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SUPPLEMENT REPORT QUARTERLY JOURNAL - EIGHT PAGES
LI FEST YLE FO O D CULTUR E Issu e 4
TR AVEL
FO O D
PROFILE
LIFE ST YL E
DI NI NG
Babette’s brings a real taste of 1920's Chicago
style eatery to Bangkok
National Geographic lensman Mike Yamashita is
hooked on Myanmar’s Buddhism and pagodas
Pairing wine with Thai food in the summer can
be tricky, but exhilarating
Chef Michael Owens sources the best
ingredients from around the world to create
the best steak
Le Journal No. 2 Issue 4
2
dining with gangsters
babette’s the steakhouse bangkok brings prohibition-era glitz to life
STORY MANOJ TRIPATHI PHOTOGRAPHS SAMATCHA APAISUWAN
B
abette’s the Steakhouse Bangkok, which
has just opened its doors on the 19th floor of
Hotel Muse Bangkok, is likely to remind one
of 1920s glitz, Prohibition and Chicago-style
jazz. Named after a favourite Prohibition-era haunt of
gangsters of the same name in Boardwalk Empire, Babette’s
sets out to bring affordable, top-quality classic steaks to
Bangkok. While dining at Babette’s is a ritual of comfort and
conviviality, it’s tempting to imagine yourself sitting next
to a table with mobsters in pinstripe suits boasting about
their last heist. Well, they could be Nucky, Al Capone and
Lucky Luciano. Regardless, what you’ll find here for sure is
a great selection of classic steaks, fine wine and jazz music.
Nicolas Peth, General Manager, gives us the low-down on
what promises to be Bangkok’s jazziest steakhouse.
What’s the concept of Babette’s?
It was essential that the new concept blended in with
the rest of Hotel Muse Bangkok so vintage it had to be.
Prohibition along with its gangsters was at its height
during 1920-1930 in the US so we started to think “Chicago”,
“Steakhouse” and “Cabaret” as we were looking for a more
crowd pleasing concept.
In what ways is Babette’s different from other
steakhouses in town?
First of all, the magnificent views on the 19th floor at
night. You have this lovely skyline backdrop. Then the
restaurant itself is just the perfect size with beautiful décor,
amid the dim glow of lamps and candlelight. And you get
better value for money. Well, a meal at some of the big-name
steakhouses in town is so expensive. I wanted Babette’s to be
more affordable, yet still serving delicious food and wine.
Finally when it is all finished, go up to the Speakeasy on
the hotel’s rooftop for a last drink. No other steakhouse can
offer you such a combination.
How does Babette’s enhance one’s dining
experience?
Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, talented singers
entertain with live jazz and piano music. It feels and sounds
so good; the entire atmosphere feels so “Muse”. Then look
for the small details that make the difference. Don’t want to
say more, just go and experience it for yourself. Choose your
weapons carefully.
Tell us the story of Babette’s steaks?
Michael Owens, our Executive Chef from New Zealand,
is quite particular about his meat. We tend to source our beef
from local family producers that control all the elements
of the food chain so we get consistency in our products.
Take our Sher Wagyu for example from the Sher family in
Australia. They have been rearing cattle since 1991 and have
won a multitude of awards. We know exactly the journey of
the animal, the type of steak we are getting and where it is
coming from. Traceability of our product is essential.
ON THE MENU
australia
• Sher Wagyu
• Jack’s Creek Black Angus
japan
• Wagyu Beef from Miyazaki
usa
• St Helens Black Angus Beef
classics
• Pork spare ribs
• Kopbuta Pork Chop Chargrilled
surf and turf
• Jack’s Creek Black Angus Striploin
with baked lobster gratin
• Australian Greenham Beef Tenderloin
Le Journal No. 2 Issue 4
3
Le Journal
RIB EYE TO DIE FOR
Sizzling slabs thrive on classical cooking at Babette’s The Steakhouse
STORY MANOJ TRIPATHI PHOTOGRAPHS SAMATCHA APAISUWAN
B
abette’s The Steakhouse
Bangkok has a retrojazzy 1920s vibe to it, but
the man who grills the
steaks there is more into the cowboys
than Boardwalk Empire gangsterism.
“Mention steak and what comes
to mind? For me, it’s the cowboys.
The steak has been around since
the cowboy days,” says Michael
Owens, the hotel’s new executive
chef who designed the new
steakhouse’s menu.
