Available through March 31, the piquant curry dishes include Massaman Nuea Wagyumade with tender wagyu beef rump, Choo Chee Goong Louis-Suan with fried tiger prawns and sweet curry and crispy Panaeng Moo Krob, a delectable thick red curry with crispy pork belly.

Khao Soi has been a classic Northern-style favourite since time immemorial and Up & Above is serving it as Nong Gai (egg noodles with yellow curry paste and chicken drumstick), Jae (egg noodles in yellow curry served with vegetables) and as Prawn Tempura (noodles with yellow curry paste and Japanese- style fried prawns). Prices start at Bt270-plus.

Up & Above Restaurant is on the 24th floor of The Okura Prestige Bangkok. Book your table by calling (02) 687 9000 or visit http://www.OkuraBangkok.com.

Spring harvested, shade grown and stone ground, organic matcha tea is best served in a centuries-old Japanese tea ceremony called chanoyu, a preparation technique known for its centring meditative qualities.

“The launch of Tea Forte’s Matcha collection represents our continued commitment to wellness and cultivating all the potential mental and physical health benefits of tea,” says Tea Forte CEO Michael Gebrael. “In addition to our high quality pure Matcha, we’ve also blended four distinct matcha varieties. Prepackaged for single servings, our Single Steeps Matcha is ideal for the office, travel or to keep with you for a boost anytime.”

The tea comes with a handcrafted ceremonial tea bowl, handmade bamboo whisk and measuring ladle to encourage enjoyment of the gluten-free and vegan matcha blends.

These include Pure Matcha, Chocolate Matcha, Coconut Matcha, Ginger Matcha and Chai Matcha and they’re available now in selected stores and online at http://www.teaforte.com.

Plying his trade on the heights of the Grisons Alps,Wassmer embarked on his personal triumphal march through the traditional channels of gourmet critics two years ago. Barely eight months after first taking charge of the Restaurant 7132 Silver, Gault & Millau was already celebrating him as the “discovery of the year 2016”, bestowing a lavish 17 points on the stellar newcomer.

He has now wowed the prestigious testers a second time and is thrilled to have received 18 Gault & Millau points plus the title “Newcomer of the Year 2018”.

“Sven is the biggest talent among Swiss chefs,” Gault & Millau wrote in 2016. “An evening with him is, in culinary terms, a veritable explosion of the senses.” This year, they are once again in full agreement: “We stand by every word. And because Sven and his clever cuisine are getting better by the year, we are sending the 18th point down to the valley. Sven is thus approaching Champions League level.”

The atmosphere in Wassmer’s kitchen is one of relaxed professionalism. He and his team are a good-humoured bunch who clearly know the ropes as they fillet fresh char, pick fermented vegetables from bulbous jars and chop energy-packed herbs.

Wassmer works with ingredients from the immediate vicinity: Nettles and Good King Henry from the lush mountain meadows, Pomeranian ducks looking for the same herbs on the edge of the village, and even wood ants, which the head chef himself marinates in olive oil and salt.

Now, this whole wealth of practical knowledge flows into his copious menus, some of which run to 19 courses. Last year, Michelin Guide testers reckoned that was worth a second star and their counterparts at Gault & Millau would seem to be equally convinced.

Find out more at http://www.7132.com

Among the highlights is the signature prawn curry Tawa Jhinga Masala along with Nri Ice Tea cocktail. Inspired by the iconic Long Island iced tea, this is a formidable concoction made with made with rum, gin, vodka, tequila, fresh star fruit, grenadine, black pepper, fresh red chilli, and kokum syrup.

Despite sounding lethal, it’s an amazingly bright and refreshing drink that never lets the alcohol dominate the palate and subtly enhances the well-developed ingredients and succulent shrimp in the tomato-based Tawa Masala Curry.

Guests are invited to customise their spice level from mild, medium or hot in the curry to match their own personal preferences. The curry itself is light and fragrant and incorporates a special whole peppercorn imported from Bengal that imparts a truly unique flavour.

The prawns are also marinated and cooked separately in the tandoor oven until they take on a gentle smoky aroma and are added to the curry at the last minute so that the prawns are never overcooked.

