Harvey
129 Sukhumvit 55, Thonglor Soi 9,
Sukhumvit Road, Klongton-Nua, Bangkok 10110
T. 662 712 9911
Website:

Harvey is the latest trendy restaurant to open in Thonglor. Worse than being trendy it claims to be Californian cuisine. I am not trendy and Californian cuisine should be left to weight watchers, so I wondered why I was going as I was whisked down Sukhumvit in a cab. Well, of course, it is my job to try a hit on the newest places and be one jump ahead of my readers and, as I was to discover, the use of Californian cuisine is a loose description. In fact the chef is Charles Christiaens who I last came across in Villa Bangkok just after in had changed from being Bistingo. Charles is Belgian and a very fine classic chef.
Harvey is in a purpose built elegant building in this leafy soi very much in the centre of trendy Thonglor. I saw somewhere that that the building cost 50 million Baht and I can believe it as this is much more than a restaurant; there are various banqueting rooms as well as a cigar smoking lounge and what is effectively a wine bar. The staff are kitted out in cream leather gear and the restaurant decor is modern with knives that should be put up, and not flat, contrary to what Mummy taught me!
I will first get excited about the wine list, and there is really good reason to do that, because the prices are by this town standards, ridiculous! And for once I mean low not high. There is plenty of good wine priced at under a 1,000 Baht a bottle and there is wine at fewer than 700 Baht a bottle! The list is barely typical Bangkok with a large Claret section including some very big Chateaus, and virtually no red Burgundy's but they also had an impressive list of good whites from the Cote d'Or. I had a bottle of St Veran at 1,100 Baht and a bottle of Cheval Noir (St Emillion) also at 1,100 Baht. Both those wines in the UK would be over £20, if not £30, so the prices charged here are less than I would pay in England! Considering everywhere else in this town is the other way round this is very interesting. My only comment would be that I thought the wines were not in the best condition. In the case of the Claret that did not matter but I fear the St Veran was nearly undrinkable (yes I should have sent it back!)
Now to the main event, if indeed that is what the food is after that exciting wine list!
I am not sure why this is called Californian cuisine, after all there is an excellent French chef and the menu, to me, is little more than a good modern French one. I do eat in France every year and normally add a few stars (Michelin) to my repertoire that way. And this was very much a modern menu with some light starters, as well as traditional items like Foie Grass and a good range of salads and soups. The presentation is meticulous and very carefully thought through. We had a duo of seafood and seafood with avocado. My Seafood with avocado was typical in that it was crab meat mixed with avocado, bound with a light mayo and put in a cup (or mould) to form it then put onto a plate decorated with two colour contrasting vinaigrettes. Lettuce leaves were on top of the crab mix, a grilled rock lobster tail was then placed next to it and an avocado sherbet (ice cream) put in a small dish next door. Every detail of the dish had been carefully thought out including the crisped leaf that garnished the ice cream. This is modern cooking which requires great attention to detail and planning. Because not only must it look good but it must taste good, and it did!
To the main courses, which for some reason were called maian courses. Is that California speak? This is where I got really confused because there are pasta and pizza section as well as meats, seafood and char grilled seafood. But there were only four meat offerings, at last a hint of the Californian ethic with clear discrimination against meat eaters! But then one of those dishes was beef cheek, a great French dish that I had. I must admit that Charles did me proud with wonderfully moist meat and a really rich gravy, wonderfully unhealthy. I just wondered why it was served in a soup bowl! On had stuffed chicken breast that again looked good and was declared as being first rate. Again the soup dishes came into play, trendy I know but not the best thing to eat meat out of!
There was a nice treat in the final offering; a menu item marked cheese and containing four choices. So no pud for me and some nice ripe, and not cold, Camembert. I topped that off with a decent Calvados, once again there was choice here.
It was a very good meal and having enjoyed Charles cooking before that was not a surprise, although I did not know he was here when I started out! As to Californian cuisine I am not certain. With pizza and pasta and a French chef the actual cuisine would always be confusing so maybe it is Californian gastronomy on the grounds that it is a bit of this and some that, at least there was no Tex Mex although I am not sure about the maians. But with good food and a very competitive wine list it really ought to be a must visit venue!