Mind you, Owens doesn’t come
from Texas, but New Zealand, which
has been well known, to a lesser
degree anyway, for its jackaroos
and cattle ranching culture.
Though grilling may be regarded
as the ultimate American art form,
Babette’s is not an oasis of Wild
West vibes, but a clubby chophouse
of premium cuts that will easily
please even the most finicky Nucky
and Scarface.
To Owens, steak is not a new
concept, but an old concept with
simple ingredients done properly.
“At Babette’s I just keep it nice
and simple. I never want to mess
around too much. Here you’ve got
top steaks from renowned breeders
l i k e [ A u s t ra l i a’s ] Ja ck ’s Cre e k ,
Greenham and Stanborough.
There’s also [Australia’s] Sher and
[ Ja p a n’s ] M iya z a k i wa g y u b ee f
known for its marbling, texture and
flavour,” he says.
Before coming to Hotel Muse
Bangkok, Owens worked for five
years in Australia at Republica in
Melbourne and other eateries, and
another five years in London at the
renowned event catering company
Payne and Gunter.
Melbourne’s dining scene is
just as competitive as London’s
but more enjoyable, he says, even
though it means dishing up 1,100
plates a day from 12 noon to 10pm
at Republica.
“No one can keep up with that
really. Luckily there was no throwing
tantrums in the kitchen. Everyone
thrived on hard work and direct
communication. Everyone’s so focused
on what they’re doing. They can only
hear the people that they need to
hear,” he says, adding that working
in Australia was a great joy with
its sheer abundance of fresh goodquality ingredients.
When it comes to cooking,
Australia is classical in approach,
forward-thinking with f lavours
and fusion in style, he says. The
food scene there is one big melting
pot of culinary cultures from Italy,
Greece, Russia and Asia. It was in
Australia that he discovered great
fun with food.
“MENTION STEAK AND WHAT
COMES TO MIND? FOR ME, IT’S
THE COWBOYS. THE STEAK
HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE THE
COWBOY DAYS,”
“The chefs over there always try
to push it not to be over the top. But
they just want to be different. When
you go out for a beautiful night, and
you want to have a really nice meal,
and it’s warm and hot, you don’t want
to sit there afterwards. You don’t want
your palate to feel like it just weighs
a ton. You won’t feel very well with a
heavy meal. So the meal there tends to
be healthy and light. They have their
own way of cutting the richness by
squeezing lemon juice, or something
else. I’d like my palate to feel clean,”
he says.
He found London competitive
and downright aggressive.
At Payne and Gunter, Owens
teamed up with head chef Joanne
Bell and other chefs to create
sumptuous meals for functions
in and around London in various
settings from castles to hotels.
Ove r t i m e , h e d eve l o p e d a
cooking philosophy inspired by one
of the head chefs he worked with:
“If you have a strong foundation, your
house won’t fall down.”
“ Wi t h a s t ro n g f o u n d a t i o n ,
anything you make would come out
right. I take that with everything
that I do, whether it be in my home
or my kitchen. A good foundation
is what you’re taught. You can do a
simple braise, the process is still the
same, but you can always add the
flavours. The Brits like to keep every
dish simple. Overcomplicate it, and
you risk posing yourself as a bit of a
problem,” he says.
W h i l e t h e U K i s c r e d i te d
with its classical taste level and
increasingly uncomplicated food,
it’s almost impossible to withstand
the rigors of its kitchen frenzy.
“It’s very aggressive in London.
One of the chefs threw a [small] pan
at me and it hit my head. He thought
I overcooked the fish. But I didn’t. The
fish was fine really. Many chefs do the
similar. These things happen, but you
don’t need it,” says Owens.
After five years, Owens reckoned
it was time for him to leave as he
didn’t like the English weather.
He brings classical cooking
methods from the UK, Australia
and New Zealand to Bangkok.
Techniques like slow cooking (the
pork chop here is cooked for 16
hours) and paupiette, one of the
oldest classical methods of cooking
a fish, are introduced to Babette’s
along with Asian flavours.
“My sea bass is coated with
coconut milk. Black sticky rice is used
as a savoury rather than as dessert,”
he says.
U p to 1 0 s te a k s t y l e s a r e
available plus healthy options
for the ladies such as five-grain
salad of berries with dukkha and
cucumber yoghurt, pan-seared
scallops on a bed of caulif lower
purée with caviar and pancetta,
and the sweet “Textures of Meringue”
with summer berries, offered as
one of the steakhouse’s dessert tray
selections.
