Elements, The Okura Prestige, Bangkok

When someone mentions Bangkok, chances are your mind drifts to an image of a busy bazaar full of street-side stalls offering delicious hawker fare for a deliciously low price. However, there is more to Bangkok than just its street food culture. Bangkok has its fine-dining gems too.

Positioned on the 25^th floor of the Okura Prestige Hotel, Elements is just a convenient step away from Ploenchit BTS Station. The modern establishment exudes a certain warmth – what with its open kitchen and tastefully designed setting, diners are almost instantly teleported to a timeless age, where all that matters is the present. Priding itself on using only the best ingredients from around the world, Elements chooses not to hide behind pretentions and perfunctory displays of class because fine ingredients speak for themselves.

As you step into the restaurant, you are first greeted by a huge timber wall set against a comforting, almost burlesque, purple neon light. The floor boards, made from light wood, creak ever so slightly as you approach your seat. But which seat do you choose? From a chef’s table positioned in front of the open kitchen that accommodates a table of eight, to the secluded two-seaters set against the floor-to-ceiling windows and the eight-seater that is at once connected to the kitchen yet divided by a full glass panel, you realise you have a tough choice to make. Do you choose the personal touch and intimacy of having a chef right in front of you? Or do you prefer losing yourself by the window as you overlook Bangkok’s magnificent skyline in the company of your companion? Or do you want to be near enough to the kitchen to catch a glimpse yet far enough to have the privacy of conversation? Whatever your choice, you know there are no losers, only winners.

But what about the food? You might say. Oh, you are in for a treat, we say. Gourmet is scarcely the right word to use. Luxury is probably better. Oysters here exude the sweet taste of freshness while truffle is layered onto your food and foie gras is not sliced but cut. The end result is a generous portion made from the finest ingredients, meticulously plated onto a dish that is at once delicious and beautiful. “Modern logical cuisine” is what they call it.

Given its ties to Okura Hotels, it is expected that Japanese influence creeps into the dishes, as wasabi, radish, crab meat and tuna sashimi graces the dinner table. However, that does not mean that chefs here are in any way restricted by these influences. Rather, they are given the creative freedom to craft dishes up to their imagination.

Elements is a place suited for any and every occasion, because we know good food needs no excuses. However, if you choose to make date night happen at Elements, you can be assured endless conversational fodder from the imaginative dishes. Bringing friends and family to Elements is also a great choice. After all, there is no better way to their hearts than through their stomachs. But with that said, make sure to leave room for dessert because you don’t want to miss out on the delectable creations of the patisserie chef.

And what better day to turn up at Elements than on a Friday. Introducing a brasserie-style evening coupled with an all-you-can-eat theme for a set price, you know you will be in for a treat. With the menu displayed tastefully on a chalkboard and with dishes coming straight from the kitchen, you get to enjoy everything about a buffet without the commotion and queue lines that form with a traditional buffet. The in-house sommelier also ensures that you get the best wine to accompany every dish so you get to experience the best flavour combinations that exists. That said, red and white wine, local beers and cocktails are also available.

The menu changes weekly according to the availability of seasonal ingredients but you can expect much of their a la carte offerings coupled with other gourmet gems being thrown in. When we dined there, we had the privilege of sampling creations developed by Michelin star chef Thomas Kammeier who had recently visited the place – Nanteser duck with carrort mash and shallot and Iberico pork belly that came with onion cream. And trust me when I say that tasting it will leave you wanting for more so it was fortunate that it was available as many times as we wished.