Back in the day, there was another legendary hotel beside the Oriental Hotel: it was the Erawan Hotel. Part of this luxury hotel was also Erawan Tea Room, which operated between 1953 and 1988. This place was one of Bangkok’s first trendy high society hubs. Today, on almost the very same spot, only one floor higher, is a new Erawan Tea Room, managed by the Hyatt Grand Erawan Bangkok Hotel. It’s a part of the boutique mall, filled with designer and luxury stores. So, what could be better than a nice lunch after an exhausting shopping venture?
Erawan Tea Room Ambient
At the entrance, we were greeted by an always so promising sign: the Michelin guide. The restaurant is decorated in a nostalgic 60’s style, with Asian ceramics combined with teakwood furnishings and Cambodian style colonial chairs. For a modern touch, there was nice low-slung lightning and interestingly shaped velvet red sofas. It is a spacious, decently lighted space with light coming inside from the all-glass outer wall. From here then, you can observe one of the busiest parts of Bangkok, the Ratchaprasong intersection. In this restaurant, we also found a boutique shop where anyone can buy ingredients for cooking, teas, dried fruit, cookies, and even some nice handmade tableware.
On the menu, we noticed the thoughtfully sourced title referring to the Earth Net Foundation, which honors the sustainability, organic agriculture and fair trade. Traceable ingredients made already our delicious meal even more delectable.
Lunch
The tea room appetizer was the first tidbit that was recommended to us and without thinking twice, we were convinced. The crab meat dumplings, Thai herb in a crispy basket and the pomelo salad sounded tempting. As it turned out, they were exquisite. We especially loved how the pomelo cut the intense flavors and added juiciness. The sweet and sour salad with peanuts on top of a crispy crab cake was a perfect start. Besides that, it was a nice addition to the slightly sweet and firm dumplings and herbal basket. The crispy basket had a caramelized sweetness that masked the slight bitterness of herbs, which altogether made for a delicious bite.
The iconic Tom Yum, which always catches us unprepared, was next. The delicious and intense flavors of this hot soup are just to die for. The metaphor is quite close to the reality when this hot soup is eaten on the heated streets of Bangkok. However, if you go for it in the cooled dining room of the Erawan tea room, the satisfaction increases, starting with the thick fish stock, which is a good sign of quality ingredients. The consistency and the complex taste were gratifying, just like the luscious sustainably caught prawns.
Another Thai dish that we can’t get enough of is the green curry. This fragrant curry had succulent chicken and soft, pulpy eggplant. The combination of coconut, Kaffir lime leaf, refreshing Thai basil, and chicken cooking liquids is a match made in heaven. Only the appearance fell behind the taste, due to the curdled coconut cream.
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Thai classic – Pad Thai
There is no way we could miss out on the “original fast food” of Thailand: Pad Thai. This dish was really a savior in difficult times, almost 8 decades ago when food was scarce. The fried rice noodles aren’t just fulfilling but also nutritious with vegetables and proteins. Fresh bean sprouts added juiciness and combined the dish with the compact tofu. We really liked the tiny sauce set that matched the rest of the tableware. The petit appearance and content – especially the flavorsome fish sauce.
Obviously, there are street variations of Pad Thai, but be aware that there is a big difference. You get what you pay for! We had our share of burnt, greasy Pad Thai on Khao San Road that made us regret the urge. At Erawan’s, we liked the elegant serving that allowed us to add seasonings to our taste. But the flavor is what matters and it had all we were craving.
What About Dessert?
Well, you know how crazy we can get, right? Everything was super delicious here so we wanted to try as many sweets as possible. The best option was the afternoon tea, with their extensive traditional inspired desserts. We came for lunch and stayed for high tea with one of the best coffees we ever had. Yes, you read it right: at the Erawan tea room, they serve the very rare Black Ivory Coffee. Next time we will post an article about this amazing afternoon tea and coffee as well. That isn’t just a random lunch that you can easily forget before leaving the building, it will stay in our mind for a very, very long time.
Erawan Tea Room Lunch Review Card
- ATMOSPHERE – 8.8/108.8/10
- SERVICE – 8.9/108.9/10
- PRESENTATION – 9.2/109.2/10
- FOOD – 9.4/109.4/10
- DRINKS – 9/109/10
- VALUE – 9.3/109.3/10
Price and Location
Lunch like ours will cost you about 30 USD, which is super cheap for this what you get. Here is a location if you consider to visit them. However, the dress code in the Erawan Tea Room is casual.
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