Blue by Alain Ducasse — Restaurant in Khlong Ton Sai Subdistrict

We were visiting a friend in Bangkok who mentioned this restaurant. I have celiac disease and cannot have any gluten cross-contamination so I looked it up online and saw they have a note saying that they can adapt to most food allergies and dietary preferences. No biggie if they couldn’t fully accommodate me though, we would go somewhere else or I would just eat earlier or something so everyone else could eat there. I’ve always been a foodie and would enjoy the experience and artistry regardless.

However, our friend called the restaurant and spoke to the restaurant manager, Alex, ahead of time and spoke in detail and asked a lot of questions about how they could accommodate my dietary needs. They worked out a plan for our party and assured my friend they could accommodate me. I thought since we had a large party they were willing to make some of the more strict changes that they wouldn’t normally do.

When we got there we were shown to a private room and the GM came in to go over everything. He said they were “very prepared” (first red flag, don’t over promise lol) and told me the recommendations on the menu for what they could do for me. Let me make it clear that at this time I was told the meals coming to me would be safe for me.

I brought my Nima Partners gluten detection device with me on this trip and tested every meal (was not trying to get sick on vacation!). Every single course came back positive for gluten. I was disappointed but honestly not entirely shocked. I came mentally prepared for that possibility and enjoyed the rest of the experience there and time with my family and friends, although of course it was disappointing and I was hungry. The artistry was insane though - so beautifully done! Everyone else in our party who could eat the food loved the meals and the presentations and flavors.

I will say though that I totally understand and respect how difficult it can be for a kitchen and staff to accommodate celiac. I don’t hold that against anyone and don’t expect every restaurant to be able to serve me a safe meal. However, it’s very frustrating that my friend called ahead with specifics and asked if they could do it and we were told yes. I don’t think they expected me to actually be testing for gluten which is very concerning and disappointing to me. Anyone who comes in with a food allergy/intolerance/dietary need should be taken seriously. And if you can’t accommodate that need just say so and don’t promise someone their body is safe in your hands for that meal 🤗🫶🏽

The worst part was all I got was an “I’m sorry” 🙃. Customer service is everything to me, so at least offer to comp the very expensive meal you told me was safe for me to eat but wasn’t and if I didn’t have my device with me would’ve had me violently ill for days on end, not to mention the long term effects 🫠. We would’ve had a much better experience had that been addressed with more...

Kind of amazing.

First, this is no doubt a spectacular restaurant and, for the most part, we loved the Chef’s Tasting Course we were served for lunch. However, when you dine at a Michelin star establishment, expectations are rightly high. Not all our expectations were met.

Excellent greeting from the Maître d' – we were graciously welcomed and shown to our table. We enjoyed the professional and friendly style of the host, a perfect blend of making us feel at home while still giving us time and space to get settled.

Stunning interior design with a superb view of the waterway – strong lines of blue and gold for the walls and tables balance the curves and softer blues of the ceiling and walkways. You cannot be overdressed here – feels immediately luxuriant and royal. However, smart casual is also welcomed.

Some of the food was outstanding, such as the meats and fish, however, the overall experience was quite ‘modular’ – no real theme or sense of “culinary journey’ that many fine dining establishments do so well. For a tasting course (showcasing) rather than a degustation (immersive), perhaps we should not be disappointed, nevertheless, we were underwhelmed in general by the culinary experience. NB The cheese cart IS amazing.

Both during the booking and upon arrival, a dietary restriction were confirmed. However, within the first few servings, this restriction was ignored. While the wait staff were polite and quick to address the issue, there was a clear disconnect between our booking and the kitchen, which made us feel a bit awkward. No one wants to feel like that in an establishment like this (especially after two prior confirmations).

As some of the servings required the use of hands rather than utensils, we requested a refreshment towelette (usually provided without request). After waiting about 10 minutes, we just used the restrooms to wash our hands. The towelettes eventually arrived after a few more inquired, but, again, just made us feel awkward chasing service.

Some of the food was too sweet and some too bland. While I acknowledge flavour preference to be quite personal, it is fair to expect some kind of theme or interaction to justify the over or under expression of certain tastes and flavour interactions. As mentioned above, the overall Chef’s Plate felt a bit “clunky” or “modular”. I guess these words aren’t particularly helpful, so a simpler way to say it may be there was no “wow factor” for us.

No regrets dining here. The waitstaff were wonderful in general and there were lots of good servings to enjoy. But overall, for the price and sense of missed expectations, cannot see myself coming back again any time soon for the Chef’s Course. But will come back for the ambience and to try the à...

Never did I think I would be recommending a Contemporary French restaurant in Bangkok because my focus whenever I visit Thailand, tends to be on local cuisine. But this One-MICHELIN Starred restaurant is a true gem. This fact is reinforced by them placing 63 on the Asia list of “The World’s 50 Best” earlier this year. The food is naturally the main draw as Executive Chef Wilfrid Hocquet, Sous Chef Kloy and the team create incredibly delicious dishes that are refined and balanced in flavour. I love how the menus are formatted to suit a variety of appetite sizes and budgets too. For eg. The Menu Voyage we had, is available for lunch and dinner, and comes in 4-course: THB 3,900 / SG$146, 6-course: THB 5,500 / SG$205, and 8-course: THB 7,500 / SG$280 (before tax). They all include the must-have of any respectable French establishment — splendid bread and butter which will steal your breath away when they are wheeled over. Hand on my heart, the signature sourdough and sea salt brioche tasted fantastic with the generous curl of salted butter from Loire Valley. You should have heard T.H. and I – we sang praises of our meal from the start till the end. Leaving the deepest impression on us were one of the amuse bouche – a swirl of celeriac and beetroot gelato that tasted exceptional, the appetiser of steamed Atlantic brown crab and white asparagus in a frothy tonka bean and sake sauce, graced by trout roe (an absolute lipsmacker!), and the 4-day-dry-aged Atlantic turbot that had been confit in olive oil, then plated with succulent purple artichoke plus a white wine, onion and tarragon sauce. The bell pepper marmalade and specially-made bread that appeared alongside the cheese course deserve a shoutout. And of the two scrumptious desserts, I did lean towards the zingy lemon sorbet covered in smoked pink pomelo and wafting with a hint of timut pepper. A cheese course, also displayed on a trolley, can be had for an additional THB 900 / SG$34 for those of us who consider it sacrilegious to skip it. Another compelling reason to dine here is the stunningly designed space which overlooks the iconic Chao Phraya River. Do remember to request for a table by the window when making a reservation if you don’t want to leave it to chance. Service at the restaurant, it has to be said, is impeccable. We were very well looked after by Manager Pui and Kho all afternoon. Please watch my Reel on my Instagram account: @veronicaphua for a...