Hi there,

I think change is a funny concept – it brings forth both a sense of excitement and also of a sense of weariness. Therefore, when I was invited to try the new menu at Wine Pub, Pullman Bangkok King Power, I had mixed feelings since I was a fan of their old menu and daily promotions, and I frequented the place quite often a while back. I’m one of those nostalgic people, you see. The new concept is a complete revamp of the old menu, promising “the best tapas in Bangkok” with 48 selections of wine by the glass; heading up the change is the new executive chef, Dominique Ferchaud.

The first change I noticed as I entered the restaurant was the giant glass wine dispenser, the hi-tech tool that allows them to sell 48 wines by the glass without oxidization. The interesting about the wine selection is that there is a great range, both in terms of price and the types of the wines – ranging from House Wines at B175 (12 cl) to premium selections, starting at THB 110 (3cl) and THB 425 (12 cl) e.g. Pinot Gris, Clos Windsbuhl 2004 or Echo de Lynch Bages, Pauillac 2010, to a Grand Cru selections starting at THB 290 (3cl) and THB 1,150 (12 cl) e.g. Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru 2010 or Chateau Gruaud Larose, St. Julien 2009. (I know very little about wine, and by little, I mean I know that I like drinking it. So I included some names above for those who know more than I do.)
  

Now onto the food, the list of tapas is no longer separated into hot and cold selections, and it became a lot more inventive, with menus such as scallop wrapped with bacon with passion fruit espuma or panpimol white coco bean soup with potato cream topped with truffle espuma etc. Also, it became very seafood heavy, therefore I am probably not the best judge of whether or not this is “the best tapas in Bangkok” since I was unable to eat 2/3 of the seafood options. But my friends really enjoyed the selection of Fine de Claire oysters (140-160 each) and the scallop.

My personal favorite out of the list was the duck liver terrine with focaccia (THB190) but I also tried a dish from their a-la-carte menu, which I really enjoyed. The portion of the grilled wagyu ribeye served with sautéed winter vegetables and girolles mushrooms and Dijon mustard seed sauce (B1390) was pretty big, and it was perfectly cooked. However, I found myself missing a big side of mashed potato instead of the vegetables and mushrooms, but that might be just me and my love for comfort food.

  
The tapas menu also includes 2 small desserts: sorbet of the day (THB 60) and mini chocolate fondant with vanilla custard, as a dessert lover and baker, these desserts were a little one dimensional to me, but they accomplished their purpose to round up the savory meal.

I really loved all the wines that I tried but like I said earlier, I am not one to be able to pick up on a hint of leather or fresh summer red berries, so I’m listing the names for you guys again:

• Alter Ego de Palmer, Margaux 2010 (THB 275/ 3 CL, 545/ 6 cl / 1,085/ 12 cl)
• Chateau Lagrange, St. Julien 2003 (THB 360/ 3 CL, 715/ 6 cl / 1,425/ 12 cl)
• Chateau Gruaud Larose, St. Julien 2009 (THB 440/ 3 CL, 875/ 6 cl / 1,750/ 12 cl)

Surely some of you might be surprised by the high price tags for wine by the glass, but these might give many people a chance to try some premium wines that they otherwise wouldn’t buy.

Overall, I enjoyed the meal, but I believe I was unable to try enough of the tapas to be a good judge of whether or not it’s the best tapas restaurant in Bangkok. I certainly enjoyed the steak and the wines! You guys should go try and be the judge for yourself, just the 48 wines should be a good enough incentive! Thank you Pullman for the warm hospitality, always.

WP Wine Pub,

Pullman Bangkok King Power

02-680-9999

Website