Today I wear a pretty pink dress and a nice pair of shoes. No, it’s not my usual Bangkok get up of Havaianas, the lightest cotton shirt and loose shorts (I always come prepared for heavy eating and stomach expansion), but today, I am having a meal at the chi-chi Le Normandie. Oooohhh.
Even my not-so-chi-chi bag gets her very own chair
View of the Chao Phraya from the window seat. Murky, but nice.
Mini baguette, olive basil bread, soft roll
Amuse bouche – tuna tartare with wasabi cream and chocolate stick
The cream has the subtlest hint of wasabi which does not overpower, but just nicely enhances the light and delicate flavor of the tuna. However, the chocolate seems a bit out of place. I know it’s there to create some magic on the flavors, but it just doesn’t work for me.
Spider sea crab with poached prawn and zucchini, chorizo sauce – pretty to the eyes,
boring to the taste. Like eating a beautiful painting.
Confit of Perigord duck foie gras, figs and Bayonne ham with Port wine aspic –
just so-so, no surprises at all. I feel a bit embarrassed to say, of all the things on this plate,
I think the caramelized onions taste the best.
Cod fish Boulangere style with Jura wine, forest mushroom cappuccino and coffee sauce –
I cannot believe it, but the “Best French Restaurant in Bangkok” just messed up my entree. How such a distinguished establishment can serve overcooked codfish with texture like that of overbaked crabmeat completely baffles me. Until now I have been very kind and fair, but it’s time to say it. Le Normandie is extrrrreeeeeemely overrated.
I love dessert trolleys like this. They bring back fond memories of the smile-inducing desserts at Robuchon a Galera. But in Robuchon, you get to pick 3 items. Here, only 2. I guess it’s because Le Normandie offers less variety. Look at the trolley closely. See how many cakes only? The second tier is all sauces and the top tier just some carved fruits.
The raspberry mousse cake and tiramisu are both good, but not phenomenal.
Macarons to go with my coffee
I don’t know… maybe the chef is not feeling his best today, or maybe he serves better food at dinner. All I know is, for all the hype and the compulsory advance credit card payment to confirm lunch reservations, I am hardly impressed. Disappointed even. This meal is indeed chi-chi, but chi-chi is all there is to it.
Le Normandie: Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, 48 Oriental Avenue, Bangkok, Thailand.
Tel: +66 2 659 9000 Ext. 7670, 7671
