They’ve put together a special and celebratory Chinese New Year feast with traditional prosperous dishes symbolising good fortune to welcome the Year of the Dog.

Available for both lunch and dinner from February 16 to 26, the lucky dishes include braised seaweed with dried oyster in brown sauce; braised Japanese shitake mushroom with a rich oyster sauce; steamed bamboo pitch stuffed with prawns; sauteed prawns with Chinese spinach and shrimp roe; and braised dry scallops with sea moss in brown sauce and many more auspicious new year options. Prices start at just Bt400-plus.

For reservation, call (02) 541 1234 extension 4151.

To ensure even the most exacting palates are pleased, chefs have carefully chosen some of Bawarchi’s finest preparations, including the aromatic Kakori Kabab, the signature Beetroot Tikki, and end the dinner on a high, rich Gajar Ka Halwa as dessert.

“This year’s six-course menu is designed to give couples both a culinary and cultural experience they can share and cherish. The delightful array of dishes we have put together highlights the great variety Indian cuisine offers and the soft candlelight and gentle background music will let guests forget the rest of the world for a little while,” says vice president Vinay Chawla of Bawarchi Group.

There will be both a vegetarian and non-vegetarian version of this menu and dishes can be prepared gluten-free upon request. Guests can also pair their dinner with a glass of wine for each course. The menu is priced at Bt1,600-plus and Bt2,600 with wine pairing.

“At Bawarchi Chidlom we want to create the perfect atmosphere for our guests to enjoy an unforgettable Valentine’s Day dinner, complete with a romantic atmosphere and delicious home-cooked specialities. Our team is looking forward to creating unique memories for all our guests and making this day a celebration of love to be remembered fondly,” explains Chawla.

Thailand’s Greyhound Cafe began its sprint in Bangkok 20 years ago and has since dashed to Hong Kong, Mainland China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore – 17 franchises opened in all. In December the race reached London, with its first outlet in Europe.

Greyhound Cafe London, representing a Bt150-million investment, is on Berners Street in the trendy Fitzrovia area, a short walk from Soho. Executive creative director and co-founder Bhanu Inkawat regards London as “a window on Europe”, so maybe the Greyhound’s not finished running yet.

“We want to reinforce our statement here and make it a success to pave a smooth path to overseas ventures in Europe,” Bhanu says.

Industrially chic and mainly trimmed in black, like its sister branches, Greyhound London has walls of mosaic tiles with Thai lettering, rustic brick, corrugated iron and exposed metal ducts.

One wall is a blackboard on which the evolving menu is printed by hand, and there’s an arty three-metre-tall assembly of bamboo fish traps. Pla ta pian wind mobiles shaped like carp – a symbol of prosperity in Thailand – hang from the ceiling.

Roomy enough at 600 square metres, ample for 192 diners, the place still feels intimate, and the open kitchen keeps things lively.

On arrival you first notice the bar, where snacks and pre-meal aperitifs are served. It lures you back later for after-dinner drinks, maybe a Chang beer or a Thai craft beer – Chalawan, Bussaba or Chatri – or one of the cocktails powered by Mekong whisky.

Some diners prefer the basement, which evokes a Bangkok street full of food stalls with its mismatched chairs and tables and rough decor.

Bhanu, managing director Pornsiri Rojmeta and international business director Nattaporn Runghajornklin spent nearly two years hunting for the right location and visited Thai restaurants around London to sample the dishes and the action.

“A research firm we hired didn’t think we should open on a major street because that’s associated with chain restaurants catering to tourists rather than locals,” says Bhanu.

“Londoners instead enjoy finding good, chic places to eat hidden along the smaller roads. So we chose this place, which used to be a steakhouse. It’s only a short walk to Soho and Oxford Street.”

Bhanu Inkawat, right, and Pornsiri Rojmeta 

They also found that the big trend in dining in Europe is authenticity. People these days are well travelled and discerning and won’t settle for dishes or restaurants that feel contrived.

