There are plenty of things to tell the world about my recent lunch visit to J'Aime by Jean-Michel Lorain.
The elegant dining room, where haute-quality French cuisine is served Asian family-style.
Yet given that the gastronomic scene Bangkok is now graced with a number of star-studded expat chefs, let me not focus too much on the fact that J'Aime is a newly opened establishment owned and run by the chef-patron of three-Michelin-starred La Côte Saint Jacques, a Lorain-family-run restaurant in Burgundy, France.
Instead emphasis should be placed on the heartfelt thrill a discriminating gourmand can expect from Lorain's first venture in this tropical metropolis.
J'Aime, which opened four days ago, occupies a large, glass-wrapped space on the second floor of the breathtaking colonial-style U Sathorn hotel (which is scheduled to open at the end of December).
According to Lorain, the restaurant's elegant dining room, designed with topsy-turvy decor, was created to represent upside-down French cuisine. Guests will enjoy the haute quality of French cuisine served Asian family-style, over a round table with a lazy Susan and chopsticks. It's a truly smart East-meets-West approach that combines the blissful characteristics of two cultures without interfering with culinary quality.
J'Aime's menu presents a selection of signature dishes from the 60-year-old La Côte Saint Jacques (the waiting list for a table is at least a month long) and new creations by the restaurant's executive chef, Amerigo Sesti, who has trained with Lorain and some of the world's most celebrated chefs.
From the chrome and marble kitchen designed by Lorain, first to arrive at our table was lobster and sweet corn bisque with pickled baby corn (370 baht). The lovely soup showcased aromatic and chunky morsels of roasted lobster in salty-sweet foamy bisque with pastel green tarragon mousse. Pickled baby corn lent a slightly sour complement.
Pearl barley and frisee salad with cured egg yolk and Parmesan spume.
Ocean oyster terrine with confit shallots, red wine gelee and spinach (910 baht for a portion that serves four) came next. It is one of Lorain's first appetisers, created 25 years ago, and the dish proved its long-held esteem as a sensation to the eyes and tastebuds.
Another appetiser, as visually captivating as palate pleasing, was pearl barley and frisee salad with cured egg yolk and Parmesan spume (450 baht). The dish, a clean jumble of grain, greens and egg, exhibited an unexpected rich and well-rounded taste with a complementary peppery finish.
Lorain's highly acclaimed creativity also showed in the herb-crusted lamb carpaccio (760 baht). Delicate slices of rare lamb meat came dressed on a hefty roll of light goat cheese mousse with brittle black pepper sable, mildly sweet and refreshing pearls of butterfly pea blossoms and a salad of seasonal flowers.
From a selection of main seafood courses, I highly recommend the pan-seared scallops, with chanterelle mushrooms and cappuccino foam (1,260 baht). The giant scallops were cooked to yield a browned exterior and sweet and juicy meat, enhanced with buttery creamy French mushroom sauce.
Representing previous generations of the Lorain clan is glazed veal sweetbread with Venere rice and Grand Marnier jus (1,310 baht), a dish created by Lorain's father. The sweetbread's typical sweet taste was given a bracing contrast by crunchy green peppercorn and a citrus zest from the cognac liqueur sauce and fresh orange pulp, while the black rice added a balmy note to the rich dish.
Another dish not to be missed is the bourguignonne beef cheeks with marinated onions and coriander salad (1,550 baht). Though it was presented rather simply (in a bowl), the cubed beef boasted exceptional texture and taste that intermingled superbly with the sweet acidic tang of the orange juice-cured red onion garnish.
Desserts are presented on a platter of three and five sweet treats, picked from the nine-item dessert menu, priced at 420 baht and 700 baht. Bestselling choices include passion fruit souffle, which proved the pastry chef's dexterity in creating a souffle that rises perfectly and retains its cushion-like texture for a long time, pistachio creme brulee, mille-feulle "Napolean" and chocolate and coffee gateau opera.
Every dish we sampled proved a masterful exhibition of fine culinary details that came with a very reasonable price tag, all things considered. Accompanying the high-quality cuisine was top-notch service.
Herb-crusted lamb carpaccio.
Glazed veal sweetbread with Venere rice, citrus and Grand Marnier jus.
Ocean oyster terrine with confit shallots and red wine gelee.
