The list was announced at an awards ceremony held at Capitol Theatre on Thursday night (May 3). It was the first time a ceremony was held to announce the list.

Indulge Experimental Bistro in Taipei claimed the second spot, while Shanghai’s Speak Low took third place.

Eleven other bars from the Republic made the list. But China, which also had 12 bars on the list, ties with Singapore as cocktail capital of Asia. The country with the next highest number of entries was Japan, which had eight entries, followed by Thailand (six entries) and South Korea (four entries).

While there were no new entries from Singapore, a number moved to higher positions. Among the biggest climbers were Atlas at Parkview Square which rose eight places to No. 4, and Native at Amoy Street which rose 12 places to No.8. Native’s head bartender Vijay Mudaliar was also awarded with the Bartenders’ Bartender award.

Tippling Club, which came in at No.7, up from last year’s 11th spot, rounds out the Singapore bars that made the top 10.

Singapore bars outside the top 10 dropped in rankings. These were 28 HongKong Street (No.12), Operation Dagger (No.19), Gibson (No.22), Employees Only (No.23), D.bespoke (No.32), Nutmeg & Clove (No.33), Jigger & Pony (No.42) and The Other Room (No.50). Sugarhall, which placed No.38 last year, did not make the cut this time.

Asia’s 50 Best Bars has been published annually since 2016, based on votes from more than 200 industry experts across Asia’s bar scene. The inaugural awards ceremony on May 3 was attended by about 500 of the region’s top bartenders, bar owners and industry figures.

The list is published by William Reed Business Media, which also organises the annual World’s 50 Best Bars Awards, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants lists.

It takes just one press of a button to prepare your favourite coffee and milk drink. Simply fill the specially designed milk container to the correct level for your chosen milk recipe, press the button and the machine will froth the fresh milk directly into your cup.

As the Lattissima One has been specially designed for a single serving, the machine will always use the total quantity of milk in the container, eliminating any milk wastage. Cleaning the machine is also exceptionally easy as the milk container can go straight in the dishwasher.

Compact in size and premium in design, the Lattissima One machine has a modern mix of gloss and matte finishes and is available in two sophisticated colours, Silky White or Mocha Brown.

It’s priced at Bt14,300 at Nespresso boutiques and online at http://www.Nespresso.com.

Founded in 2014, Zakuzaku is one of Japan’s favourite pastry brands and is the first bakehouse to offer Croquant Chou, a unique kind of sticky cream puff that’s freshly filled with custard cream and completed with a crunchy texture.

Adhering to the house’s “Factory in Shop” concept, each chou is freshly baked in the store and filled with custard cream for each order, thus allowing customers to witness the entire process and enjoy its guaranteed freshness.

Zakuzaku also serves up Soft Serve ice cream made of Hokkaido milk and coated with Croquant crusts.

The unique concept of Zakuzaku stands by the “wearable choux” philosophy, reflecting a commitment to creating an exclusive kind of baked goodie you can enjoy anywhere and anytime.

The Bangkok branch promises to carry on the philosophy of the brand, offering only the best quality baked goods made mainly of imported ingredients from Japan

Bake Cheese Tart Thailand, led by Willy McIntosh, Kathaleeya McIntosh and their business partners, hosted a party to celebrate the grand opening recently with media and guests including Ponphan Sittinawawit, Passorn Sittinawawit , Napasasi Surawan and Ice Amena Gul.

Retail prices are Bt75 for a Croquant Chou and Bt135 for Soft Serve. The shop is open daily from 10am-10pm.

Find out more or place an order at (091) 916 4224.

Each comforting creation combines distinctive characteristics of Japanese cuisine together with Dean & Deluca signature flair.

First up on the seasonal menu is Cold Somen Noodle Salad with Tiger Prawn (Bt385), a refreshing and light dish drizzled with ginger sesame vinaigrette. For something heavier, opt for Gyukatsu Burger (Bt455) featuring sliced beef katsu stuffed with mozzarella cheese, tonkatsu sauce, wasabi mayo, and served with French fries.

