Blue by Alain Ducasse

The idea of dining in a shopping mall wouldn’t have many people salivating with excitement but Bangkok is no usual city and ICONSIAM is no usual shopping mall. Situated on the South Western side of the Chao Phraya River, ICONSIAM is a paean to fashion and designer opulence. Hermès, Patek Phillip, Salvatore Ferregamo, Bottega Veneta, and YSL are just some of the names which grace the massive emporium defined by its gold escalators and black marble flooring. One of the world’s most celebrated chefs, Alain Ducasse, opened his sole Thailand restaurant back in 2019 and it’s still going strong today with a Michelin star, to boot. 

Situated on ICONSIAM‘s first floor, Blue’s curved exterior blends in with the rest of the mall and shimmers with a glowing yellow/gold vertical light installation. Inside, the design is more minimal. Not surprisingly a bold midnight blue provides the main source colour for a simultaneously edifying but relaxed atmosphere and covers carpet, pillars, ceiling and much of the textured walling. Something shaped like a large comma hangs from the ceiling’s centre and, with extensive folds of hanging fabric, the structure offers a unique visual which could be inspired by a jellyfish or the gills of a mushroom. Ceiling-to-floor windows open up to the Chao Phraya River which is illuminated at night by brightly lit, multicoloured cruisers. 

Wearing a slick blue suit with matching tie and white shirt, restaurant manager Giovanni Pitton welcomes us with a glass of R. Pouillon champagne which has a thick yellow colour and a rosé tint. It’s quickly accompanied by two sets of amuse-bouches. The first is a Parmesan puff ball with a soft centre and the second, a plate with shiny, luscious objects which could pass as extravagant hand jewellery.

One is Foie gras on sponge with a berry jam, another a Treated tomato with basil cream (curiously refreshing) and the third, Ham mousse with sweet wine jelly crystals. The sweetness of the latter compliments the savouriness of the former to delectable effect. A Home-smoked sardine in light tempura follows. It’s a bit like a British fish without the chip. 

All the above come before we even start on the self-titled ‘Menu Voyage’ which is nothing short of epic. We have Black Fig and Bellota ham, the latter decorated on the former like angular turrets. We have the restaurant’s signature dish, the only one that has never changed: Smoked Salmon in French Brioche and yellow wine sauce.

The French Brioche forms a crunchy roulade on the fish’s flanks and, from a distance, could be mistaken for a super-sized Bassett’s Liquorice Allsort. A small scoop of caviar decorates the Norwegian salmon which is chunky, fatty and smoked in-house. We have Celeriac and Hazelnut Tortilla in a different yellow sauce but made from the same grape as before.

We have Confit Japanese Sea Bream with girolle mushrooms. A chicken sauce is poured at the table, which acts as a visual Yin to a greener sauce’s Yang. And before desert, we have Margaret River Wagyu Beef from Australia with wild mushrooms. The beef is chargrilled on the outside using binchotan BBQ and is super pink on the inside with a few grains of sprinkled salt. The beef is ridiculously tender and the mushrooms are deconstructed and served more as a kind of soufflé mound. 

Different waiters and waitresses serve us but the constant is Bella, our beverage ambassador who has previously worked at some of Bangkok’s finest. She sourced the wine personally and has visited many of her chosen vineyards. She speaks with authority and knowledge, love and passion and shares stories accordingly. She’s very proud of sourcing 2020 Champagne, Extra Brut, Rosé de Seignée, Jeaunaux Robin.

This vineyard is one of the very few contemporary ones established by a woman – Marie-Claude Jeaunaux, back in 1964. Some of the wine is exclusive to Blue such as the 2020 Jura, Savagnin, Domaines des Carlines. Aged for 18 months, (rather than 6 years), and harvested from five hectares, its acidity is kept alive and comes from the same grape used in the yellow sauces. It perfectly compliments the salmon. The 1977 Languedoc-Roussillon, Maury, L’Archiviste is a naturally sweet dessert wine made from Grenache noir grapes. It’s spent 50 years in an oak barrel and is another restaurant exclusive. It has hints of dried fig and cacao and pairs deliciously with the extensive cheese board. 

We’re given a delicate, cut crystal hand bowl filled with rose water and petals to rinse our hands in before heading on to the final dishes – do not drink this as one guest did! A fresh pineapple sorbet surrounded by mint foam is light and breezy and almost acts as a palate cleanser before another Ducasse classic. A generous portion of chocolate made by the man in France is poured from a pot swirling with dry ice. A mascarpone sauce covers the square chunk of tiramisu, the coffee sponge of which is interspersed with vanilla ice cream. In the middle is more chocolate, this time both chunky and crispy.

It’s a theatrical way to end a theatrical meal which was both flawless in presentation and abundant in surprise and satisfaction. Blue by Alain Ducasse is included in our guide to the best fine dining in Bangkok.