A restaurant bringing Europe to Sathorn has reopened with a new seasonal tasting menu worth the trip down to Soi Suan Phlu.
After on-and-off lockdowns for two years, Keller Bangkok recently regained its footing with a new menu dubbed Keller Journey. The nine-course meal takes influences from German chef Mirco Keller’s childhood memories, family recipes, travels in Asia, and obsession with seafood.
Proclaiming more than once his affection for seafood, Keller sourced the fish and shellfish from the Pacific Ocean: salmon bred in clear New Zealand waters and obsiblue prawns from New Caledonia, to name just a few.
The Keller Journey embarks on a fresh, zingy start with the gorgeous-looking Ora King Salmon’s plump cut of fish complemented by savory dashi, yuzu dressing, and sea grape. Duet of Duck and Pumpkin comes in a pair – one is a bite-size terrine tart topped with foie gras and passionfruit sauce, and another is a duck dumpling (call it ravioli, if you want) soaked in Banyuls wine vinegar.
The surprising superstar, however, comes in a simple form. Comprising a German potato bun, creme fraiche and creamy, piping hot potato soup; Warm Vichysoisse easily evokes the nostalgia of a childhood sick day. Each sip and bite is soul-soothing, and one can’t help but to want more.
Another dish we would return for was the inimitable Obsiblue Prawns, where the crunchy crustacean is matched with buttermilk-wasabi dressing. Not only does it impress with a delicate, sweet, complex flavor; but the thoughtful presentation deserves some snaps, too.
There are three choices of mains. For Japanese Blackfin Seabass, Keller skins and bakes to crispy perfection before he rests in a beurre blanc sauce that lends a creamy texture. Those who want something non-seafood for a change should order tasty and tender Anjou Pigeon that comes with artichoke a la barigoule, rillettes, and port wine sauce Keller makes from scratch. A large chunk of MR Wagyu Beef 8+ Rib Eye served with pickled cucumber, mustard seeds, and roti sauce is the final choice.
The course ends with a sweet note of a Meringue, which is unusually served light and soft with saffron parfait, apricot coulis, raspberries and crumble. But nothing can beat classic decadent like Chocolate Ganache that’s dedicated to Keller’s mother. The true crowd-pleaser arrives with an upgraded version of white chocolate soy ice cream, hazelnut milk, brownie, and passion fruit.
The nine-course Keller Journey is priced at THB4,900. A four-glass wine pairing is available at additional THB2,150 while the four-glass mocktail pairing is THB890.
For those who don’t want to go all the way now have options to select their own a la carte, starting from THB290 per dish.
From Berlin, Keller began his career in 1998 and came to Thailand in 2010, where he expanded his culinary horizons to cover Asian cuisine and local Thai produce. He was previously at Asian-European fusion spot Water Library at Chamchuri Square for eight years. He opened Keller Bangkok in early 2020, only weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic hit Thailand.
Keller Bangkok is located in Soi Suan Phlu 2 in the Sathorn area. It’s open from 5:30pm to late every day except Tuesday.
