There are food gems all over Bangkok, and one of the best ones is hidden in Josh Hotel in Ari. Though not obvious as soon as you enter the lobby, which also houses a few other food and drink establishments, Silver Plate is where chef Lorenzo "Enzo" dela Cruz spins his magic.
The Mediterranean grill and bar is only open for dinner and is home to an open BBQ near the pool. One could book "the" rather quaint table by the window (if you call to book, the restaurant will know which one) or sit by the pool, though with the current weather, the cosy interiors is a better choice. "I like Mediterranean cuisine and so does my investor," laughs chef Enzo, "hence we decided to go with that. We wanted simple and easy-going food." Silver Plate comes from his chef's table, called Rows, where silver plates were used. "They looked good and that's why we went with this name," adds the chef.
Chef Enzo makes most of the charcoal and wood-fired grill and encourages the meal to begin with Smoked corn with Brie and honey (B250). The unusual combination, if I may say so, was born out of the Brie platter that was on the menu but didn't sell well. The chef then tried various combinations and the corn and Brie was the winner. "The crowd seemed to like it, so it was added to the menu," says the chef. Though, when I break it down, it is corn and cheese, and who doesn't love cheese with everything! I love octopus and if I see it on a menu, there is nothing stopping me from ordering it. The Trampo (B300) is Grilled baby octopus on smashed avocado with pickled onions and chillies. Though not strictly not a trampo, which is a Mallorcan salad of tomatoes, onions and bell peppers, it is chef Enzo's take on it. This is one of the chef's signature dishes (it used to grace the menu at Bitterman's, too) and uses local octopus with phrik chee fah pickled in a simple salt and vinegar brine.
Don't forget to glance at the specials blackboard near the bar for some yumminess. The Grilled broccolini (B250) is served with a lemon aioli, aged Parmesan and cured egg yolk. The broccolini is charred on the wood-fire; the longan wood coming from Lumphun. "We like to use the grill as much as we can and charred vegetables taste so good," says chef Enzo. The egg yolk is cured for 24 hours and is then grated on the entire dish before being served. The aioli also makes use of the grill with the garlic being roasted before being emulsified with lemon and olive oil.
The Crab pasta (B420) uses hand-picked jumbo crab meat, sautéed garlic, chilli and herbs, tangy butter and aged Parmesan. The dish comes with a slice of lemon, because seafood always needs a hit of citrus, in my opinion. "Though we wanted to make this dish Mediterranean, too, the original recipe is a tomato base. I've changed it to something new," explains the chef. The dish arrives to the table giving off a lovely pungent aroma, though it may have lacked the heat of it. It needed a bit more kick of chilli for my palate. I like things hot, sue me! Next time, I will be trying the scrumptious-looking Ox tongue pesto (B360), which uses spaghetti and is served with Mediterranean pesto (a combination of dill, coriander and chilli), grilled Wagyu ox tongue (who doesn't love tongue?!), radish and aged Parmesan. There is a vegetarian version of this dish available, too, and all you have to do is ask.
There are a couple of rice bowls on the menu in case pasta isn't your carb of choice. Lamb and rice (B780) is another signature. The dish uses Australian lamb rack served with Middle Eastern fried rice, tzatziki and pickled grilled chilli. "The old recipe used lamb shank that was spiced and roasted, but the flavour was too strong for the locals," says the chef, who has since adjusted the recipe. I really enjoyed the aroma of this dish as it wafted through the room from the open kitchen to my table. The fragrances of cumin, turmeric, paprika and garlic powder would make any mouth water. The grilled chillies on the dish work well with the rice and helps cut the fattiness of the lamb. If bones were edible, I would have eaten those too!
The piece de resistance, especially if you're in a group, is "The Platter" (B1,290). "When Silver Plate wasn't yet conceptualised, we did a lot of catering and often got orders for this kind of thing. We then decided to add it to the menu and it is now one of the most-ordered dishes," says the chef. The Platter comes with Wagyu hanger steak (200g), half a Peri Peri chicken, garlic prawns, guacamole with crispy tortilla chips, salad greens, radish, nam jim jaew and aji verde. The chicken uses a medley of local peppers like phrik chee fah, to which some smoked paprika is added. The chillies are brined for 24 hours before being added to the marination and the chicken is marinated for another 24 hours. The Wagyu is from Ranger's Valley and the nam jim jaew that it goes with is unlike any other. You'll have to taste it to tell the difference, The prawns are brushed with garlic and smoked paprika, and grilled to perfection. Leaving the Mediterranean coast and heading all the way to Peru is the aji verde, made with jalapeño, sour cream and a bit of mayo. Because everything is grilled to order, the dish takes around 30 minutes to prepare. But it's definitely worth the wait.
Do leave room for dessert and indulge in the White choc mousse (B240), which is a whipped Belgian white chocolate with seasonal fruit served on a Ritz cracker and cashewnut crumble. The mousse is ever so light and has a cloud-like consistency. The Grilled pineapple rum (B280) is also tempting and uses Phuket pineapples marinated in rum served with vanilla ice cream, a Ritz cracker crumble and caramel. "The desserts may not seem very Mediterranean and I am still learning about them," explains the chef. Email silverplate.bkk@gmail.com.
Insider's tip: Chef Enzo has also opened the Lighthouse Cafe and Wine Bar at Punnpreeda Beach Resort in Koh Samui, which has been open for a week now. The restaurant serves American-Mediterranean cuisine and is an all-day dining concept, serving breakfast, brunch, coffee and juices. Visit fb.com/lighthousecafesamui.
