Feb/March 2008

TOP TABLES
ANGELINA/BANGKOK

Parisians have been queuing for seats at Angelina ever since Austrian confectioner Antoine Rumpelmayer founded the frescoed Belle Époque café in 1903. Since late December, le tout Bangkok can now sip demitasses of Angelina's signature L'Africain, a syrupy hot chocolate favored by Proust and Coco Chanel.

Angelina in Thailand is a narrow, undulating space wrapped around a rear corner of the women's clothing department at Central Chidlom mall. Instead of trying to replicate the grand Paris icon in such a small area, designers opted for a modish look in stark white accented by two enormous black chandeliers. Alas, staring at racks of women's wear is a poor substitute for the ambience of Rue de Rivoli.

Chef "Art" Trakulphat describes his menu as "approachable French food rather than fine dining"; indeed save for such classic patisseries as mont blancs, most of the food here has been calibrated to suit the Thai palate. This means escargot-style clams, Thai-style curry seafood soufflé, and a prodigious-if hardly Parisian-lemongrass spritzer.

(3/F, Central Chidlom, 66-2/793-7793).

Copyright © 2008Jennifer Gampell