The Chao Phraya River is never short of energy. As businesses in Bangkok are making a grand recovery after Covid, new dining venues have popped up relentlessly along the banks of the river.
The comeback has been so vibrant that it seems like both visitors and city residents alike are celebrating the Kingdom's lifeblood.
And among the hip places to appreciate the current sensation is the newly-launched Siam Yacht Club (SYC).
Taking over an extensive space that once housed the Royal Orchid Sheraton's Riverside Grill restaurant, SYC labels itself as a stand-alone restaurant that happens to be in a hotel.
The cuisine and interior of SYC are inspired by its geographical heritage and unique location, with the latter regarded as the city's best spot for the Chao Phraya vista.
Decked out in a neat nautical theme, the 270-seater encompasses well-arranged dining areas and lounge space, air-conditioned and alfresco, all with a sophisticated club-like ambience.
The spacious indoor zone features an open kitchen with a live grill station, a large cocktail bar and private rooms. The breezy river terrace boasts a combination of seating styles to cater to different dining preferences, whether it be a casual dinner, romantic night out or rollicking party. Five piers that outline the restaurant's waterfront vista, meanwhile, lend a magnetic, one-of-a-kind panorama to the gastronomic affair.
The food concept takes cues from the maritime spice trade between Siam and Portugal in the 16th century. For that, the restaurant has not just the waterway as a narrative backdrop but also amicable support from the Portuguese embassy next door.
The menu, designed by head chef Nu Homsombutchoti, offers a selection of fresh seafood, local and imported, enhanced by various spices.
Dinner kicks off nicely with a welcoming glass of chilled Moscato and a warm basket of assorted housemade bread.
Starters include a seasonal selection of oysters and a dozen choices of small plates such as tempeh taco with tropical salsa, adobo, chipotle and feta cheese; ahi tuna maki with burnt Sriracha sauce; and white prawn salad with brandade foam, crispy pancetta and chives.
The broccolini salad (398 baht), which I was urged to order, may sound uninspiring, but the dish, a clean composition of broccolini, asparagus, green apple, arugula, capsicum and sweet mango dressed with white balsamic, turned out refreshingly well-balanced and upscale in taste.
The salad was followed by an equally addictive yet much spicier dish, tako octopus (228 baht). The octopus, slow-cooked in a special marinade for many hours until tender, still retained a pleasant chew and was served in three bite-sized pieces on potato truffle mille-feuille with aromatic red pepper sauce made from smoked habanero.
There are a few interesting options for main dishes that showcase the chef's gourmet creativity.
Of them, the capellini with Maine lobster, pancetta, lemon, dried chilli and white wine (498 baht) was my favourite.
A dining companion loved the richer-tasting paccheri pasta with deep-fried soft-shell crab, tao-chio soybean and salted egg yolk chilli sauce. The dish is chef Nu's creative take on Singapore chilli crab.
The main meat items ranged from Spanish secreto Iberico pork and full-blood Wagyu beef steak to spring lamb rack to duck leg confit.
My order of Australian Black Angus rib-eye steak from Rangers Valley (1,998 baht) was medium-cooked to perfection and full of beefy flavour.
For seafood, options are included in the a la carte menu (the likes of poached halibut and miso-glazed cod), the grill menu (from whole sea bream to Hokkaido scallop) and as part of the signature seafood tower.
The seafood tower comes in two sizes. Prices are 2,698 baht for a medium portion and 6,498 baht for a large portion for up to four persons.
The assortment comprises lobster, tiger prawns, river prawns, blue crab and oysters poached in aromatic broth or grilled over a flame, accompanied by a trio of seafood sauces. The pricier tower is also provided with king crab legs and akami tuna tataki.
One important thing I should not miss mentioning is the selection of delicious house-made dipping sauces on the table.
The chilli jam, a mixture of bell pepper and roasted chilli oil; the ginger-infused plum sauce; and house-brewed dark soy sauce proved a wonderful complement to several dishes, including the steak and the seafood.
The restaurant did as impressive a job for the sweet ending as it did for the savoury offerings.
The coconut panna cotta, made of young coconut flesh from Sam Phran and aromatic coconut juice from Amphawa (298 baht), and the red hot chilli chocolate mousse (298 baht) proved an absolute must-have.
As a social club, SYC has a nice collection of classic and house-crafted cocktails as well as tailor-made fruit punch and mocktails. The venue is entertained by live music and top DJ tunes from sundown to late at night.
The memorable service on the day that I visited was led by the super-affable and efficient restaurant manager Sumitra Chumchuen, who was willing to go the extra mile to ensure utmost satisfaction.
Siam Yacht Club is located at the Royal Orchid Sheraton. It opens daily 5pm to 1am.
