On international flights, special desserts will be served during lunch and dinner on all flights departing from Bangkok except flights to Kuala Lumpur and Indian and Middle East routes.

Chocolate Mousse in Chocolate Gift box with Cinnamon Ice Cream and Chocolate Crumble with Raspberry and Pandan sauces will be offered to passenger in Royal First Class.

A chocolate Christmas tree will be served in Royal Silk Class and Chocolate praline cake will be served in Economy Class.

On domestic flights, special desserts are available on both inbound and outbound flights except flight TG226 Phuket-Bangkok.

– Royal Silk passengers will be served Red Velvet Barley Christmas Cake.

– Economy passengers will be served Red Velvet Barley Christmas cake on outbound flights and Cinnamon cookie on inbound flights.

“Nabe” refers to a large Japanese pot in which a selection of meats, fish, seafood and vegetables are cooked together in a seasoned broth to provide a wonderful communal meal. Often described as a winter specialty, a nabe hotpot stew can last for many hours as the heat beneath the pot is replenished and ingredients are added as desired.

One variation of Nabemono – Chankonabe – has become synonymous with Japan’s famous Sumo wrestlers, because the nutritional mix of ingredients boost the high protein levels the wrestlers need to gain the weight required to make them competitive.

Even today, Chankonabe remains a favourite among Sumo practitioners, from the lowly novice to the highest-ranked Yokozuna grand champion.

This winter, Up & Above Restaurant is offering a healthy version of Chankonabe.

Giving a real eneargy boost it comprises a selection of udon noodles, chicken, king crab, prawns, sea bass, mussels, clams and vegetables in a chicken and dashi broth. Wholesome and nourishing, it is the ideal winter meal to enjoy with family and friends.

The Chankonabe hotpot promotion is available daily from noon to 10pm, from January 1 to March 31, 2020.

Up & Above Restaurant is located on the 24th floor of The Okura Prestige Bangkok.

Uno Mas, however, serves it in a different way, in a split “half & half” bowl that features some of the finest imported products from the Mediterranean.

On one side is Dels Pirineus which has the richness of Iberico pork, Botifarra sausages, wild mushrooms and black truffles. On the other side, it’s Lobster Socarrant, which has succulent carabineros shrimp and delicate lobster – making this one paella dish like no other in Bangkok.

Diners can enjoy this very special take on paella for Bt1,650-plus. Book a table at (02) 100 6255.

Choices include Chicken Avocado Wrap, American Wagyu Beef Short rib and Cochinello.

The indulgent desserts of Smile Menu are Orange marmalade cake, Lemon poppy seed cake, Thai style fried banana cake and Chocolate tahini brownie. The  desserts will be available on all domestic and international routes (except WE419/420) from December 25, 2019 to January 1, 2020, or until the patisseries run out.

Michelin and TripAdvisor, with its subsidiary TheFork, have entered into a content and licensing partnership to combine the gastronomic selection expertise of the Michelin Guide with the power of TripAdvisor’s large customer audience and TheFork’s advanced booking service.

All of the 14,000 restaurants selected by the Michelin Guide inspectors worldwide will be clearly identified with their ratings Star, Bib Gourmand and Plate distinctions on the TripAdvisor website and apps leading to significantly improved accessibility of the Michelin selection.

Around 4,000 restaurants throughout Europe will soon be accessible and bookable on TheFork, and on the digital Michelin Guide platform.

In addition, Michelin has signed an agreement to sell Bookatable to The Fork. This acquisition allows TheFork to consolidate its existing markets and expand into five new countries: United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Finland and Norway.

This means that the 14,000 restaurants bookable on Bookatable will join the 67,000 already bookable on TheFork, creating the largest online restaurant booking platform.

The partnership between the Michelin Guide and TripAdvisor and TheFork will significantly increase the visibility of the chefs and restaurants of the Michelin guide and increase reservations thanks to the link to the world’s leading online booking platforms.

Together, these ambitious agreements will make it possible to offer millions of consumers the possibility to easily identify and book Michelin-selected restaurants on TheFork. In exchange, all TheFork restaurants partners will also be bookable on the Michelin Guide digital platforms, web at: www.guide.michelin.com and App.