“T h ey b rou ght me i n to run
the kitchen. It’s good fun to run
the kitchen again. Now I’m more
grounded on what I am doing and how
I want it,” he says with a grin.
GLORIOUS CHAR
MAKE PLANS AT (02) 630 4000 OR BY
E-MAIL AT [email protected]
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
“Wine is one of the most civilized thing in the world and one of
the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the
greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and
appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing.” Ernest
Hemmingway.
Welcome to the fourth issue of Le Journal!
Let’s welcome this summer with some small tips for picking
a bottle of wine in our tropical weather by the Hotel Muse’s
new sommelier at our brand-new steakhouse, Babette’s.
The Chicago-style steakhouse – in place of our former Thai
restaurant on the hotel’s 19th floor – is certainly Bangkok’s
jazziest fine dining extraordinaire inspired by 1920s gangsterism.
Another special column is an exclusive interview with the
legendary National Geographic lensman Mike Yamashita, here
sharing his 30 years’ experience behind the lens.
See you next issue. Enjoy reading!
Anne Poonnika
Editor-in-chief
Le Journal
Editor-in-Chief: Anne Poonnika
Editor: Manoj Tripathi
Art director: Chanut Husbumrer
[email protected]
Photographer: Samatcha Apaisuwan
Coordinator: Thitipa Chansukri
Nattiya Sangkuttiya
Hotel Muse
55/555, Lansuan Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan,
Bangkok 10330 Thailand
Tel: (02) 630 4000
Fax: (02) 630 4100
E-mail: [email protected]
For general inquiries, please contact [email protected]
For reservations and booking amendments, please
contact [email protected]
© 2014 Hotel Muse
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is
strictly prohibited.
Le Journal No. 2 Issue 4
4
a day at siam
Siam Square is rightfully Bangkok’s shopping paradise that has been doing a roaring trade since the
1970s. With everything under the sun available here, it’s the best place to indulge in a little retail therapy.
Better yet, it’s within walking distance of Hotel Muse bangkok. That means you can spare yourself the
hassle of haggling with a cab driver. But then, there’s the Skytrain. Here we’ve compiled a selection
of lovely stores in Siam Square that you wouldn’t want to miss while out on a shopping spree.
STORY MANOJ TRIPATHI
PHOTOGRAPHS SAMATCHA APAISUWAN
ILLUSTRATION CHAINAD WATTANARARUTHAI
Siam
Paragon
BACC
Central
World
Siam Center
mbk
Lido
Scala
Siam
Square
Hotel
Muse
1. i remember
2. do re me
3. london brown
This store stocks huge collections of vintage
clothing and accessories that are sure to make you
stand out from the crowd. There’s quite a range of
similar shops in the area, but this one is the best
starting point as it’s easy to find.
A favourite destination among Bangkok’s hardcore indie and alternative music fans, Do Re Me
stocks an eclectic mix of CDs in copious quantity
that you can’t find elsewhere in Bangkok. The
owner seems to know everything in the music
world if you happen to have a question or two.
Tired of wearing shoes that look just like everybody
else’s? Then make a beeline for London Brown.
Its highly experienced shoemakers make classic
shoes that ensure you stand out from the crowd in
an age when traditional shoemaking is increasingly
a dying art.
Location: Siam Square Soi 11
Phone: 02 251-4351
Location: Siam Square Soi 2
Hours: Open everyday 12.00-21.00
E-mail: [email protected]
Facebook: londonbrownshop
Phone: +66 86 332-1544
Location: Siam Square Soi 1, 1st floor, Scala Theatre
4. selvedgework, custom handcrafted denim
With 30 years’ experience in the denim business,
the tailors here celebrate simplicity and
individualism with meticulous attention to detail.
The shop attracts both local and foreign customers
all looking for a good pair of jeans that’s just a
perfect fit.
