Rooftop Bubbles and Bites plus Vino/Gastronomy

by Mick and Di,

The Food Lovers

thefoodloverspattayatoday@msn.com

Hilton Pattaya continues to add the wow factor to its already star-studded in-house venues. From their lunch time budget busting buffets and evening extravaganzas to their sensational Sunday brunch all hosted at the Edge restaurant, to the gastronomic fine dining at Flare and the contemporary, globally-inspired flavours at the stunning Horizon restaurant and rooftop lounge, they have all gained an enviable reputation for some of the most sophisticated gastronomic enclaves in Pattaya.

The Infinity bar has just been embellished with an exclusive, bubble bar serving cocktail sets and the finest Chandon's sparkling Brut or Rose. The new bar is called RAW. Mick and I visited recently and with finest fizzys in hand we marveled at the jaw-dropping sunset panorama that was set before us. From our exquisite aerie on the 34th floor, this top-of-the-world bar sets the benchmark for the newest culinary cocktail trend. The contemporary "tower" presents dishes of scallop ceviche, salmon tartare, tuna tataki and a duo of Fine de Claire oysters. The salmon tartare shimmered and shined with chopped capers, gherkins, shallots, grain mustard and extra virgin olive oil with just a tear of Tabasco sauce to zing the ingredients together. We both loved the raw scallop ceviche tossed together with red onion, avocado and orange segments, fresh lime juice and olive oil. The citric acid in the lime alters the structure of the proteins in the fish making it more opaque and firm just as if it had been cooked by heat. The tuna had been seared and sesame coated then mixed with ginger, edamame (green soy beans), red radish and spring onion. Polar fresh oysters completed our RAW gastronomic experience. The gourmet tower accompanied by a glass of Domaine Chandon Brut or Rose costs 1,300 baht per person while for 4,500 baht a couple can enjoy the bottle and two towers.

The next evening we were back at the Hilton to attend their wine dinner at Flare entitled, "Meat the Reel Australia", the name having been inspired from the Surf and Turf concept of the menu. The wines to be served were from Australia's premier region, McLaren Vale and the estate of Brokenhills. The ambassador from the winery was the convivial director, Leigh Gilligan, who together with his garrulous colleague Jonathan Glonek, managing director of Bangkok Fine Wines Company, made the evening such a gastro-vini-cultural success.

A flute of sparkling Charles Steiner Brut launched the evening before we were charmingly guided to our table. We were dining with the charismatic Dhaninrat (Sunday) Klinhom, marketing communications manager. A sextet of appropriate glasses were enticingly laid on the table as an augur of the supreme vinicultural event to come.

The first wine poured was an Amand's Brook Sauvignon Blanc 2012. Strong and intense with hints of herbs and gooseberries, it was a commanding start to the evening which married bravely with the intense flavours of the Japanese-inspired tataki appetiser. Seared slices of rare beef and tuna were accompanied by a delicious soy-lemon dressing and crowned with julienne strips of radish and scallion and sprinkled with golden fried garlic and edamame– it was sensational. A delightful grouping to set the palate tingling. Next to be served was a personal favourite, and aptly named "Up in Smoke" homemade, lemon- smoked salmon with a ribbon of crispy pork rested on a bed of horseradish and roasted butternut. Served in a small glass fish bowl, the salmon was enfolded in a cloud of smoke with a round of rice paper serving as a lid. Slowly peeling away the paper, the lemon smoke wafted out across the table. An inspirational dish and one of my favourites. It was served with a golden, mildly-oaked 2009 Margaret's Bluff Chardonnay. The coupling was a superb harmony of balance with soft hints of citrus.

"Beauty and The Beast" was the humorous title of the next course. Essentially a sweet corn bisque had been blended with spicy chorizo, enhanced with a blackened Hokkaido scallop and anointed with parmesan, pine nut crisps and green onion oil. The serving of a 2010 Helen's Gorge Verdelho was spot on, the fruity overtones boosting the sweetness of the soup.

Next we moved on to the reds. The first to be served was 2008 Crombolo's Block Cabernet Sauvignon; almost black/dark purple in colour with intense overtones of cassis, it was a big, generous wine. Its gastro-companion was a dish consisting of baked lobster, spinach and truffle in puff pastry, fresh mussels and orange essence in a foie gras cream. The savoury finale of Australian Angus 150-day grain-fed beef tenderloin, grilled tiger prawn, roast vine tomatoes, hand-cut, chunky, oven chips with a chili beer cream was escorted by the biggest wine (14.5 percent) of the evening–a Bundie's Patch Shiraz. A quintessential McLaren Valley wine, it was intense with plums and spice and truly delicious. The extreme tenderness of the beef and sweet brininess of the prawn together with the inspired emulsion created a truly astonishing main course. After such a stunning pageant of dishes, the dessert bestowed the sweetest of endings, pineapple ravioli with marinated strawberries and a margarita sorbet coupled with a sweet Sandalford Port.

We were all now replete with exquisite food, superb wines and more than a hint of bon homie. The service had been exemplary and the attention to detail exceptional, making for a very special and memorable experience. For a luxury gastronomic journey it would be hard to beat Flare at the Hilton Pattaya.

The Hilton Pattaya is on Beach Road atop Central Festival. Tel: (03) 825 3000. Horizon is open daily from 5 p.m. till 1 a.m. Flare is open daily from 6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Check out all the culinary venues on www.hilton.com/pattaya