The best of land and sea at Espresso
Located on the mezzanine level of InterContinental Bangkok, the weekend dinner buffet at Espresso is an indulgent one indeed, as you'll be spoilt for choice with many delicacies from various cuisines to savour. With the two highlights being seafood and Australian beef, you can technically enjoy all the surf and turf you want.
There's a corner behind a stylish partition, perfect for those who want semi-privacy. Alternatively, you can find a table near the glass railing to overlook the beautiful lobby below, while being serenaded by a live jazz band from 6.30-9.30 pm on Friday and Saturday.
Various counters and stations can easily increase your appetite, but none may be more so than the seafood on ice display, which showcases fresh fruits of the sea and DIY caviar sets. The catches come from far and wide, from Irish and Fine de Claire oysters, Chilean king crab legs, New Zealand green mussels, Canadian lobsters, Swimmer blue crab claws and more. Dig around and you may find a lobster claw that's bigger than your phone. Assemble a caviar tasting set by yourself with a selection of salty and savoury pearls, including Avruga, ikura and lumpfish roes. Of course, the Thai-style seafood dipping sauce is on standby to add zest to any seafood.
More savoury seafood awaits at the BBQ station, which serves Marinated tuna steak, perfectly grilled Grouper with dill crème sauce and succulent Rock lobster with seafood sauce. On the freshwater front, don't miss out on Goong Ta khrai. The aromatic Thai-style roasted river prawn is enhanced with garlic, lemongrass and turmeric.
From the Chinese BBQ station, Chinese favourites like Peking duck, Crispy pork belly and BBQ pork are available next to delicious dim sum. The good news is that Peking duck comes neatly wrapped for you.
More Asian delights await at the Indian corner, where pre-cooked dishes can be enjoyed with naan bread or jeera bhaat. Of course, Japanophiles should check out the tempura, sushi and sashimi selection, which includes Aussie beef nigiri topped with tobiko, at the Japanese food station.
More importantly, pair your seafood with time-limited premium Australian beef for a truly indulgent dinner, and you have many choices to choose from. Combine the best of land and sea, if you will. Espresso's grill station serves a rotation of MBS (Marble Beef Score) 8-9 wagyu topside beef from Margaret River and the famed Sir Harry's MBS 6-7 citrus-fed rump cut. The latter deserves a special mention for its combo of succulence and mouth-watering aroma. Meanwhile the carvery features a rotation of the 200-day dry-aged MBS 4-5 Ebony Prime Grain Fed Ribeye and tomahawk steaks.
The Aussie beef is also presented in the form of pre-cooked dishes — red wine-braised brisket, beef massaman curry, crying tiger grilled beef, to name but a few — that you can help yourself to while waiting for your cook-to-order succulent beef steaks or lamb chops to be served at your table.
Save some room for desserts for a sweet (and decadent) end to your meal. The selection of Thai desserts alone is quite expansive. You can go for crowd-pleaser Thai mango with sticky rice or something less known like Pumpkin custard or Thai gocchi in coconut milk. Or enjoy made-to-order Crepe suzette or bathe fresh seasonal fruits with a chocolate fountain.
The Premium Seafood Dinner Buffet at Espresso is available every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 6pm-10.30pm with the addition of Australian wagyu beef available until the end of August. It's priced at B2,250++ per person and B1,200++ per child. Email InterContinental Bangkok at dining.bkkhb@ihg.com, call 02-656-0444 or visit bangkok.intercontinental.com to book a table. Don't forget to bring a big appetite.
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