Location: Siam Square Soi 2
Phone: 02-658-0486
Le Journal No. 2 Issue 4
5
HISTORY OF SIAM SQUARE
The birth of a shopping paradise
Siam Square is nothing if not a stronghold of
Bangkok trendsetters that dates back to the mid1960s. The area known as Siam Square started life
as a shopping district in the late 1960s. An economic
boom in Thailand from the late 1960s to 1970s further transformed the area, giving rise to larger
buildings. These included Siam Centre (1973), one
of Bangkok’s first shopping malls, and three movie
theatres: the now defunct Siam Theatre (1967), Lido
Theatre (1968) and Scala Theatre (1970). With shopping and entertainment existing side by side, Siam
Square became a new hangout for the hip crowds
in the 1970s and continued to thrive through the
decades with the advent of the Skytrain in 1999. It
still remains the beating heart of Bangkok’s shopping landscape with even more shops springing up
every month to keep everyone happy without breaking the bank.
5. oscar denim
8. unik
11. outcast
14. papaya watch & galley
This store is a repository of terrific jeans from
Japan in different styles and sizes for both men
and women plus ranging accessories to match
your style.
Location: Siam Square Soi 2
Hours: 11am-9pm
Phone: 02 658-3016
Facebook: oscardenim2015
Unik is special because it’s the sole distributor in
Thailand of the legendary Tart Optical Enterprises.
The store is renowned for its stylish handmade,
vintage-style and rare eyewear. Don’t miss the
gorgeous glasses from Effector, Platoy, GLCO,
Hardy Amies London and much more.
Outcast sells much-prized sneakers, clothing and
other accessories that you can’t find even in the
the sport section of even the most glamorous mall
of Bangkok. Here you find limited-edition sneakers
and clothing from around the world though it
seems most come here for rare trainers.
Many people go to Papaya Watch & Gallery
for its used watches though the store has new
collections that are worth checking out if you have
time to spare and some cash to flash. But the rare
pieces here would seem to win over even the most
jaded timepiece collector.
Location: 2nd Floor Lido Theatre
Phone: 02 658-3833
Location: 2nd Floor Lido Theatre
Hours: Monday to Sunday, 1pm-9pm.
Phone: 094 456-6626 E-mail: [email protected]
Location: Siam Square 1, 1st floor,
Siam Square Soi 5
6. eyes concept
9. sak lai studio (tattoo)
12. tew’s barbershop
This is one of the more popular eyewear stores
in Siam Square that counts celebs, fashionistas,
superstars and style stalwarts among its
loyal patrons.
Sak Lai Studio has been in business since March
20, 1997. Prior to that, it was based in New York.
Making hygiene its top priority, Sak Lai uses
hospital-standard equipment to design tattoos that
reflect the character of its customers.
Positioned as a traditional barbershop, Tew’s
Barbershop is simply one of the best in Bangkok
popular among the trendy men with style and
character. The barbers are so friendly and polite
that you might end up being served a free beer.
15. bangkok art and culture
center (bacc)
Location: 2nd Floor. Lido Theatre
Phone: 081 830-8325
Email: [email protected]
Location: Siam Square Soi 7
Phone: 02 252-3989.
Location: Siam Square Soi 2
After a day out in the sun, BACC is well worth a
visit for its cool air and wonderful art exhibitions.
There’s a coffee shop and lovely eateries that
serve Thai-style Western food if you wish.
Location: Rama I Road, Pathumwant Intersection,
opposite MBK and Siam Discovery
how to get there
7. boy hair salon,
10. lee public
13. marco tailors
Boy Hair Salon, originally from Tokyo, is not
only wildly popular with the fashion-conscious
teenyboppers, but also adults who love Japanesestyle hairdos, which this salon specialises in. The
services provided by Boy go beyond the haircut.
The shop is probably one of Bangkok’s best-kept
secrets as it’s tucked away on the extremely quiet
second floor of the Lido theatre. But here you find
yourself lost in a world of Lee jeans where you
could end up spending hours finding your favourite
denims from its huge collections.
Exclusively specialising in men’s suits, Marco
Tailors is popular among the high-flying bunch:
from bankers to grooms-to-be. Be sure to spare a
week or two for multiple fittings.
Location: Siam Square Soi 1,
2nd floor, Scala Theatre
Phone: 02 658 - 4544
Location: 2nd floor, Lido Theatre
Location: Siam Square Soi 7
Siam Square is only three kilometres
from Hotel Muse Bangkok. The best
way is by hopping on the Skytrain at
Chit Lom BTS station for a jaunt to
Siam station.
If you want to avoid the commotion,
take a stroll along the Sky Walk that
runs above the congested traffic
all the way from Chit Lom to Siam
stations.