Next up, Mentaiko Smoked Salmon Tagliolini (Bt325) comes in a smooth garlic cream sauce; a dish created specially for pasta lovers. Also on offer are rice dishes Butadon with Onsen Egg (Bt175- Bt275) for pork enthusiasts, and Chicken Tsukune Donburi (Bt155-Bt275) for chicken devotees. These two dishes come with suimono or Japanese clear soup.

A Taste of Japan wouldn’t be complete without some sakura flowers. The barista team unveils two special sakura-inspired drinks: Iced Sakura Cream Cheese Matcha Latte (Bt150) and Sakura Cream Cheese Matcha Milkshake (Bt175). Clad in a delicate pink hue, the drinks are a real treat for both the taste buds and the eyes, featuring key ingredients such as sakura syrup, home-made sakura cream cheese, home-made matcha panna cotta and grated white chocolate. The subtle flavours of green tea and sakura offer the perfect balance of sweet and sour. The drinks are available only in medium size at all stores except the Suvarnabhumi Airport outlet.

The full Taste of Japan menu is available at all outlets including MahaNakhon Cube, Central Embassy, the EmQuartier and the Crystal until May 27.

Guests will have an opportunity to discover a selection of premium wines from more than 100 prestigious labels around the world, handpicked according to their distinct styles and meet award-winning sommeliers and renowned chefs as they share their passion and discuss their favourites while sipping world-class vintages. Light canapes will also be served.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn about selected premium vintages from Thailand’s top sommeliers and use their expert advice in choosing your wines.

Confirmed participants include Thanakorn Bottorff of Gaggan Restaurant Group, who won Thailand’s Best Sommelier Competition in 2016, and Thitid Tassanakajohn, aka Chef Ton of Le Du, who has been heralded as one of Thailand’s brightest culinary stars since the opening of his modern Thai restaurant.

He is also behind the family recipe-inspired Baan and Backyard outlets.

The list also features Prateep Kanisthachart of Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel, Pathompong Wangmanao of W Bangkok Hotel, Jatuporn Meekaew of The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok, Pattarapol Ponraritt of Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park, Thanakrit Suksabai of Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort, Panya Nabchid of Zuma Bangkok, Direkrit Kotchawong of Riedel Wine Bar & Cellar, and Banyat Chinpinyokul of Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok.

Get off the BTS Ratchadamri Station and toast a wonderful evening at this one-night only. Tiokets cost Bt1,400-net and reservations can be made by calling (02) 126 8866 extension 1201 or emailing dining.asia@anantara.com.

THE RATCHAPRASONG Square Trade Association once again celebrates the hottest months of the year by teaming up with eight pastry chefs from leading hotels and tearooms in downtown Bangkok for a High Tea Jubilee on the theme “Blossom Tea Delight”.

Now in its third edition, the gustatory event is the perfect indulgence with specially brewed tea blends as well as savoury and sweet treats that are being served until the end of June.

Red lotus, which increases blood flow to the heart and lowers blood pressure, is the highlight of the Erawan Tea Room’s Thai-style afternoon tea set. Priced at Bt600-net per person, it features a choice of tea made from butterfly pea, bael fruit and pandan leaf, lemongrass and jasmine.

A pastry chef at the Erawan Tea Room prepares the Thai-style afternoon tea set.

“In keeping with blossom delight theme, we’ve opted for organic lotuses and incorporate the pollen, petals and seeds with both savoury and sweet delicacies. The tea set also plays on the red and pink shades extracted from red lotus, roselle and beetroot,” says chef Achara To-ussami.

The three-tier stand features a variety of savoury treats on the bottom tier including yum tua plu (spicy winged bean and shrimp served on lotus petals), miang gaysorn bua (tidbits made of chopped lotus petals and pollens, roasted coconut and cashew nut with a sweet dip served in crispy pastry cups), thung thong (crispy fried dumplings stuffed with lotus seed and taro), dok khae (batter fried hummingbird vegetable filled with minced pork and shrimp), vol-au-vent stuffed with chicken yellow curry, and chor muang sai poo (steamed flower-shaped crabmeat dumplings).

