the late afternoon or on a weekend.

Piyamon has made good use of the family recipes on the menu.

Stir-fried Shrimp Fat with Rice

When she was a child, her grandma often cooked stir-fried shrimp fat with rice, and that’s become a signature dish of the cafe, selling for Bt180. The shrimp fat is first cooked sous-vide and then quickly stir-fried with oil, ground coriander root, garlic, pepper and roasted chilli paste. As well as rice, it comes with a boiled egg and seafood sauce to cut the oiliness.

The in-house tom yum sauce is slightly spicy and tangy and appears in two dishes.

Taco Tom Yum Goong 

Taco Tom Yum Goong (Bt190) is a perfect appetiser, a crisp tortilla spread with the sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese and shrimp. Adjust the taste with the lemon slice, dried chilli and coriander leaf served on the side.

Tom Yum Spaghetti 

Tom Yum Spaghetti (Bt250) pairs al dente pasta with shrimp, all rendered smooth with milk and cream.

Also worth trying is Spaghetti with Bacon and Garlic (Bt220), featuring sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese.

“I dry my own tomatoes because the kind imported from Italy are too tangy,” says Piyamon, who has previously worked in the kitchens of the Novel Siam and a casino-hotel in San Diego, California.

Spaghetti with Bacon and Garlic 

“I use local cherry tomatoes that I keep preserved in sugar before sun-drying them. The bacon is cut thick and seared so it’s half-crispy and half-soft. The dish is slightly sweet and a little salty.”

Piyamon comes up with around five choices of sweet treats every day. You might get Caramel Pudding, Strawberry Shortcake, Tart Chocolate or Orange Yoghurt, with prices ranging from Bt140 to Bt160.

Caramel Pudding

The drinks on offer are in keeping with the concept of opposites, using contrasting ingredients, colours, looks and tastes.

The Oqposite Berry (Bt155) is berry tea topped with cold brew coffee of medium-roasted blends from Ethiopian, Brazilian and Thai beans. The Honey Matcha (also Bt155) is yellow with honey lemon juice and green with green tea.

Honey Matcha

CRAVE THE CONTRASTS

The Oqpostie is on Paniang Road off Nakhon Sawan Road and opposite the crematoriun of Wat Sommanat in Bangkok.

It’s open daily except Tuesday from 9am to 8pm.

Call (089) 523 9824 or visit http://www.TheOqposite.com.

The chefs will use premium imported products together with the pesticide-free vegetables from Jan-Ka-Pak’s agricultural plots at Chakrabandh Pensiri Centre for Plant Development in Chiang Rai, camellia seed oil from PatPat brand of the Chaipattana Foundation, and from Phufa Shop, all of which are projects initiated by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

“We are once again highlighting camellia seed oil from PatPat and pesticide-free vegetables from Jan-Ka-Pak as ingredients in the creation of this year’s menu in order to continue to let the public be aware of the many benefits of these high-quality products of Chaipattana Foundation in Chiang Rai, which has carried out extensive agricultural development projects in order to ensure sustainable benefits for all communities,” said Nuntiya Hame-ung-gull, managing director of Gourmet One Food Services (Thailand) – the operator of the event.

This year, apart from the participation of aspiring young chefs – each of whom will partner with two chefs to learn and help in the creation of each dish from the 11-course epicurean menu, there will be a fashion show by children of prominent personalities featuring the pagakayaw shawl from Phufa. The products will go up for auction after the catwalk show.

The highlight fund-raising segment of the Bangkok Chefs Charity is the opportunity for guests/philanthropists to make donations and in return for their generosity, the highest bidders will be presented with a formal gourmet dinner cooked by their preferred chefs at the bidder’s residence or venue of choice.

All funds raised during the course of the evening as well as the auction of Phufa’s pagakayaw products and ticket sales, without any deductions for expenses, will be presented to HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to benefit the Royal Patrol Police schools.

Since the inaugural Bangkok Chefs Charity which took place in 2009, proceeds amounting to Bt132.66 million, derived from ticket sales and funds raised during each event from the past nine editions, have benefitted the Royal Patrol Police schools under the Patronage of Her Royal Highness, and provided scholarships for needy children as well as contributed towards purchase of teaching and learning materials and sports equipment.

The Princess will preside over the event on February 4 at 5pm.

Tickets cost Bt12,500 per seat (10 seats per table). For reservations, call (02) 403 3388 extension 108 or (091) 837 5555.