The special events begin on the morning of Saturday (November 23) with a Blue Fin Tuna Cutting Show, in which chefs will skillfully carve a 100-kilogram blue fin tuna, brought direct from Shikoku, in the hotel lobby between 10 am to 11 am.

The tuna will be for immediate sale to guests, and also presented as a 10-course menu at Hishou Japanese restaurant. The first 100 guests will receive a complimentary glass of sake.

Christmas Eve dinner (December 24)

The Oasis restaurant on 6th floor will feature a festive international buffet highlighting premium seafood, offering half a Canadian lobster per person, Alaska king crab, salmon and oysters.

Also on the buffet are foie gras and a turkey carving station, a Japanese corner with sashimi, sushi, maki and the signature kaisen don, and festive season desserts including log cake, stollen, and Christmas pudding.

Served between 6 pm and 22.30 pm, the Oasis dinner buffet prices are Bt2,020 net per person inclusive of drinking water, coffee or tea, and Bt3,020 net per person inclusive of free flow sparkling wine, white wine, red wine and beer.

Hishou Japanese restaurant on the ground floor presents tempura, sushi, grilled seafood and the Obanzai buffet.

Dinner is served between 5.30 pm and 10.30 pm at the price of Bt1,700 net per person inclusive of one glass of sake or sparkling wine.

Christmas Day (December 25)

The Oasis will provide a special festive international Christmas Brunch with a highlight of premium seafood such as half a Canadian lobster per person, Alaska king crab, salmon and oysters.

Also on the buffet are foie gras and a turkey carving station, a Japanese corner with sashimi, sushi, maki and the signature kaisen don, and festive season desserts including log cake, stollen, and Christmas pudding.

Served between 12 noon to 3.30 pm, the Oasis dinner buffet prices are Bt2,020 net per person inclusive of drinking water, coffee or tea, and Bt3,020 net per person inclusive of free flow sparkling wine, white wine, red wine and beer.

Christmas Day lunch at Hishou presents tempura, sushi, grilled seafood and the Obanzai buffet. Lunch is served between 11.30 am to 2.30 pm at the price of Bt1,700 net per person inclusive of one glass of sake or sparkling wine.

New Year’s Eve (December 31)

The Oasis on New Year’s Eve will feature an international dinner buffet with premium seafood such as half a Canadian lobster per person, Alaska king crab, tiger prawn, Hokkaido scallop, and three kinds of French oyster.

There will be a live station for foie gras, and a carving station that will include beef.

The Japanese corner features sashimi, sushi, maki and kaisen don, and special desserts will be prepared at the live dessert station.

New Year’s Eve dinner at The Oasis is served from 6 pm to 10.30 pm and is priced at Bt3,500 net per person inclusive of drinking water, coffee or tea, and Bt4,500 net per person inclusive of free flow sparkling wine, white wine, red wine and beer.

Prices include Countdown Party access at the Pool Terrace on the 6th floor, with one complimentary drink for toasting in the New Year.

Hishou sees a Japanese Omakase menu by executive Japanese chef Masayuki Warababe including Obanzai, with a selection of appetisers, sashimi, yakimono, a main course choice of Wagyu beef or tempura, followed by dessert.

Dinner is served between 5.30 pm and 10.30 pm and is priced at Bt3,500 net per person, inclusive of one glass of sake or sparkling wine. The price includes Countdown Party access at the Pool Terrace on the 6th floor, with one complimentary drink for toasting the New Year.

Hotel Nikko’s Countdown Party at the Pool Terrace on the 6th floor will be held from 9pm to 1am, and staged on a Japanese Town theme with snack food, drinks, a live band, DJ, a Japanese live show and a raffle, guaranteed to keep you entertained all the way through the last hours of 2019 and into 2020. The price is Bt1,000 net per person inclusive of one drink.

New Year Day (January 1, 2020)

A New Year tradition in Japan is mochitsuki, the pounding of sweet rice to make mochi, the rice cake that can be eaten in a sweet or savoury dish and which is a popular household staple.

