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By Michael Moore
It is rare for an ethnic restaurant in a hotel to achieve
the status of "most authentic," but this is precisely
what the Rang Mahal at the Rembrandt Hotel on Sukhumvit Soi
18 has done. Ask a member of Bangkok's Indian community for
the name of the city's best Indian restaurant and the answer
will most likely be "Rang Mahal."
The reason for the success of the restaurant lies with the
ownership of the Rembrandt Hotel; this large and impressive
independent hotel is owned by Thai nationals of Indian descent.
Although all of the hotel's restaurants are excellent, the
owners are proud of their heritage and make a special effort
to ensure that the Rang Mahal is of signal quality. Located
on the top floor of the 26-storey hotel, the popular dining
spot is spacious, heavily carpeted and elegantly decorated
in a style that communicates it is Indian without the artificial
excesses found in many ethnic restaurants.
Blessed with enormous windows, many of the tables at Rang
Mahal offer spectacular views of the city and the nearby Queen
Sirikit Convention Centre. One of the tables, described by
the restaurant's manager as the "Honeymoon Table",
is located where two seamless windows form a corner with a
view that is probably the most spectacular offered at any
restaurant in Bangkok. The table, which is extremely popular,
must be reserved well in advance and has a special menu available
featuring champagne.
Another unique element of the Rang Mahal is the private dining
room, which is a great place for a private party or company
meal, as the terrace, which is directly attached to the room,
provides an impressive setting for cocktails while viewing
Bangkok's spectacular skyline. For those who simply prefer
cocktails and Indian snacks while enjoying a stunning view,
the terrace can be used without reserving the private dining
room. There are also two other private dining rooms available.
The tables without views are in the middle of the restaurant
near the group of Indian musicians who perform authentic and
relaxing Indian music six nights a week. The musicians, have
been flown in from the Indian subcontinent and add immeasurably
to the restaurant's intriguing ambiance.
The Rang Mahal features food from northern India and this
means the tandoor oven plays a role in much of what is served.
The Rang Mahal possesses two of these ancient charcoal-fired
clay ovens and they turn out a wide selection of breads and
other delicious items. If you have never seen a tandoor oven
in action, ask the manager to show you the kitchen. He will
proudly describe the ovens and what is cooked in them.
During our visit, we particularly enjoyed the murgh tikka;
tender pieces of boneless chicken marinated and cooked in
the clay oven and the tandoori prawns; jumbo prawns marinated
in Indian spices and finished in the charcoal oven. The tandoor
is known for the flat breads it produces and those served
at Rang Mahal are spectacularly good. Our party also thoroughly
enjoyed the roganjosh kashmiri; pot-roasted mutton cooked
in thick onion gravy with selected Indian spices and the palak
aap ki pasand; creamed spinach with cottage cheese. In fact,
everything we ate was delicious and we are sure the other
items on the menu are just as good.
There are numerous vegetarian items on the menu, including
some outstanding kebabs and some delicious vegetable curries.
There are vegetarian and non-vegetarian set menus available
at both lunch and dinner. One of the most popular lunchtime
meals is the special Vegetarian Thali Lunch.
The Rang Mahal is open daily for both lunch and dinner. On
Sundays from 11:00-14:30 there is a popular buffet brunch
with live music and over 60 different items on offer. If you
have never eaten Indian food before, the buffet provides a
marvellous introduction to this unique and delicious cuisine.
At only THB 510++, it represents great value for money.
For Indian food at its finest, served in an elegant and sophisticated
setting, the Rang Mahal is the place to go when in Bangkok.
Reservations are a must at this popular restaurant. The number
to call is 0-2261-7100.
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