Celadon at The Sukhothai Hotel Bangkok: Delving Deeper Into Exotic Thai Cuisine

As I was staying in The Sukhothai Hotel Bangkok for two nights, I thought it would be a shame if i didn’t get to try any of the hotel’s renowned restaurants. I was literally spoiled for choice. There’s La Scala which regularly hosts Michelin-starred chefs, the Salon with its chocolate buffet or the celebrated Thai restaurant, Celadon. I undoubtedly had some great options there but it was pretty clear which one I’d go with.

traditional thai dance performance at celadon

There has been much buzz about Celadon that I thought my stay wouldn’t be complete without trying it. The name of this restaurant always pops up whenever The Sukhothai Hotel Bangkok is mentioned. Travel and Leisure Magazine named it as the “Best Restaurant in Bangkok” and I was really excited to sample its many exotic Thai delights.

The restaurant is set in a separate building, in a Thai-inspired villa surrounded by a moat filled with lotuses. It made for a very scenic spot to dine, and guests have the option to have their meals either in an open-air or air-conditioned area.

Being no stranger to Thai staples such as curry, pork with basil leaves, pad thai and tom yum, I decided to have an assortment of dishes that were totally new to me along with old Thai favorites. The staff members were very alert in anticipating my needs and quickly whipped up a few suggestions from an iPad.

I started off with a nicely decorated and exotic looking dish called Miang Kam. A traditional appetizer, it’s composed of a few distinct items such as dried shrimp, toasted coconut, peanut, lime, chili and ginger placed separately in lotus petals and all meant to be used as filling for a chaplu leaf wrap topped with palm sugar sauce. Eating it was an experience in itself. The moment the wrap entered my mouth, I witnessed an explosion of multiple flavors ranging from the sourness of the lime to the sweet-salty taste of the dipping sauce. It was a surprise to encounter a dish with such a varied taste – I could no longer describe it as being just salty or sweet or spicy, but rather it was all that at the same time and more.

The next dish I had was the  Pomelo Salad, a popular dish in Thai restaurants overseas. It was served fresh with a huge topping of prawns and grilled chicken. What I loved about the Pomelo Salad in Celadon is that the pomelo chunks are served sweet. Overall, it did not even have a bit of the sour taste that I usually experience elsewhere.

This was followed by the soup. The staff members initially suggested that I order Tom Yum which is apparently a specialty of the house. As much as I love the spicy-sour taste of that broth, I did not want to take chili for this meal so instead I opted for Tom Kha Gai Nai Maprow Orn or the Coconut Soup with Chicken, Galangal and Lime served inside a young coconut. Being another one of my favorite Thai soups, I wanted to see how they prepare it here. It turned out just as how I remember this dish, with the aromatic and creamy coconut and a tinge of sourness giving flavor to the steamed chicken within.

I opted for two main courses that night. The first was the Phad Phed Thalay Samunprai or Wok-fried Seafood consisting of Hokkaido scallops, tiger prawn, mussels, crab claws and squid. This was my personal favorite! Although the overall serving was quite generous, the presence of at least 5 types of seafood in this dish meant that in terms of distribution, there were only about two or three pieces of each type. Nonetheless, the seafood was fresh and chewy, a sign of good seafood. I especially loved the clams and scallops! The mixture of lemongrass, chili and basil created a rich and fragrant flavor that was only rivaled by the Miang Kam that I had earlier.

What’s a Thai dinner without Pad Thai? I have these ubiquitous rice noodles every time I’m in Thailand and never get tired of it. Celadon offers an elevated version of this Thai favorite, topped with no less than king prawns and crab meat. It was such a delight devouring this. Although overall, the sweet taste of the noodles was the same as Pad Thai I have anywhere else, the rich seafood toppings made it much more than just about the noodles. The gigantic prawns were bursting with so much creamy yellow fat that I had at first mistaken it for lobsters.

I ended the meal on a sweet note, with the perennial favorite Sticky Mango with Rice which packed in a powerful punch due to the ice cream that came with it. Again, this tasted as expected – sweet and juicy just how I always like it.

Rating:

Taste: 4/5
Ambience: 4.5/5
Value for money: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

I was invited for a tasting at Celadon. However, all opinions are my own.

Operating Hours

Lunch (Daily) : 12:00 – 3:30PM
Dinner (Daily) : 6:30 – 11:00PM

Celadon
The Sukhothai Hotel Bangkok
Address: 13/3 South Sathorn Road, Bangkok 10120, Thailand

Bino

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