The middle tier has an assortment of Thai desserts including all-time favourite mango and sticky rice, kanom krok (rice pudding), kanom bueng (crispy bean crepes), look chub (sweet bean paste in colourful fruit forms), mor gaeng (egg custard with lotus seed), and kanom chan (steamed sweet layer cake).

European delights including longan flower honey madeleines, pandan cream mille feuille, durian and passion fruit Jelly, dark chocolate cup filled with hibiscus tapioca, milk chocolate cream and rosella juice, and banana and coconut scones with whipped cream and strawberry jam dominate the top tier.

Novotel Bangkok Platinum Pratunam’s tea set brings seven teas infused with flowers to its set.

Pastry chef Warattha Boonpitak of Novotel Bangkok Platinum Pratunam has responded to the call for blossoms by selecting seven blends of flowery teas from China, namely rose, jasmine, butterfly pea, lavender, chrysanthemum, chamomile and Blooming tea – tea leaves in a pouch that morph into a flower when steeped in hot water. She has also created three savoury and five sweet Thai style treats to pair with the teas.

The tea set is priced at Bt950-net and includes mango and sticky rice, jasmine aa lua and Snow Skin Mooncake in different flower shapes, bael fruit jelly, and macarons filled with orange, strawberry and pistachio.

The savoury bite comes from spicy salmon salad with Thai herbs, cheesy fried shrimp cake and spring rolls stuffed with edible butterfly pea, rose and red lotus petals.

Strawberry is the star at the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok.

Over at the InterContinental Bangkok, chef Saiful Huda goes wild for American strawberries, using them to full advantage in his strawberry mousse and chocolate cake, strawberry financier and mango mousse, and strawberry macarons.

“US strawberries have a juicy and fruity flavour, a beautiful red colour and the right combination of sweet and sour. The macaron is filled with real strawberry jam and contains no dairy products,” says chef Huda.

Strawberry also features in the lemon cake and strawberry, strawberry pistachio lychee tart, and strawberry Japanese shortcake. The top tier boasts chicken sandwiches, corn and cheese pie, and puff pastry with sauteed onion and sun dried tomato that can be paired with a selection of teas like Moroccan mint, fruit tea with sunflower seeds, chamomile, and oolong. The tea set costs Bt550-plus for one and Bt850-plus for two.

Rose and French vanilla are two key scents at the Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel.

Rose and French vanilla are the two scents chef Matt Mittnacht of the Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel has chosen for his Parisian-style set (Bt750-plus for two).

Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel serves a pastry set drowning in summer flowers.

Meanwhile, chef Laurent Duffaut of the Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel serves a pastry set drowning in summer flowers with such dishes as rosella panna cotta, spring butterfly pea supreme, chrysanthemum cremeux, and hibiscus smoked salmon with tea gel, all of them paired with three fruit and green tea blends. The set costs Bt850-plus for two on weekdays and Bt950-plus for one on weekends.

Munchies are served in a birdcage at the St Regis Bangkok Hotel.

Beautifully presented in a bird cage, chef Thitiphong Suanborae of the St Regis Bangkok Hotel offers Boston lobster tom yum on bread, truffle puff mousse, Norwegian salmon with honey mustard, orange cannoli, and hazelnut cake washed down with TWG’s 1837 Black Tea. It is priced at Bt1,500-plus for two.

The Centara Grand at CentralWorld Bangkok Hotel pairs Blooming Tea with sweet and savoury treats.

Chinese Blooming Tea infused with the flowers of jasmine, bachelor’s button, and chrysanthemum is the highlight at the Centara Grand at CentralWorld Bangkok Hotel where chef Thawat Prathumpuang also create sweets and canapes in shapes and textures resembling summer blooms. It costs Bt699-plus for two.