JUMBO SEAFOOD, one of the most popular seafood restaurants among Thai visitors to Singapore, has now sailed into the kingdom and opened its first outlet here at the mega mall Iconsiam.

Spread over 800 square metres overlooking the Chao Phraya river, the restaurant is decked out in the silver, gold and bronze palette that Iconsiam has picked as its signature. Ripple motifs appear on the ceiling, the hanging lamps and the pillars to evoke the flow of the river.

The restaurant can accommodate 260 diners indoors and another 40 outdoors. Three private dining rooms each with a capacity for up to 12 guests are also available. Lobsters, crabs and fish swim around the 12 glass tanks and at the tables, most of the diners are donning lobster claw-style gloves and lobster headdresses all ready for those must-have selfies.

Singapore’s popular seafood chain Jumbo Seafood has opened its first Thailand branch at Iconsiam.

Jumbo Group opened its first Singapore-style seafood restaurant in 1987 at Singapore’s East Coast Seafood Centre and now has 17 outlets across Asia in China, Vietnam and Taipei. Thailand’s branch is operated by Ded Chinsupakul of CJ Seafood.

“Jumbo Seafood is my favourite seafood restaurant in Singapore because it serves the very freshest ingredients and truly delicious sauces. It took me almost three years to acquire the franchise for Thailand and I anticipate more than 200,000 customers in the first year,” says Ded, who also runs Sushi Den, Lugang, Capri, Ibushi, and Why 97.

Guests enjoy wearing the lobster-like props for their funny photos.

Eighty per cent of the menu is identical to that offered in Singapore and the prices are about the same too. Devotees will be pleased to find the restaurant’s 12 signature sauces, among them chilli crab paste, black pepper spice, XO and Nonya, which are flown in regularly to maintain the same taste and quality.

Famous for its crabs, Jumbo Seafood offers mud crabs (Bt200-Bt220 per 100g), mostly imported from Vietnam and Kenya, which have a white and juicy flesh with a tinge of sweetness. The Alaskan king crabs (Bt440 per 100g) boast sweet and delicate flesh while the Dungeness crabs (Bt220 per 100g) from the US and Canada are distinctive for their firm flesh and delightful salty-sweet flavour.

Chilli Mud Crab

The recommended cooking styles of each type of live crab are listed on the menu and guests get to choose the one they prefer. The Bangkok branch can so far provide five cooking styles out of the 10 available in Singapore. Diners can enjoy the crabs lightly fried or steamed with ginger before being stir-fried in a chilli sauce and egg, or stir-fried with thick gravy made with black pepper. Other choices are stir-frying with pepper and spiced salt, or with salted egg. Steaming in Chinese wine and egg white is another option.

Handed my bib and a crab opener, I try the mud crab with chilli sauce and swoon over the slightly sweet and spicy sauce made from over 10 Asian spices. The texture is creamy and the dish so flavourful that I soak it up with a mini fried bun or mantou.

Deep-fried Red Tilapia with Nonya Sauce

Next up is a whole Deep-fried Red Tilapia with a sweet-sour sauce called Nonya (Bt80 per 100g) that gives off a well-balanced sweet, tangy and nutty taste that reminds me of satay sauce.

Tiger prawns are offered boiled, fried with pepper and spiced salt, with cheese and butter, or steamed with minced garlic. I sample the Herbal Drunken Prawns (available in three portions for Bt368, Bt468 and Bt698) in which the prawns are cooked in a bowl of herbal soup giving the dish a warm herbal fragrance.

Herbal Drunken Prawns

Exclusive to the Bangkok branch are river prawns from Ayutthaya. They can be cooked in various styles such as cheese-baked with mentaiko (cod/pollock roe), steamed with minced garlic and fried either with salted egg or glazed soya sauce.

Golden Salted Egg Fish Skin 

The appetisers are also worth trying and include Golden Salted Egg Fish Skin (Bt228) with a rich, creamy taste and a crisp texture and a Bacon Roll tossed with salad cream (Bt188-Bt358) with a dense minced squid stuffing.

 Chilled Mango Sago Pomelo

The dessert menu is small for now but among the choices is chilled mango sago pomelo (Bt118) and chilled honeydew sago (also Bt118).

The drinks list is also limited, offering mango smoothie (Bt110), barley (Bt60) or a whole fresh coconut (Bt110).

TASTES OF THE DEEP

Jumbo Seafood on G floor of Iconsiam is open daily for lunch, 11am to 2.30pm and dinner, 5 to 10pm.

Call (02) 118 6290 or visit “jumboseafoodbangkok” |page on Facebook.