Do you relish the excitement of exploring new things and
being part of a work of art in progress? Do you like to sink into plush comfort
to leisurely sip a glass of wine in a sophisticated setting? Do you enjoy
talking to the owner of a new establishment, who is indeed an elegant host, or
chatting with a young chef about his specialties? If this appeals to you, then
make your way down Nimmanahaeminda Avenue to the Glass Onion. You will not be
disappointed.
We recently spent a delightful and delicious evening with owner Chris Lee and
Chef Theerapong at the Glass Onion. We were first impressed with the décor.
Deep, plush red chairs are lined up in front of the gleaming bar. An abundance
of polished glass is behind the bar, and to one end gleams the spotless open
kitchen. You can watch Chef Theerapong at work, a delightful experience. Over in
the lounge area, plush red sofas are arranged around tables in front of a
glassed in waterfall that pours from ceiling to floor. Dining tables and chairs
in black are arranged opposite. Fresh flowers are everywhere. The Big Band
sounds of Glen Miller play softly in the background. It’s obvious that you can
spend an entire evening here, from cocktails to dinner to coffee and liqueurs
and not tire of the setting.
Chris Lee has forty years experience in the restaurant business, and that is
evident when you talk to him. He has endless ideas on how the Glass Onion is
going to develop. All are exciting.
At
the ripe old age of twenty-five, the chef has ten years of experience in local
restaurant kitchens. He graduated from school at fifteen, and went straight to
work cooking. He has experience preparing Thai, western and Japanese food, and
is now enjoying the freedom of developing a new menu and perfecting his own
specialties. He goes to the market every day to choose the freshest vegetables,
meats and seafood. Then he determines what he will cook for that evening’s
dinner. As yet, there is no established menu at the Glass Onion, although there
may be one in the future. The staff will visit your table and describe the
dishes of the day for your choices. Our experience was that the choices are
delicious. We left the menu to the chef.
A quick word about the service staff: They are brainy as well as smashingly
attractive. They are chic and provide excellent service. You may converse with
them in French, Thai or English languages, and with owner Chris Lee in Korean.
The first delight we were served was a pink cocktail topped with an orchid, in a
lovely glass lightly rimmed with sugar. Chris described it as a “Blue Hawaiian”
turned pink to match his décor. Delicious. Then we moved to the dinner table, a
lovely sight set simply but elegantly in white and stainless steel with
generously sized wine glasses for the perfectly chilled Pouilly Fuisseé. We were
served a serious feast: filet mignon with fresh mushrooms, breaded pork filet
with fresh vegetables, Japanese style pad siew, shrimp with black pepper sauce,
pan-seared fish filet with wine sauce and tiny shrimp, a very spicy soup with
shrimp eggs, and mixed seafood with fresh vegetables and crunchy water
chestnuts. Amazingly, there was almost no food remaining when we finally put our
forks down. The table was cleared and the cheese and fruit plate was served.
Tumblers of port were poured. The bouquet was rich and complimented the cheeses.
The sweet contrast of the fruit was satisfying.
Individual dishes are priced at less than 200 baht each, although the filet
mignon is priced at 250 baht. The food and wine lists continue to develop.
Spend an evening with Chris Lee at the Glass Onion. You’ll love it.
The Glass Onion is located at 61 Nimmanahaeminda Avenue in the Room #1 Mall.
From the Rincome Intersection, proceed towards the CMU Convention Center. Before
you reach the Convention Center, turn left onto the parking lot of Room #1 Mall.
Walk toward the back of this open mall to the Glass Onion. Reservations are not
yet required. Open from 6 p.m. until 1 a.m. daily.
