Bangkok Foodies were lucky enough to encounter this couple over a year ago, upon their honeymoon cum culinary pop-up tour around Thailand, we were so enamored by them, we dragged them along on a foodies tour of Bangkok with Bangkok Foodies among other Michelin Guide restaurant-rated and Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant restaurant rated chefs. The adoration, however, is not only from Christian Herrgesell and Lena Herrgesell themselves who are extraordinary people but as a team, they create culinary fireworks with their traveling fine dining dinners.
The first taste of Christian’s cuisine – for me- did clearly stand out from the others the first night we sampled his work over a year ago. Still, it wasn’t until the GASTRONOMIC SPECTACLE WITH CHEF CHRISTIAN HERRGESELL AT KIMPTON MAA-LAI BANGKOK (and the guests around me), that become their foodie groupies. We were, shall we say, “blown away” by Christian’s talent. There was not a dry palate in the house from beginning to end, also thanks to a special guest, the legendary Ernst. Loosen of Dr.Loosen wines who supplied an incredible selection of Riesling wine from Germany.
The 6-course dinner included a Hokkaido scallop with dry-aged beef dashi, cauliflower, and imperial caviar; steamed fish with wasabi, pickled radish, and watercress purée; langoustine with sambal manis, carrot, and kumquat; truffle chicken with Jerusalem artichoke, water chestnut, and mushroom.
It’s Christian’s extraordinary aptness to balance and manipulate by technique, that creates a new dance of flavours. Appreciative is how Chef Christian celebrates each product with respect to its own yet intricately weaves a complex recipe of fine ingredients that tickle your palate and challenge your thought.
The Imperial Caviar of the “Hokkaido Scallop” dish for example, it is not simply a text on a menu to inflate prices and left limp on decorative canapes or disintegrating into warm jus but celebrated as it should be, along with the scallop, cauliflower puree, and dry-aged beef dashi, everyone got their 5 minutes of fame and encore together.
It’s really emotional and intelligent cooking and there’s one female chef in Thailand, who I feel has the same spiritual MO.
You may find yourself thinking, how is this dish whispering to me ‘Green Curry’ when it’s wasabi, watercress, and grape? The Hamachi was also a smashing success, sashimi with yuzu, avocado, and young coconut, an unsuspecting, delicate dish that turns out to be a daring combination played out like a big orchestra in the mouth.
The Wagyu Beef, however, sealed the deal. Velvety braised beef cheek, marinated beetroot with smoked cherry blossom vinegar, parsley puree, and cranberry, another reminder of the effortlessly complex technique from Chef Christian.
A significant contributing factor to the whole experience is, of course, the environment. We were unaware that where we sat were also volumes of books. Kimpton Maa-Lai Bankgkok expertly converts their 30th-floor Maa-Lai library from a haven of literature into a fine culinary space, one would suspect it was like this the entire time.
Service and kitchen are also impeccable, with a professional team to handle Dr. Loosen’s wines and Christian’s delicate cuisine, I expect to see more events held here, but if you’re chasing Christan and Lena, follow their Instagram to find out what you can, absolutely not miss next.
About KIMPTON MAA-LAI BANGKOK
Marking the debut for the brand in Southeast Asia, the Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok takes its name from the traditional flower garland presented as a token of welcome, good health and respect to guests and loved ones. The hotel features 362 rooms, including 131 serviced residences. Nestled in the heart of the Langsuan area, the hotel sits beside Lumpini Park, one of the largest parks in the city. Guests can enjoy four restaurants and bars with the signature Kimpton flair, CRAFT, Ms.Jigger, Stock Room and Bar.Yard. For more information and reservations, please visit https://www.kimptonmaalaibangkok.com/
ABOUT KIMPTON® HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants is the original boutique hotel company, which pioneered the concept of unique, distinctive, design-forward hotels in the United States in 1981. Anchored in one-of-a-kind experiences, Kimpton now operates more than 60 hotels and 80 restaurants, bars and lounges across urban locations, resort destinations and up-and-coming markets in the United States, Canada, Europe, Caribbean, Asia and Greater China. Kimpton spaces and experiences center on its guests, offering inspiring design that evokes curiosity to forward-thinking flavors that feed the soul. Every detail is thoughtfully curated and artfully delivered, so that guest experiences remain meaningful, unscripted and ridiculously personal.
Kimpton’s employees, empowered to provide heartfelt service and experiences, have built a highly regarded workplace culture that appears consistently on FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list. As a result, Kimpton has been awarded, “Highest in Guest Satisfaction Among Upper Upscale Hotel Chains” by J.D. Power three times. In January 2015, Kimpton became part of the IHG Hotels & Resorts family of hotel brands. For more information, visit www.KimptonHotels.com.
Gastronomic spectacle with Chef Christian Herrgesell
Christian Herrgesell and Lena Herrgesell
@christian_hgs : https://www.instagram.com/christian_hgs/?hl=en
@lenaherrgesell : https://www.instagram.com/lenaherrgesell/?hl=en
Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok
78 Soi Ton Son, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330
Tel: +66 (0)2 056 9999
Email: kimptonmaalaibangkok@ihg.com
Facebook / Instagram: KimptonMaalaiBangkok
___________________________________________
Want to get noticed?! Get in touch with the Foodies Marketing Specialist.
Check out what foodies are currently eating: https://www.bangkokfoodies.com/
Promote or Advertise with us: contact@bangkokfoodies.com
Join our community: BangkokFoodies OFFICIAL
Follow our Fan Pages: @BangkokFoodies (IG) / Bangkok Foodies (FB)
We’ve gone regional! Check out our new Parent Site: www.FoodiesOFFICIALAsia.com
Follow our Parent fan pages: @FoodiesOFFICALAsia (IG) / Foodies OFFICIAL Asia (FB)
#eatlife