Le Journal No. 2 Issue 4
6
Profile
IN LOVE
WITH THE
GOLDEN
SPIRES
{
Michael Yamashita couldn’t
resist the temptation to
revisit Myanmar and save a
slice of its history
}
STORY MANOJ TRIPATHI
PHOTOGRAPHS SAMATCHA APAISUWAN
A
sia’s hottest destination at the moment
in the eyes of most international
photographers is in fact not Thailand
or China. To award-winning National
Geographic photographer Michael Yamashita, the numberone destination is none other than Myanmar — still in fine
fettle with its unspoiled innocence, rich spirituality and
welcoming people.
After four trips to the land of pagodas, Yamashita is
intent on making yet another to quash his thirsts for its oldworld charm that’s fading fast, yet largely undocumented
amid the onslaught of tourists.
“It’s such an easy place to take pictures of people. For
example, nobody rejects the camera. They are totally welcoming,
easy-going. It’s what Thailand used to be like in the 1970s –
fledgling and unspoiled,” he said.
We met one morning in late November last year at Hotel
Muse Bangkok a day after his return from his fourth trip to
Myanmar. He showed up with a copy of “7 Days in Myanmar”
that formed the subject of our conversation. The new book
offers different photographic interpretations of the “new
Myanmar” by a team of 30 world-class photographers from
11 nations. They visited different parts of the country from
the pagoda-dotted plains of Bagan and the reflected glory
of Inle Lake to the hilltribe villages and remote border
outposts.
“Well, I have more pictures than anybody else in this book.
Up to 30 photographers took these pictures. Most of them are
my friends. It’s a small world of photographers that we live in.
Everybody knows everybody,” he said with a grin.
The book reminds him of a Myanmar he used to know
and the new Myanmar that’s undergoing a transformation
after more than four decades of isolation from the world.
He first visited the country in 1999 when it was usually
off-limits to foreign journalists just to see those golden
spires of Bagan as witnessed and documented by Marco Polo
whose silk-road travels would later inspire Yamashita’s 2011
tome entitled “Marco Polo: A Photographer’s Journey”.
“I came to Bangkok to get my new passport and flew in on a
tourist visa. As you know, it was difficult to get in as a journalist
then,” he said, adding: “I was one of the first who was in
Myanmar at a time when tourism was still in its infancy. There
were very few tourists. There was just one hotel in Bagan, which
was the Bagan Hotel.”
In Bagan, he met Brett Melzer and his wife Khin Omar
Win, both regarded as the pioneers of tourism of that city
who ran a company that operated hot air balloon flights over
the pagoda-rich landscape. His first pictures of Bagan were
taken from a balloon.
“National Geographic needed to have pictures of Bagan that
nobody else had ever seen before. Our job is to make pictures
that come alive, that hopefully astound you. When we heard
there was a balloon, I went there to take pictures over Bagan in
a balloon. From there, you get an unusual perspective. So the
story came out and we published that picture. Ever since, I’d been
dying to get back, but couldn’t,” he said.
Bagan itself has a habit of luring him back though. And
the photographer has no qualms about making as many
repeated visits to Bagan and a few other places as possible.
And it’s not always for the balloons.
“Every time you go back, you get something different. At
the Shwedagon, you’d always see something great. Everywhere
you go, you shoot monks. But I have to admit I’m peripherally
interested in Buddhism though, the Myanmar type of Buddhism.
You keep going and trying to do pictures you have never seen
before. I do love Bagan, Yangon and Inle Lake. Bagan is where
you can spend time more than a few days. I’m more interested
in history and culture. Myanmar is rich in culture. And a lot of it
has not been well documented,” he enthused.
Indeed nothing beats Bagan’s magical layering as
created by clouds of smoke billowing from the cooking fires
at sunrise. The best way to capture its beauty is to identify
as many locations as possible for shooting the pagodas, he
explained.
On his first day in Bagan, Yamashita would check out
all possibilities: “Maybe 10 or 12 locations. I’d go, look and
decide, well, this is good, this is not so good. Then I’d come
back for sunrise. So this is not random, not like tourists
coming upon a scene somewhere and suddenly they’d say
‘oh that’s a nice place. But this is very tactical and planned.
“I go to a place because I’m gonna make a picture, I don’t
go to a place to wander around and take a look. Of course that’s
what I’m doing, but I go because I know I need to make a picture
there. I have a location to shoot in this case, the spires of Bagan.
You get the wonderful softness because of the layering created
by the cooking fires in the morning when the smoke comes up.