1823 Tea Lounge by Ronnefeldt at Gaysorn Village offers two exclusive tea blends with pastries.

Last, but far from least, tea master Nalinthron Triwittayaslip of 1823 Tea Lounge by Ronnefeldt at Gaysorn Village is sticking to his two exclusive blends. The Bangkok Blend is oolong tea mixed with tropical papaya and pineapple while the Gaysorn Blend combines light flowery Pai Mu Tan white tea from Fujian with ripe mango and hints of citrus. These fine brews go with treats like mango sticky rice and strawberry gazpacho with poached prawn, both infused with Ronnefeldt teas. It costs Bt1,370-plus for two.

TEA FOR TWO

High Tea Jubilee 2018@Ratchaprasong continues until the end of June.

Bangkok Bank credit card holders get a 20-per-cent discount at all venues.

Keep updated at http://www.BkkDowntown.com or http://www.Facebook.com/HeartOfBangkok.

At Nara on G Floor at Siam Paragon, the Mango and Sticky Rice utilises the sweet nam dok mai variety. IHop on the same floor and also on the fourth floor has a great Mango Pancake, with fresh blueberries and whipped cream joining the sweet mango on top.

Also on G Floor, Another Hound has its own version of Mango and Sticky Rice presented in layers in a crystal glass, and Vanilla Brasserie tempts with a Mango Crepe – a cocoa crepe with sticky rice, coconut ice cream and nam dok mai mango, topped with blueberries and pomegranate.

At Siam Center, Tarr Tarr, a tart cafe chain based in South Korea, is ready to offer the Mango Tart – crunchy pastry with cream-cheese topped with diced sweet mango. Another popular sweets restaurant from Korea, Sulbing, has sour and sweet Mango Cheese Bingsu, which features shaved ice with mango, almonds, yoghurt ice-cream and cheesecake.

China-based Yenly Yours presents Mango with Sticky Rice, with both nam dok mai and si thong varieties, while Baan Ying Cafe and Meal has Snowy Mango – shaved ice topped with mango and condensed milk.

My Kitchen at Siam Discovery has Panna Cotta Mango Passion Fruit from Brix Dessert Bar, and On-Ing Mango Ice Cream.

BANGKOK DINERS can save themselves the expense of a flight to Hong Kong and instead tuck into the excellent Chinese cuisine at Dragon Luxury, a restaurant at the Miracle Grand Convention Hotel, not far from Don Mueang Airport.

Decked out luxuriously in the modern style with warm tones all around, Dragon Luxury has six VIP rooms for added privacy and luncheon meetings.

Each has a round table big enough for eight people, and the centre portion rotates to keep the dishes in easy reach. There are also sofas. Two of these rooms can open up and be joined together, making space for up to 40 guests.

Inside the Dragon Luxury at the Miracle Grand Convention Hotel

Thanarak “Pom” Shuto – Thailand’s Iron Chef when it comes to Chinese food – was in the kitchen here for the restaurant’s first year. Now, Thanakorn Khutrakulthammongkol, who has more than 30 years’ experience in Chinese cuisine, is working his own magic with the same menu created by Pom.

On my recent visit I was marvelling from the start with bacon cooked in a sour-and-spicy sauce. The next appetiser took the form of varied dim sum dishes, including Steamed Shanghai Xiao Long Bao (Bt109), with soup encased in the bun.

The buns are served individually on spoons, so I had five spoons lined up neatly on a wooden steaming tray. You have to be careful because the soup is hot, so sip slowly before chewing on the bun.

Next up was Steamed Crystal Shrimp Dumpling (Bt160). The shrimp, wrapped in a flour dumpling, was lovely and fresh. The restaurant’s signature salty sauce, made with shrimp paste, adds a delicious piquancy to the dumpling.

The same held true with Steamed Pork Dumpling with Abalone (Bt190), very pleasing with the fish resting atop the dumpling.