“And a lot more Europeans these days can distinguish among northern, northeastern and southern Thai dishes,” Bhanu points out. “They’ve visited Thailand and are ready to eat even the strong and spicy dishes like pla ra and tom sap.”

Referring to the roots of Greyhound in the fashion trade, Bhanu says it’s “fun” presenting dishes with a creative twist, and the customers love it. The idea is to give Londoners a sampling – on the plate – of life in modern yet chaotic Bangkok.

“‘Modern Bangkok Cafe’ is the term we use and we offer what modern Bangkokians eat,” says Pornsiri. “We mix and match ingredients and tastes for a different food experience, one that’s representative of Bangkok’s diversity, creativity and chaos.”

While the original Greyhound in Bangkok has 90 dishes on the menu, Londoners get 30 choices, half of them newly conceived for the locale. The most popular dishes have made the trek there, such as salmon in spicy seafood sauce and deep-fried chicken wings, and the taste is guaranteed to exactly replicate what’s available in Thailand.

Reversing direction, until March 31 several of the London outlet’s own signature dishes are being served at all branches in Thailand in a promotion called “Keep Calm & Get Excited”.

Todmun Pops

These include Todmun Pops (Bt150), which are fried fishcake balls with pickle relish and ground peanuts, and Weeping Wolf (Bt240) – grilled lamb on cucumber ribbons with spicy pesto, holy basil and red shallots.

Then there’s Street-style Duck Noodle Soup (Bt200), with thin rice noodles, bean sprouts and a seasoning of yellow chilli vinegar.

Street-style Duck Noodle Soup 

Hot Oil Pork Knuckle (Bt720) is the German favourite marinated in herbs, served with spicy tamarind curry paste, jaew dip, pickled vegetables and a basket of sticky rice.

For dessert, Sun-dried Banana Date Cake (Bt180) is a slab of cake stuffed with traditional sun-dried banana, pecans and dates, finished with lime cream sauce. You get a skewer of dried banana with it too.

Sun-dried Banana Date Cake 

Among the drinks, Bubble Plum Plum is honey and lime juice iced with frozen Chinese plums, and Icy Lemongrass Juice features lemongrass granita.

Other signature dishes in London are Scallop Pad Thai (15.5 pounds sterling), Esarn Chicken served with som tam (14.8 pounds), Panna Cotta Lod Chong (6 pounds) and Palm Sugar Banana (7 pounds).

Esarn Chicken 

“We’ve been open two months and have had quite positive feedback from both the customers and restaurant reviewers,” says Nattaporn. “We’re already getting people queuing for seats. So it’s possible we’ll expand into other areas, such as King’s Cross, and nearby cities as well.”

THIS BLITZ IS WELCOME

Greyhound Cafe London is at 37 Berners Street. Keep updated on the “Greyhound Cafe UK” Facebook page.

Several Greyhound Cafe London favourites are available at all Greyhound Cafes in Thailand until March 31. For details, visit http://www.GreyhoundCafe.co.th.

The new capsules take inspiration from the myths of coffee’s origins and shine the spotlight on coffees from Ethiopia, the birthplace of Arabica coffee and Uganda, one of the alleged birth places of Robusta coffee.

Arabica Ethiopia Harrar, produced from 100-per-cent Arabica from Harrar, the region where coffee was first commercialised on a large scale and exported globally, comes with notes of ripe fruits, fresh flowers and boasts a velvety body. Made from 100-per-cent Robusta, Robusta Uganda has a sweet and undeniably intense nature that’s rich in cacao notes.

Nespresso also partnered with London-based illustrator Mariana Rodrigues to design the coffee capsule sleeves inspired by the myth of Arabica and Robusta.

For Arabica, transport yourself to the ancient highlands of Ethiopia, where the story of Kaldi, a young goat herder begins. He sat in the shade one afternoon and watched over his goats. In the heat of the day, Kaldi drifted off to sleep and left his goats to wander off into the wilderness.