This is what you’d not see with your cellphone. This is what
photographers do: it’s about your vision. My image is something
I have here in my head before I have in my camera. You see the
picture before you shoot. So I do a lot of previsualising,” he said.
Inle Lake is no less fascinating, with “great reflections,
light, lots of action going on and people on stilts.” However, he
envisages tourism’s two-pronged effect on the country: it
improves the standards of living for people while changing
their lives forever, not always in a positive way. He doubts the
local ways would survive its ill effects in the next 10 years.
The fishermen on the lake, for example, are fakes.
One problem with working in Myanmar, he pointed out,
is the fact that so many things are set-ups paid for by tour
operators to give tourists something to photograph.
“So they are not real fishermen. Why would they want to
go fishing when they get more money posing for tourists? But
we don’t work that way. We shoot real people, real things in real
time. I love shooting what’s not changing. I just want to make
a good picture. The value of this work [‘7 Days in Myanmar’] is
saving a piece of history,” he said.
Given the influx of tourists into Myanmar, perhaps
Yamashita might want to quicken his pace a bit.
Le Journal No. 2 Issue 4
7
CHILLED BLISS
ON THE BEACH
Wine Talk
Certain rules apply when it comes to choosing your wines in the hot season
STORY MANOJ TRIPATHI
PHOTOGRAPHS SAMATCHA APAISUWAN
W
ith summer upon us, it’s time to hit the
beach, sip some classic drink and enjoy
the tropical sunshine. For many, the
season is almost immediately a pretext
for a terrific feast complemented by a bottle of fine wine,
whether you’re at home on the couch or frolicking in the
turquoise sea. However, a bit of knowledge about wine and
its flavour profile can maximize the pleasure gained from
both buying and drinking it, says Peerajit Binsomprasong,
assistant restaurant manager and sommelier at Hotel
Muse Bangkok.
To enjoy the full potential of wine, one should start
by debunking the myths surrounding the way wine is
appreciated in this country. Many Thais still drink wine the
way they drink beer or whisky — that is by, eh, adding ice
cubes to the glass.
“Exactly that’s the way they drink beer or liquor. They want
everything chilled given Thailand’s hot climate. But adding ice
to the wine is a complete no-no,” he says.
Ice simply kills the magic in the wine: flavour, aroma
and balance, he notes. A red with ice is an irreversible
disaster.
The point is they continue to commit that wine faux pas,
and until they kick the habit, they’re not going to discover
the sheer bliss derived from wine, he warns.
A good grasp of the wine practicalities — temperatures,
decanting, serving and tasting — promises the best tasting
experience, says the sommelier.
The correct temperature is extremely important to
the taste of wine, says Peerajit. Many wine drinkers in this
country still believe it’s okay for every red wine to be served
chilled just like white wine. That’s not right, insists the
sommelier.
“White wine can be served chilled at the right temperature.
Too cold white wine tastes like chilled vinegar. In the case of
chilled red wines, their aroma risks disappearing,” he explains.
But to say that red wine cannot be served chilled would
be theoretically wrong. Peerajit explains that reds that can
be served a little chilled must be very strong or full-bodied
such as Shiraz from Australia or Malbec from Chile.
Peerajit says whites can be chilled between 12° and
14° Celsius in the fridge. His recommendations include
Pinot Grigio (Italy) and Burnt Spur Sauvignon Blanc from
Martinborough, New Zealand.
The former is an everyday wine that’s not strong, easy
to drink, refreshing, fruity and low in alcohol. The latter
has juicy acidity with passionfruit and citrus aromas on
the nose.
“It has a soft textured creamy and buttery background. All
this combines to make a refreshing, balanced and very drinkable
style of Sauvignon Blanc,” he says.
These two whites go well with cured salmon, spicy
shellfish salad and raw dishes, he adds.
“Remember, the wines make hot dishes slightly hotter. But
they are far from overpowering,” he insists.
As lots of Thais love to cool down in the hot season
with the savoury khao chae (chilled rice with assorted side
dishes), the wine that matches the dish must be a little sweet
and Peerajit thinks of Caprice Chardonnay, full-bodied and
mildly sweet with a rich mouthful of fruits.
“Be sure to drink it chilled,” he quips.
If you’re planning to holiday on the golden sands, bring
along these bottles: Shiraz from Australia (good for BBQ),
Prosecco (great with nibbles and canapés) and Grosset
Springvale Riesling from Australia (best at 7°-8° Celsius for
chicken and seafood). The ladies would do well to have the
last two on tap, he says.