Steamed Shanghai Xiao Long Bao

I also tried four a-la-carte dishes – Peking Duck, Wok-tossed Egg Noodles with XO Spicy Sauce and Seafood, Steamed Snow Fish with Lime and Chilli, and Crispy-fried River Shrimp with Garlic Five Spicy Sauces.

A large bird goes into the Peking Duck (Bt1,200), which is thoroughly seasoned and roasted in such a way that the skin is crispy and the meat is not too oily. The skin, redolent with herbs, is rolled up in flour wrappers and served with the signature sauce, a blissful compound experience of taste and texture.

Peking Duck

The kitchen will prepare the meat in any of several ways, as you prefer. You can have it fried with garlic or with black pepper or, as recommended, fried after a soaking in fish sauce. The crisped, browned meat smells wonderful and can be enjoyed with rice or chilli sauce.

Steamed Snow Fish with Lime and Chilli

The Steamed Snow Fish (Bt1,400 for 400 grams, Bt350 for 100 grams) is equally enjoyable in its dressing of sour lime and spicy chillies. Chef Thanakorn explained with a smile that he overcomes the fishy smell by dousing it with boiling water before it’s steamed.

 Crispy-fried River Shrimp with Garlic Five Spicy Sauces

The Crispy-fried River Shrimp (Bt500 per shrimp) is outstandingly fresh. The mid-size shrimps are splayed and fried so the peels are crisp, and then cooked with garlic and five-spice sauce, a great contrast to the shellfish’s natural sweetness.

 Wok-tossed Egg Noodles with XO Spicy Sauce and Seafood

Thanakorn pointed out that there are two kinds of noodles in Wok-tossed Egg Noodles – both fried and crispy and fried and soft. The XO sauce is of course the classic Chinese mix of aromatic herbs and has nothing to do with the brandy.

Chinese Jujube Pancake

I finished up with the restaurant’s signature dessert, Chinese Jujube Pancake (Bt400 for a serving big enough for four people). The pancake is decorated with colourful strawberry sauce, which, as Thanakorn noted, provides a nice sour contrast to the sweetness of the pancake.

The price of the dim sum buffet at lunchtime is discounted by 30 per cent all this month (you pay Bt483 rather than Bt690). All a-la-carte dishes are reduced by the same amount except the Peking Duck, on sale at half the usual price.

DON’T SKIP THE JUJUBE PANCAKE

Dragon Luxury is at the Miracle Grand Convention Hotel and open for lunch from 11.30 to 2.30 and dinner from 6 to 10.30.

The hotel is on Khampaengphet 6 Road in Lak Si, in Bangkok’s Bang Khen district.

Book a table at (02) 575 5599 or http://th.MiracleGrandHotel.com.

Created by executive pastry chef Laurent Duffaut, the high tea features a selection of sweet and savoury delights paired with Mariage Freres’s exclusive Thai-inspired tea collection –Elephant Blanc, Lune Rouge and Temple De L’aube.

Surrounded by the summer blooms decorating the lobby, guests can nibble on Camomile and Brie French Toast, Chicken Pandan with a Tea Dip and Hibiscus Smoked Salmon with Tea Gel.

The sweet creations bring many health benefits along with their beautiful fragrances. Rosella Panna Cotta, for example, can stabilise bad cholesterol and Spring Butterfly Pea Supreme is full of antioxidants that help nourish hair growth and prevent hair fall. Chrysanthemum Cremeux is perfect for a summer afternoon with its natural cooling properties and immune boosting levels of Vitamins C, A and B, along with zinc and iron.

The summer afternoon tea set is priced at Bt850 inclusive of one drink of hot or cold coffee or tea.

Book your seat at (02) 126 8866 extension 1217 or email lobby.asia@anantara.com.

Brasserie Europa of Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok has “A Blast from the Past” buffet dinner from now until the end of April. Come in a traditional Thai costume and you’ll receive an exclusive Songkran “Treat”.

It’s priced at Bt1,800-plus and you can book your place at (02) 162 9000.