Hyderabadi Biryani is a famous Nizam style braised lamb and rice dish made with saffron-hued basmati, hand-picked by chef DS Rana to find the longest grains, and cooked in a Dum (traditional Indian brass pot). It is paired with a seductive white Russian inspired Masala Chai Martini cocktail made with chai tea, Bailey’s Irish Cream, vodka, nutmeg and a cinnamon stick.

The biryani is a labour-intensive dish inspired by Punjab cuisine and incorporates unique touches such as ghee instead of oil, special black cumin seeds imported from India and home-made rose water.

“Our chef goes out of his way to make incredible dishes that are all at once familiar yet tantalisingly exotic. It’s all about a delicate balance between the spices, combined with the high-quality ingredients that he painstakingly sources from India. There is a lot of time, preparation, and knowledge that goes into to each and every one of these dishes and when paired with our new and exciting cocktails, our guests will be sure to have a meal they will remember fondly, and hopefully come back to experience again and again,” says Vinay Chawla, vice president of Bawarchi International Group.

Made by the Cheesecake Factory Bakery and brought here by Bank of Bakery, it’s now on sale at Gourmet Market in Siam Paragon.

Recognised with the Best Desserts in Casual Dining Award by the Zagat Survey for 5 consecutive years, these cheesecakes stand out for the composition of the concentrated premium cheese as well as the numerous exotic flavours and scent. Here they are available in the American size of 5 pounds so there’s no excuse not to have a second slice.

Thirteen flavours are available and are priced as follows: Original Cheesecake (Bt159, 9-inch, Bt189 10-inch) Key Lime Pie, Triple Vanilla, Dulce de Leche, Banoffee and Chocolate all at Bt189; Bananas Foster, Dutch Apple, Crazy Red Velvet, White Chocolate Raspberry, Tuxedo Mousse Cheesecake, all Bt199, plus Blueberries and Cream  and Wild Strawberries and Cream, both Bt219.

Find out more at Facebook: BankofBakery.

The Gozen lunch platter includes five-coloured marinated vegetables, shrimp and smoked duck with egg yolk vinegar and okra, sashimi, simmered yellowtail, radish, carrots and snow peas.

The Kaiseki dinner menu begins with tofu skin in soy sauce, herring roe, crab-meat, eggplant and maitake mushroom. That’s followed by monkfish-liver dumpling soup, tuna, yellow-tail, clam and shrimp sashimi, and grilled Spanish mackerel and scallop with yuzu confit and sansho pepper.

Then comes a dish of simmered salmon with sake lees, turnip, carrots and shiitake mushrooms and tempura of shrimp, snow crab, pond smelt, elingi mushrooms, sweet potato and green pepper.

And finally there’s hot vermicelli with oyster, shimeji mushrooms, honewort and a hint of yuzu.

The Winter Gozen lunch costs Bt1,300-plus and the Kaiseki dinner Bt4,500-plus.

For reservations, call (02) 687 9000 or email yamazato@okurabangkok.com.

Throughout January and February, the prized crustacean is the centrepiece in a series of dishes that combine the best culinary traditions of the East and West.

On the menu is lobster tartare with smoked potato ice cream, soba, fennel flowers and nori wafer; chilled lobster salad with avocado, organic herbs, dashi jelly, orange and miso sauce; poached lobster and sauteed Hokkaido scallops served with grilled white asparagus sauce, lemon and yuba; lobster and sole a la nage accompanied by potato ribbons, fennel, zucchini, shimeji and mitsuba; and meaty whole chargrilled lobster with white miso and young vegetables baked in a salt crust.

The lobster promotion is available at Elements restaurant Tuesday and Saturday from 6 to 10.30pm. Prices start from Bt490-plus.

Elements restaurant is on the 25th floor of The Okura Prestige Bangkok. Book a table at (02) 687 9000 or email elements@okurabangkok.com.

The dining treats include 18-month-aged Serrano ham, Catalonian bread with toppings, mussels escabeche, Wagyu meatballs, crispy calamari, Galician-style octopus and Valenciana paella.

These are complemented by free-flowing red, white and sparkling wine and refreshing sangria.

The feast costs Bt1,700-plus and is available every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6 to 10pm.

Meanwhile at Peroni on Jojo’s Terrace, premium Italian draft beer is being served every evening from 6 to 9.

It’s an al-fresco pleasure over pints of ice-cold Peroni Nastro Azzuro beer with its surprisingly fast and clean finish.