On Wednesday (January 1), between 9.30 am and 11 am in the hotel lobby, the chefs will demonstrate the pounding of the rice, and encourage guests to take part.

The traditional happi, a straight-sleeved coat worn during festivals such as mochitsuki, will be available for guests to wear and to have their photograph taken.

Three flavours of mochi will be prepared: mochi isobe (with soy sauce), mochi kinako (soy powder), and mochi azuki (red bean). Sake and drinking water will be provided during this festive occasion.

Welcome the first day of 2020 on January 1 with a New Year brunch at The Oasis, with seafood including half a Canadian lobster per person, Alaska king crab, salmon, and oysters. There will be a foie gras station, a Japanese corner with sashimi, sushi, maki, and kaisen don, and a desserts station.

Brunch is served from 12 noon to 3.30 pm and is priced at Bt2,020 net per person inclusive of drinking water, coffee or tea, and Bt3,020 net per person inclusive of free flow sparkling wine, white wine, red wine and beer.

Hishou will be serving auspicious Japanese Oiwai Gozen specialities for three days from Jnauary 1 to January 3, with chef Masayuki Watanabe preparing an Osechi set menu for lunch and dinner, priced at Bt2,020 net per person inclusive of one glass of sake or sparkling wine.

According to the state-run Korea Tourism Organization, Food Trip in Korea (foodtrip.or.kr) was launched Wednesday afternoon with translations of 8,500 Korean dishes in English, Japanese and Chinese as its main feature. The service had been previously provided via the agency’s Visit Korea (visitkorea.or.kr) site.

The tourism organization plans to add a mobile page of the website, various menu designs and information on local eateries and popular Korean delicacies for foreign visitors.

Commemorating the website’s launch, the agency will hold an event from Dec.12-21, with the first 300 applicants winning a physical copy of their new foreign language menu.

Inaccurate translations on menus had long been a subject of criticism, even ridicule, among foreign visitors, with small restaurant owners often resorting to free translation services.

Among common mistakes making news were “gomtang” translated as “bear soup,” a confusion that derives from the word “gom” meaning both bear and boiling soup. Other common mistakes include “dynamic stew” (dongtae jjigae) and “six times,” (yukhoe) which the National Institute of Korean Language recommended translating to “pollack stew” and “beef tartare” in an official guide distributed in 2014.

By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)

As ever, the hotel is offering a choice of feasts to mark both Christmas and the New Year as follows:.

Christmas Eve dinner at Lord Jim’s features a 5-course seafood extravaganza for Bt6,500 net per person while Le Normandie, Bangkok’s only two-Michelin-starred French fine-dining restaurant, offers a 6-course menu prepared by Chef de Cuisine Arnaud Dunand Sauthie for Bt12,500 net. Early reservations are required.

On New Year’s Eve, revelers can enjoy a Gala Buffet Dinner at Riverside Terrace that kicks off at 7.30pm with a welcome cocktail in the Authors’ Lounge garden and continues with a fabulous choice of international and Thai delicacies courtesy of Executive Chef Dominique Bugnand plus live entertainment from Sun Band followed by a fireworks display. It’s priced at Bt21,000 for adults and Bt13,500 per child.

Or enjoy a gastronomic eight-course New Year’s Eve Dinner at Le Normandie followed by dancing at the Riverside Terrace and the fireworks at Bt21,000 net.

Celebrating the blossoming of the camellia flower in Japan, the sweet delights include cherry mignardise, Tsubaki macaron, Satonishiki black forest cake, Almond biscuit with Yuzu clafoutis, traditional Kyoho scones, Grape sorbet and more.

The savoury selection include crab roulade with cucumber, curd, dill and baby radish, a roast beef sandwich with celery salad on beetroot bread, and a classic smoked salmon and mimosa croissant.

Designed for two, the tea comes with a choice of premium Mariage Frères teas, Saro or Illy coffee. A range of other sparkling beverages is also available.

Tsubaki Afternoon Tea is priced from Baht 1,400, inclusive of Illy coffee, premium Mariage Frères or Saro tea for 2 persons.