Huntsman Pub in the basement of The Landmark Bangkok, is celebrating St George’s Day with a bumper pub roast buffet dinner on April 23 from 6 to 10pm. The buffet features all kinds of delicious traditional dishes by executive chef Philippe Gaudal who will be on hand to serve individual helpings of roasted wagyu beef, New Zealand lamb with Yorkshire pudding and favourite desserts including sticky toffee pudding, bread & butter pudding and apple crumble.

It’s priced at Bt950-plus per person but if you come in a group of four, you’ll only pay for two. Find out more at (02) 254 0404 extension 7777 or email: fb@landmarkbangkok.com.

Prices are Bt900 for lunch, Bt1,100 for dinner, and Bt1,700 for Sunday Brunch. For more information and reservations, call (02) 232 8888 or dining.lmbkk@lemeridien.com.

Big Fish restaurant in Pattaya is offering a Thai lunch buffet throughout this month on a marketplace theme. It features traditional Thai cuisine including salad, papaya salad, lemongrass & shrimps salad, Thai noodle serves with beef/chicken and meat ball, pad Thai, fish cake served with chilli-pickled cucumber. Desserts feature mango with sticky rice, luk chub, woon baitoey, tup tim krob and more!

The price of Bt400 net comes with a special welcome drink from the antique jar. Book a table at (038) 930 600 or fbsec@siamatpattaya.com.

The Terrace@72 of Ramada Plaza Bangkok Menam Riverside presents Indian culinary delights buffet style all this month from 6 to 10pm. You’ll tuck into an enticing variety of Indian dishes prepared by chef Pandey including butter chicken, chicken Tikka, Samosa, Rogan Josh and more along with a range of Thai, Chinese, Japanese and Western dishes.

The price is Bt1,400-plus. Book now at (02) 688 1000 extension 80118 or email: fb@ramadaplazamenamriverside.com.

Atelier restaurant of Pullman Bangkok Grande Sukhumvit is offering a discount of more than 50 per cent on its buffets until Friday (April 20). The Songkran Splash buffet prices are Bt399 net per person for international lunch buffet from Monday to Saturday and Bt800 net per person for sizzling prawns and salmon dinner buffet from Sunday to Thursday.

The Atelier buffets feature interactive cooking stations, seafood delicacies, global cuisines including Chinese and Indian favourites, dessert corner with chocolate fountain, and much more. Lunch is from noon to 2.30pm, and dinner is from 6pm to 10.30pm.

Reserve your seat at (02) 204 4161 or visit http://www.PullmanBangkokGrandeSukhumvit.com/offers/songkran-buffet-promotion/.

Latest Recipe at Le Meridien Bangkok boasts a La Dolce Vita lifestyle buffet from the iconic Mediterranean enclaves of Nice and Portofino all the way to the essence of Asia from May 1 onwards, celebrating cultures around the world in a distinctly European spirit.

Every section, from the make-your-own healthy salad corner to modern Mediterranean gastronomy, reveals delicious choices that include rotations of oysters, mussels, clams, snails, banana prawns, squid, baby octopus, blue crab, sea almond, razor clams. Salmon is smoked three-ways in-house and pasta is freshly home-made and cooked a la minute. There’s even premium sushi and sashimi servings. More seafood and tender selections of meats are sizzled to tender perfection on the teppan grill.

Free-flow beverage packages are paired with the extraordinary new flavours and cost Bt700 net for wine, sparkling wine and beer during dinner and Sunday brunch.

Latest Recipe also offers Bollinger Champagne to complement the remarkable gastronomy, priced at Bt2,800-plus per bottle or Bt590-plus per glass. Or enjoy a bubbly free-flow Bollinger package at Bt2,355 net per person during Sunday Brunch only.

Bring the young ones to Sunday Brunch and Latest Recipe’s Kids’ Corner will keep them busy with cooking classes and a special desserts live station. And so everyone can enjoy at leisure, Sunday Brunch has been extended to four-and-a-half hours, from 12.30pm till 4.30pm.