I recently happened to be in Bangkok for the latest in the House of Sathorn Guest Chef series, a lunch preview of the 4 Hands dinner between resident House on Sathorn Chef Fatih Tutak and Spanish Chef Dani Garcia, who was recently awarded his 3rd Michelin star for his eponymous restaurant in Marbella, Spain.
I was lucky enough to snag one of the coveted seats at the kitchen counter from my myself and my friends could observe Chefs Fatih, Dani and their teams at work (and most likely drive them crazy by asking lots of questions!) something I always love to see.
Our first course was “Surf Clams with Jamon” and “Foie Gras Yoghurt with Citrics” which was serried beautifully presented on a ceramic plate adorned with seashells and stones, with the Surf Clam and Jamon being served in its own shell. Whilst I enjoyed the classic pairing of clam and jamon, I was surprised that my favourite dish of this course was actually the foie gras as I am not usually a fan.
By mixing the Foie Gras with yoghurt, the flavour was considerably mellowed and it also leant a wonderful creaminess to the foie gras, quite unlike a foie gras mousse or pate. Little bursts of freshness came from frozen segments of citrus fruits and raspberries which worked beautifully with the foie gras.
Our wine pairing for the first two dishes was the “Ibizikus Rose, Vino de la Tierra”, from Ibiza which was lovely and fresh, with enough body to cut through the richness of the foie gras as well as the salinity of the surf clams and jamon.
Up next we were served a couple of Chef Dani’s signature dishes, the simple enough sounding “Anchovies with truffle” which turned out to be absolutely mind-blowing! I would never think of pairing something as earthy a truffle (served here as a cream sauce) with briny anchovies, but the dish worked perfectly and was really quite something! The second dish was his famous “Detox Gazpacho with Scallops” which was served with a fake tomato fashioned out of tomato mousse and gelatine which was garnished with slightly cured scallops, and a zingy gazpacho.
These were paired with an interesting, aromatic “Autumn Riesling” from Koonunga Hills in Australia, a pairing that would not cross my. mind to try, but one I enjoyed all the same.
“Hunting From The Soil Tarhana”, a wonderfully umami rich fermented broth of maitake mushrooms and barley, one of Chef Fatih’s dishes, was served next and I must admit that this was one of my favourite dishes of the lunch.
From Chef Dani, came probably my least favourite dish of the lunch (sorry!) a deep fried seabass with black pepper sauce. Whilst I liked the caramelisation of the black pepper into an intense, sticky sauce, I found the seabass to be very “muddy” in flavour and quite off putting, to me at least
Next was another of Chef Fatih’s dishes, “Cicek Passage Meyhane” which refers to a bar or inn, along Istanbuls famous “Cicek Passage” where people would typically eat seafood snacks. This seemed to be a bit of an “in joke” as lobster with caviar is definitely not the sort of drinking snack you can expect to find there!
The wine pairing for these 3 very different dishes was a safe bet in the form of a White Cote Du Rhone from E Guigal which worked with all 3 dishes, especially the maitakle mushroom broth.
Our main course ( I was seriously full by this stage!) was Wagyu beef served in the manner of a festive traditional Turkish dinner “Dinner at Bayrum “Kavuma” The beef had been slow braised and was served topped with coriander seeds that added both a pleasing texture, and little burst of flavour with each mouthful. A great final savoury dish to end the meal on.
I loved the chosen wine pairing with the beef, a Cabernet Sauvignon/Temperanillo blend from just north of Barcelona from the vineyards of “Castelli del Remei”, their “1780 Costers Del Sagre” I thought the dark berry flavours and soft tannins were a perfect match for the braised beef and worked together in perfect harmony.
Dessert of “Andalusian Freshness” was the perfect end to the meal, with fresh flavours of Moroccan green tea, pistachio and orange blossom showcasing the moorish influences that still abound in southern Spain to this day.
I was extremely impressed with both Chef Dani’s dishes and those of Chef Fatih, and it wasn’t a surprise to see Chef Dani receive his 3rd Michelin star this past week, so I’m glad I had the opportunity to enjoy his cooking when I could *just about* still afford it!
Do keep your eyes open for the next of the House on Sathorn collaborative dinners
106 N Sathon Rd, Khwaeng Silom, Khet Bang Rak, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10500, Thailand
Phone: +66 2 344 4025
A British Girl Abroad 