Who doesn’t like to start off a meal with cheese in pastry? A show of hands, please!
Stage’s 8.0 menu (seven courses B3,500++, B1,700 for a four-glass wine pairing) begins with three snacks: Gruyère gougères, Tarte aux champignons and Millet crab cake. All equally delicious though the cheese puff stands out. Executive chef Sainisa “Jay” Sangsingkeaw has used the season’s best produce to her advantage, and to the pleasure of our palates.
The new menu at Stage in Ekamai Complex, Sukhumvit 63, is conceived on the essence of haute cuisine — masterful culinary techniques using the finest ingredients served in artistic presentations. “We are playing with the seasons and we have tried to use whatever is in season from around the world,” adds the chef.
The classic combination of pork and apple is recreated in the Pork jowl with black garlic and kohlrabi, served with horseradish “snow”. I love horseradish and felt like the snow needed a wee bit more kick to rein in the pungent taste of the black garlic. Apple crisps added texture to the jowl, which was beautifully cooked. Red shrimp are deliciously sweet this time of year and chef Jay has made sure that the colour of the dish mimics the colour of the red Argentinian prawn, with the help of beetroot. To make the most use of the prawn, the head is deep fried and served for added crunch. The dish is topped with shrimp-shell aspic and caviar, served with pickled beetroot and Parmesan sauce. Yum, yum and then some!
Pappardelle ripiene di Coda is stuffed with braised oxtail and served with a cheese bubble, lardo and curly kale. Cheese on everything, I say! The Lamb floss dish is reminiscent of gnocchi with the potato balls and ricotta at the bottom. Served with the whey from housemade ricotta, mix everything to let the lamb jus infuse with the whey for maximum flavour. The acidity from the house curd and whey cuts through the flavour of the crispy shredded Australian lamb floss, balancing the dish with buttery glazed potatoes. Give me meat and potatoes and I’m a happy girl!
Mains are a choice so I chose quail over the Line-caught sea bream from Brittany, France, which is served with an XO crust and wild mushrooms. The Glazed quail is served with popped rice and beetroot chips with an artichoke purée. But the star of the dish, along with the crisply-fried quail leg is the salted caramel sauce and deep-fried quail egg. To cleanse the palate before dessert, a delightfully fresh Black tea infused with blood orange appears. A winning combo!
Though the menu is very cheese heavy, I ain’t complaining. You can skip dessert and get the cheese course, instead. The cheese platter offers three types of cheese, which change often, and a housemade fruit biscuit, jam and honey. I, however, chose dessert in the form of Caviar, Horlicks and grape. Mascarpone and Horlicks ice cream, topped with Kristal caviar and a Muscat jelly underneath; three combinations that work well together. “Horlicks reminds me of my childhood and the combination of the malt Horlicks with white chocolate is good!” explains chef Jay. However, do leave room for the Dessert Trolley, which is a Stage signature and favourite of mine!
Insider’s Tip: Make sure your table has a full view of the semi-open-style kitchen, separated from the dining area with huge glass windows… almost like you’re watching a stage (pun intended) of chefs performing. Stage also offers a four-course menu at B1,900++ (two-glass wine pairing at B900++) and diners can create their own culinary journey. The “Stage Experience” is a 10-course tasting menu (B4,900++, six-glass wine pairing at B2,500). Visit restaurant-stage.co.