The goats discovered and started to eat some red cherries from bushes. When Kaldi awoke to find his goats gone, he hastily went in search of them. He found them leaping and dancing around the mysterious bushes. He picked a cherry and tried it for himself. He too felt elevated and began to dance alongside his goats.

A passing monk was extremely suspicious of the situation and decided to burn these mysterious cherries. Soon after he threw them in the flames, delicious aromas started to rise. Enchanted, the monk brushed the beans out of the fire, crushed them up and combined them with water to make the captivating drink we now know as Arabica coffee.

To discover the alleged birthplace of Robusta, we are in the bygone land of Buganda, now known as Uganda. Here, the precious Robusta coffee beans were part of a sacred ritual that united families. A single coffee cherry would be split and two people would each eat one of the two beans from inside. From that moment onwards, the spirit of the bean would connect both families and descendants for eternity in a pact of friendship and loyalty.

“I was inspired by the new coffees from Nespresso, especially their mythical origins. In creating the sleeves, I wanted to clearly depict the vibrancy of both these cultures and make the connection to their beautiful coffee stories and ingrained heritage,” said designer Rodrigues.

Arabica Ethiopia Harrar and Robusta Uganda are available for a limited period until March 27 at Nespresso boutique on the first floor of Siam Paragon.

For details, call 1 800-019090 (Toll-free) and check out http://www.Nespresso.com.

The restaurant, a stalwart of the Tokyo dining scene for more than 40 years, is known for its daily fresh ingredients prepared right in front of its guests.

Nakamura will be serving an exclusive Omakase lunch at noon for Bt10,000-plus per person and a superb Omakase dinner at 7pm for hotel and non-hotel guests at Bt12,000-plus excluding beverages.

The 32-year-old sushi chef has reenergized the restaurant while keeping the same quality, perfection, and exceptional skill that made Sushi Umi. Under his direction of Chef Nakamura and despite the sudden death of sushi master Chef Nagano, the restaurant has retained its coveted 2 Michelin Stars and is considered one of the very best restaurants in Tokyo. Continuing to add to the already famed legacy of the restaurant, Nakamura still lives by the words of his late master on his quest for perfection: “Pressing sushi is less art, and more heart.”

Sri Panwa is perched high atop Cape Panwa and offers commanding views of the Southeast tip of Phuket. Nestled within 40 acres of lush, tropical surroundings and offering accommodation of the highest quality and maximum privacy, the hotel embraces the essence of tropical contemporary design by integrating its natural jungle and ocean surroundings with the modern comforts of luxury living.

Both lunch and dinner are by reservation. Call (076) 371 008, or email fb@sripanwa.com.

Students studying in the hospitality, kitchen and tourism industries are invited to take part by sending in an application, accompanied by a short cooking video, to the organising committee.

“Our first cooking competition, which was organised to celebrate the hotel’s fifth anniversary was a great success and offered a fantastic opportunity to students studying in the hospitality, kitchen and tourism industries. We actually found many talented applicants and I was very impressed by their passion for the culinary arts,” says the hotel’s general manage Edward E Snoeks. “This initiative is not just a competition to win an overseas educational trip, but also an opportunity for The Okura Prestige Bangkok to share its knowledge with students who want to become part of the hotel and food and beverage industry.”

Applicants must be Thai nationals aged 18  25 years old. Only five qualified applicants will be selected for training with Master Chef Shigeru Hagiwara at Yamazato restaurant.

At the end of the training course, applicants will prepare signature dishes for an invited committee and distinguished guests at the Judges’ Panel Night, following which the chosen winner will receive a nineday educational trip to Hotel Okura Amsterdam.

The prize includes round trip air tickets to Amsterdam, eight nights’ accommodation at the hotel, a luncheon and dinner at Michelinstarred restaurants Yamazato and Ciel Bleu, a sightseeing trip of Amsterdam, plus visa arrangements, travel insurance, pocket money and a training course with twostar Michelin chef Onno Kokmeijer.