Buy two for Bt390 and you get a third at no additional charge. Assorted Italian snacks and mini-pizzas are also served starting at Bt200-plus apiece.

Book a table at (02) 207 7777 or fb.bangkok@stregis.com.

Learn more at http://www.StRegis.com/bangkok.

Mezzaluna was one of three Bangkok restaurants to obtain two stars. Its description in the Guide reads: “…on the 65th floor of the lebua Hotel, seemingly suspended in the clouds, the chef (Kawasaki) and his team deliver European delights executed with Japanese precision in five- and seven-course set menus.”

Indian progressive cuisine Gaggan on Soi Langsuan and French establishment Le Normandie at Mandarin Oriental Bangkok are another two restaurants that earned two stars.

“To be to be awarded two Michelin tars is truly incredible. I am proud and deeply humbled by the recognition from the Michelin guide. I cannot say enough about my team at Mezzaluna and the support we’ve received from lebua. They’ve encouraged me to indulge my culinary imagination and build the experience that is Mezzaluna,” said Kawasaki.

He has created an experiential menu that beautifully showcases how his Japanese heritage has informed his French culinary training. Using the best, locally sourced, organic Thai ingredients, as well as premium ingredients imported from around the world, the chef is able to create exclusive dishes, like his signature Murakami beef entree.

“lebua Hotels and Resorts is proud to have nurtured the talent of Chef Ryuki and to have earned the recognition of the Michelin guide. Mezzaluna is a spectacular restaurant and now the world knows it. With the arrival of the Michelin guide, Bangkok, already the number one tourist destination in the world, is poised to become the leading culinary destination internationally as well,” added Deepak Ohri, CEO of lebua Hotels and Resorts.

The first selection for the Michelin guide Bangkok featured a total of 98 restaurants and highlights Bangkok’s balance of embracing international cuisines without abandoning its own heritage and authentic cuisine – which draws millions of visitors worldwide. Only three restaurants earned two stars, 14 restaurants earned one star and no restaurants earned three stars. This year’s selection also featured 35 restaurants awarded the Bib Gourmand.

For more information or to make a reservation, visit http://www.lebua.com.

To view the full selection of the Michelin guide Bangkok 2018, visit http://www.Guide.Michelin.com.

Seeking to bridge the gap between Thai and Indian cuisine, Bawarchi has paired several popular dishes with newly conceived cocktails.

India and Thailand both have enduring food cultures that embrace and incorporate curries as a dietary mainstay. As comfort food or part of a traditional or holiday meals, curries have a revered status.

Bawarchi’s prawn curry, Tawa Jhinga Masala, has been mated with the Nri Iced Tea cocktail inspired by the famous Long Island Iced Tea.

It’s a formidable concoction of rum, gin, vodka, tequila, star fruit, grenadine, black pepper, red chilli, and kokum syrup.  This bright and refreshing drink never lets the alcohol dominate the palate and subtly enhances the well-developed ingredients and succulent shrimp in the tomato-based curry.

Guests can customise their own spice level, from mild to medium to hot. The curry is light and fragrant and utilises a whole peppercorn imported from Bengal that imparts a truly unique flavour.

The prawns are marinated and cooked separately in the tandoor oven until they take on a gentle smoky aroma, and are added to the curry at the last minute so they’re not overcooked.

The Hyderabadi Biryani, a Nizam-style dish of braised lamb and saffron-hued basmati rice personally selected by chef DS Rana, is cooked in a dum – a traditional brass pot.

This is paired with a seductive White Russian-inspired Masala Chai Martini made with chai tea, Bailey’s Irish Cream, vodka, nutmeg and a cinnamon stick.

The biryani is a labour-intensive dish inspired by Punjab cuisine and incorporates unique touches, such as ghee instead of oil, black cumin seeds from India and homemade rose water.

“Our chef goes out of his way to make incredible dishes that are all at once familiar yet tantalisingly exotic,” says Bawarchi International Group vice president Vinay Chawla. “It’s all about a delicate balance between the spices, combined with the high-quality ingredients that he painstakingly sources from India.

“A lot of time, preparation and knowledge goes into each and every one of these dishes, and when paired with our new and exciting cocktails, they’ll be remembered fondly.”