As for red wine, go for Forest Ville Merlot (California,
USA), which displays an aroma filled with the sweetness of
cherries, raspberries and a touch of spice and vanilla.
If you wish to have both reds and whites in a meal, there
are a number of generally accepted rules to serve wine.
Peerajit says white is served before red although a
light-bodied red can be enjoyed before a full-bodied white.
Another rule is dry before sweet whites; this avoids making
the wine taste excessively acidic. Then light should come
before heavy reds.
And remember, certain high quality wines (mostly reds)
opened before their peak, can benefit greatly from exposure
to oxygen in the air — or breathing — before drinking.
Simply pulling the cork on a bottle and allowing it to stand
open is unlikely make much difference, according to the
sommelier.
Le Journal No. 2 Issue 4
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GLITZ AND GLAMOUR
AT BABETTE’S
The grand opening of Babette’s the Steakhouse, held on March 24,
attracted a huge turnout of distinguished guests from a cross section of
Thailand’s high society. Taking its cue from the hit HBO series Boardwalk
Empire, the steakhouse on the hotel’s 19th floor, combines Prohibitionera glitz with fine dining to create a superb, yet highly accessible dining
experience. Spotted at the party included singers, actors, celebrities,
superstars and denizens of Thailand’s fashion and business worlds.
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01. Vasu Sangingkaew (Singer Actor and MC), Varavut Laohapongchana (PR and Communications Direcor - Christian Dior Thailand), Krit srichawla
(CEO of FICO Corporation and Owner of Hotel Muse Bangkok), Nicolas Peth (General Manager of Hotel Muse Bangkok), Jesadaporn Pholdee (Actor), Dr.
Somsak Chalachol, Nuchanart Raveesangsoon
02. Varavut Laohapongchana (PR and Communications Direcor - Christian Dior Thailand), Mark Tarwin (Owner of Mark Tarwin Barber)
03. Actor Jesadaporn Pholdee
04. Srisuphang Morris, Marisa Chew, Nuchanart Raveesangsoon, Panichanart Yampika (Editor-in-Chief Priew Magzine)
05. Patrick Basset (Chief Operation Officer Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar), Nicolas Peth (General Manager of Hotel Muse Bangkok), Gilles
Cretallaz (Vice-President Operations Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar & Phillippines Opertions Department)
06. Srisuphang Morris, Jetana Pongpanich , Supee Pongpanich (Senior Vice President, Advertising and Promotions Director – Siam Commercial Bank),
Panichanart Yampika (Editor-in-Chief Priew Magzine)
07. Onchuma Durongdej (Managing Director – H2O Hydro Co., Ltd.
SOCIAL SCENE
Hotel Muse Bangkok General Manager Nicolas Peth recently welcomed the renowned
Thai model and actress Bee Namthip during her visit to the hotel.
MEET THE FABS from Green Channel is here for filming their “Summer” episode!
Khun Aun Poowanart and Khun Scene Pimchin, visited our new steak house, Babette’s!
Stay tuned for a full episode!
Pichai Chirathivat, CEO of Central Marketing Group and, luxury watch brand Chopard,
joined hands to organise an exclusive dinner for high-end watch collectors at the Hotel
Muse Bangkok. During the dinner, the brand unveiled its latest watch collection with the
Tourbillon system. From left, Chayaporn Phornprapha, Chris Neff, Christopher Proffitt,
Pichai, Korsak Chairasmisak, Dr Pramote Riencharoensuk and Olivier Gudin.
Hotel Muse Bangkok General Manager Nicolas Peth gave a warm welcome to ItalianJapanese short-film director TAK Kuroha, who won the Gold Lion Award for Young
Director at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.
P&G Salon Professional recently launched their new products at Medici Kitchen & Bar
Hotel Muse Bangkok. The event had a touch of Broadway as guests toured five rooms,
each representing a brand, to watch scenes from a play inspired by the off-Broadway show,
Sleep No More.
The management of the Hotel Muse Bangkok and H.E Joan Boer, Netherland Ambassador
to Thailand, gave a warm welcome to Adrie Braat, the conductor of Amsterdam-based
Biggles Big Band during his arrival at the hotel. Founded by Braat in 1985, the 25-piece
jazz orchestra performed a concert at the hotel in March.