eat me restaurant, Bangkok
For a city of 6.5 million people Hanoi is still quite provincial. After a few months here the bright lights and bustling modernity of Bangkok was mesmerising, air conditioned public transport, shops with clothes that fit, food from all around the world and other such wonders. It was in cosmopolitan Bangkok that I decided to splurge on fancy western meal for the first time in months. Combining art and well-reviewed food, the choice was obvious: Eat Me restaurant.
With its walls painted a dark grey, art on the walls and alluring dimmed lighting Eat Me is sleek and stylishly designed, refreshingly there isn’t a Thai curlicue in sight. The menu is split intelligently into vegetables and grains, fish & shellfish and meat & poultry and is littered with Australian produce. It is little wonder that it is owned by an Australian, and the executive chef is his sister who splits her time between Bangkok, Sydney and the Barossa. This western influence is reflected in the abundance of well trained staff, and little touches of home, like iced water and great complimentary grilled bread served with spicy olive oil and dukkah and elevates Eat Me a step above.
Black chicken, red papaya, toasted coconut, chilli and lime salad with betel leaf
The menu hops continents resulting in an interesting multi-ethnic feast that I hesitate to label fusion, rather it is Modern Australian with a Thai bent. France is represented by the sweet onion tarte tatin with unexciting pastry saved by a rich red wine glaze and a generous splodge of melty brie. Our other entree hit Thailand, gussied up. A deliciously spicy Thai style salad with intriguing black chicken (Silkie, if you’re wondering) is lifted with fresh herbs and hides thin slivers of sweet ripe red papaya.
Fig & blue cheese ravioli with walnuts, rosemary and brown butter
Fig and blue cheese ravioli with rosemary brown butter and walnuts is a great idea in theory, but the dish was let down by fat, undercooked pasta. Despite this, the nutty brown butter and crisp roasted walnuts were made interesting by sprigs of fresh rosemary which added an earthy greenness without overpowering. My confit duck with honeyed brussels sprouts on the other hand was divine. A perfectly executed simple dish. By this point with two glasses of wine down I am full to bursting, so we opt for house made icecream for dessert. My first choice of Chestnut and Rosemary was sold out, but the English Breakfast Tea Ice Cream was a fine substitute, still the dark chocolate and chilli flavour was my favourite, deeply chocolately with a satisfying chilli hit at the end. Both were smooth, creamy and richly flavoured and most importantly, simple.
Crispy skinned duck confit with honeyed brussels sprouts and prosciutto
The simpler, well executed dishes and wonderful ambience made up those small disappointments, and the attention to detail here was so refreshing. Eat Me definitely exceeded my expectations, this is one of the best western meals I have eaten in Asia. After a lovely chat with the chef we emerged into the sticky heat and wandered back to the station, our spirits lifted by good wine, great food and a little reminder of home.
Eat Me interior with artwork by Sutee Kanuvichayanont
Eat Me
Soi Pipat 2 off Soi Convent
Silom, Bangkok
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