Aubergine
Sala Daeng Road Soi 1/1
Bangkok
Tel: 02 234 2226

This hidden away location is idyllic but it is a tricky place from which to trade. The last couple of years have seen various incarnations appear and then fail. The problem is that this former ambassador’s restaurant is in the little known Sala Daeng 1/1 which is a narrow soi parallel to Soi Sala Daeng 1 which runs between Rama lV and Sala Daeng Road. Most taxi drivers do not know it. It is a charming old house that is worth finding. The latest operators have spent some money putting in a horse shoe shaped bar in the main area and a large wine store in the second room. These are improvements but they have taken away a little of the comfortable colonial feel that there used to be.
The restaurant manager, Bird, is an old friend who was formally at Pomodora (Sukhumvit Road between Sois 3/1 & 5). He speaks excellent English and is a very good manager. It is interesting to note that Pomodora seems to turn out good managers since I keep meeting their ex-staff around town, mainly in senior positions.
I was here a few months ago when it first re-opened as Aubergine. I must admit I was not that impressed. I got the feeling there was no real direction but now, as soon as we walked, in I felt that despite the restaurant being largely empty there was some energy.
We were seated in the back room at a decent table and I studied the wine list. Not a bad list but the prices are all on the high side with no white under about 1,500 Baht although the Merlot was 1,000 Baht.
I must admit the menu did not immediately light my fire; it was kind of alright but there was nothing that stood out. However I spoke to the new chef Jeremy from Cannes and he tells me the menu is due for a total revamp. He pointed to the Degustation menu as an example. I did glance at that menu but it was really too much for a latish evening meal – it was a start at seven and finish after ten type menu!
In the end the food we did have was well prepared and presented as one would expect in a good French restaurant. I had Cheese Croquettes with Parmesan as a starter. This was not haute cuisine but it was an unusual dish and was done well with what I thought was basically deep fried Mozzarella, nice and gooey in the middle with a clean look with no nasty fat smells. For the main I threw out a challenge by saying I had had just about the best duck confit I had ever had in that very restaurant, then called Villa Bangkok, a year or so before. In fact this was a very good confit, although I am not sure it quite scaled the heights of that superb dish I had drooled over. Having said that the offering was well above the standard confit on offer in Bangkok and as such I would recommend it. My other comment concerned the menu description which was 'Pan fried duck confit'. Thank god it was not! On had frogs legs and a steak; no complaints there!
The food was good, the service was good and the atmosphere was not bad considering it was a wet Monday night. I would love to see somebody really make this site work because it is such a great location. I am told the new owners have restaurant interests elsewhere; I hope they do have as well including lots of customers they can direct here otherwise I fear another denouement. Because, sadly, whilst Bird and Jeremy are good guys I doubt they have the Bangkok following to fill this place up. But whilst Aubergine is there, and running with this team, it is certainly worth a visit. I just hope enough visit and make it the success it deserves to be!

September 2007