Kokmeijer has been awarded the title SVH Meesterchef (master chef) by the Dutch hospitality organisation Stichting Vakbekwaamheid Horeca.  SVH strives to retain and expand professional knowledge in the hospitality industry and awards “master” titles in five categories including chef, host and sommelier. The SVH “master” title is the highest honour awarded by the Dutch hospitality industry. The educational trip is valued at more than Bt100,000.

Interested applicants should submit their application with relevant documents to the Human Resources Department at The Okura Prestige Bangkok before March 30 and post their cooking video by April 6.

Full details of the criteria for candidates and a scheduled timeline of the cooking competition are given below.

>> Criteria for candidates

Male or female, Thai nationality, aged between 1825 years old

Third or fourth year student of the faculty of tourism, hospitality, cooking school at an accredited university, or second year student of a higher vocational cooking school

Minimum GPA 2.75

Good command of English

Able to travel abroad with written permission from a parent or a letter from his/her educational institution

Able to supply all relevant documentation for travel visa application

Holds a Thai passport with at least 2 years of validity remaining

No contagious or other diseases. Medical certificate required

No criminal record

Confident and able to live alone while abroad

For further information, please contact the Marketing Communications Department at pr@okurabangkok.com or call (02) 687 9000.

Certain to be a favourite, the Sweethearts Tea Set offers such delights as Courtesan au Rose – a three-tiered rose cream-filled choux pastry with lychee and raspberry jam topped with dried petals, Blossom Baby Cakes Garden, and a Valentine’s Special with your choice of beverage for Bt1,300 for two.

Then there’s the Amore Mio Surprise Cake, a heart-shaped lychee-rose butter cake piped with intricate latticework, lace, rose, and pearl decorations. Two lucky lovers will find a pair of matching hidden figurines – either two White Lions or two Pink Unicorns – inside and win Matina Amanita Love Tokens 14K gold necklace valued at Bt17,000. The offer continues through the end of February.

And for the guys, Sretsis Parlour offers the Gentleman Set for Bt260 from today onwards.

Sirocco on the 63rd floor and the world’s highest alfresco restaurant is the perfect place to arouse the senses. Admire the glittering lights of the city below and jaw-dropping views of the River of Kings, while enjoying chef Sebastien Pinto’s seven-course menu paired with premium champagnes and wines, together with the seductive sounds of an internationally acclaimed jazz band.

The feast for the senses includes Hokkaido Scallops Ceviche Keta caviar, chilli & passion fruit salsa, vodka martini-mint sorbet; Duck ‘a l’orange’ Challans duck & foie gras pithivier, orange sauce, truffle essence; and Wagyu Beef Short Rib Parsnip puree, onion marmalade, braised radicchio, Perigord black truffle. It ends on a sweet note with special “For Him” & “For Her” desserts. The exclusive set dinner is priced at Bt25,999-plus per couple.

Or check out the multi-award-winning Sky Bar, suspended on a precipice over the city 820 feet in the air as you toast your love with a bottle of premium champagne and the best views in town. The package is priced at Bt12,999-plus per couple and includes a bottle of Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut Champagne.

Up on the 65th floor, chef Ryuki Kawasaki of Mezzaluna, the two-Michelin starred restaurant , offers a seven-course set menu priced at Bt6,500-plus per person, which includes such dishes as Langoustine seared with terre de sienne celeriac, pear, Thai celery, crustacean jus, Dover Solecomte cheese crusted shellfish mariniere, mushroom duxelles, baby leek, salicornia, spinach veloute; and Niigata Murakami Wagyu Beef A5 grilled over bincho charcoal, charcoal crust, endive cannelloni with wild mushrooms, crown daisy, sauce bordelaise.

