Thursday, July 9, 2009

Vertigo and Moon Bar @ Banyan Tree

Having been to Moon Bar at Banyan Tree Bangkok, I’ve always wanted to dine at their restaurant Vertigo. For two years this goal never materialized simply because I’ve never had the time or companion to dine with. This time together with May and Aunt Kung I found some time off work and made a reservation for 6pm.

Vertigo Restaurant and Moon Bar

Why the early dinner reservation... Well we were told that this was the perfect time to come if we would like to watch the sun set while dining some 60 stories-high “alfresco style”. Having eaten in many places none can come close to the atmosphere and view that Vertigo offers. Dining throughout the night, we were greeted with a mild breeze as the sun slowly sets into the horizon and as it turned dark we were greeted with a full moon overlooking Bangkok’s brightly-lit city.

Sunset in Bangkok #1

Sunset in Bangkok #4

Bangkok Skyline at Night


I could probably go on talking about the ambience but we also came here for the food. We were offered an ala carte menu and also 4 tasting menus from our friendly waiter. With the three of us I chose the 6-course, May the 5-course and Aunt Kung the 4-course menu.

Some of the courses we had were excellent and some we had a few quibbles about. For my menu I enjoyed my first course of Kobe Beef Carpaccio. The thin slices of Kobe beef literally melts in your mouth and the shaved parmesan cheese added a nice salty touch to the dish.

Kobe Beef Carpaccio

I had a Lobster Bisque for my second course. I was first presented with an empty bowl with just a small piece of lobster meat where the waiter would than pour the soup into the bowl. The soup definitely packed a lot lobster flavor, but I would have liked it a little less saltier.

Lobster Bisque

Next I had Foie Gras with Mango Sauce that is served with toast on the side. What I really enjoyed most is the contrast in texture of the soft foie gras and crunchy toast.

Pan Seared Foie Gras

My fourth and main course was excellent. I was served two generous rack of lamb that is cooked to a recommended medium. The lamb was well-seasoned, succulent and juicy and the jus that went with it was rich and velvety.

Rack of Lamb

My last course course was Trifle and Strawberry Sorbet. The trifle contained 2 layers of sponge that was sandwiched between some raspberry jam. The strawberry sorbet was not very sweet and was surprisingly creamy.

Trifle with Strawberry Sorbet

I had a couple of bites of May and her Aunt's food but will refrain from commenting. However I've posted the pictures below so you guys know what they had.

May's Food:

First Course: Mozarella Cheese with Fresh Tomato Slices

Mozarella Cheese with Fresh Tomato Slices

Second Course: Asparagus Soup

Asparagus Soup

Third Course: Pan Seared Scallops

Pan Seared Scallops with Balsamic Reduction

Fourth Course: Black Bass

Black Bass

Fifth Course: Baked Cheese Cake

Baked Cheese Cake

Aunt Kung's Food:

First Course: Tuna Tartar with Salmon Caviar

TunaTartar with Salmon Caviar

Second Course: Pumpkin Soup

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Third Course: Roast Salmon with Sauce Bernaise

Salmon with Sauce Bernaise and Caviar

Fourth Course: Chocolate Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream

Chocolate Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream

After all the food we were definitely really stuffed. However all of us agreed that for the hefty price of THB 13000 without any alcohol, we felt the food was inconsistent. But I guess the price that we're mostly paying for is the atmosphere and view. Nevertheless I highly recommend this place to all tourists. You don't need to dine at Vertigo to experience the ambiance. Just drop by at Moon Bar and have a couple of drinks and watch the sun set and it'll only set you back a couple of thousand Baht.

Vertigo and Moon Bar at Night

Contact Information:
Address: 21/100 South Sathorn Road Sathorn, Bangkok 10120, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 679 1200
Fax: +66 2 679 1199
E-mail: bangkok@banyantree.com

2 comments:

bigboysoven said...

food looks spectecular indeed! Just love them to bits . . . . hmmm... "ta pau" yeah! hmmm

Kwong said...

Haha yea I'll remember to do that if we get a chance to go there =)