On the 52nd floor, chef Sam Pang of Breeze restaurant infuses authentic Asian flavours with subtle local influences, for a Pan-Asian tasting menu, priced at Bt5,500-plus. The treats include Sri Lankan Mud Crab Claw katafi, cucumber salsa, fennel-pepper jus; Wok-fried Wagyu Beef Short Rib, Napa baby cabbage, kimchi reduction; and a choice of contemporary Asian sweets.

For reservations, call (02) 624 9555 or email reservations@lebua.com.

The Gozen lunch features a choice of dishes. The first platter includes sashimi such as sakura sea bream while the second platter features a simmered dish, a tempura selection and delicious Hina sushi.

The Kaiseki dinner menu offers an 8-dish feast including a starter of simmered octopus, mussel, tomato and sakura-shaped yam with sea urchin sauce. Other authentic delights include a simmered dish of bamboo shoot, eggplant, herring and seasonal udo mountain vegetables; assorted sashimi and a grilled dish of Spanish mackerel and scallops with seasonal onion dressing. After a tempura course of shrimp, snow crab, pond smelt, maitake mushroom, Japanese green pepper and pumpkin comes a course of Hina sushi with conger eel, crab meat, lotus roots, peas, dried shiitake mushroom, dried gourd shavings, egg omelette, salmon roe, and shrimp oboro.

The meal is rounded off with assorted fruit and rice cake filled with sweet bean paste and wrapped in a pickled cherry leaf.

This Girls Festival, or “Hina Matsuri” in Japanese, runs from March 3 until 25. Prices are Bt1,300-plus for the Gozen lunch and Bt4,500-plus for the Kaiseki dinner.

Yamazato Restaurant is located on the 24th floor of The Okura Prestige Bangkok.

For reservations, call (02) 687 9000.

Welcoming the Year of Dog, the Chinese restaurant Fujian introduces two auspicious set menus- –Prosperity for Bt1,288 and Fortune for Bt1,688-net. Both can be enjoyed until February 20. Each set begins with a colourful appetiser platter and a Yu Shang rainbow salmon salad. Delicacies such as Shark Fin with Alaskan Crab Soup, Braised Pearl Abalone and Bird’s Nest are offered and prepared using different culinary skills and ingredients to create a unique touch. Every table has a chance to win an ang pao lucky draw.

On February 16, a lion dance will be performed at Fujian at around 11.45am to pray for good luck and bring prosperity to the upcoming year.

Known for its subtle taste, sturgeon fish can be cooked a number of ways for truly a satisfying dish and serves as the inspiration for Le Grand Lanna’s February menu. The menu presents Stir-fried spicy sturgeon fish, Spicy herb soup with crispy sturgeon, or deep-fried sun-dried sturgeon fillet with spicy sauce. While guests can soak up the restaurant’s appeal and impressive dishes and cocktails, they can enjoy the traditional Thai dances performed every evening in all their colourful glory. Price starts at Bt350-plus per dish.

For Valentine’s Day, Farang Ses restaurant offers an exclusive menu that start with the chef’s choice of amuse-bouche followed by such culinary creations as Tartar of tiger prawns and fennel salad with smoked herring caviar and avocado puree; Slow cooked Alaskan king crab with cauliflower and Steamed Canadian lobster with porcini crust and green vegetable blanquette. Round off the romantic evening with an inclusive bottle of Domaine Houchart Cotes de Provence Rose. It’s priced at Bt6,888 net per couple.

Another spot to celebrate Valentine’s Day is at the Italian restaurant Allegro with a special set San Valentino menu for this holiday of love. Relax to the sounds of music as you dine on freshly prepared pasta and a savoury main course of your choice – Braised Wagyu Beef Cheek or Pan Fried Tasmanian Salmon. End the spectacular dining on a sweet note with Tartelette with white chocolate and fruits. Priced at Bt1,500-plus per person inclusive of welcome cocktail or mocktail.

Make your booking at (053) 888 888.