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By Marie Moon
The venerable Dusit
Thani Hotel sets the scene for one of the best steak houses
in Thailand. Hamilton’s Steak House provides excellent service
in an intimate atmosphere and food to the quality that people have
come to expect from one of Bangkok’s leading 5-star hotels.
The small restaurant is elegantly decorated to resemble a 1920’s
dining room with dark hardwood floors and tables dressed with crisp
white linen and silver cutlery. The walls are lined with a black
and white photo-reportage of Bangkok’s yesteryear, the photographs
come from the Dusit Thani’s Managing Director’s personal
collection. Situated on the upper lobby, the restaurant enjoys a
view of the beautiful inner garden area of the hotel. A sparkling
waterfall cascades gracefully over six tiers; it is a scene as pleasant
as any that could be found in the city.
The menu is quite small, a welcome alternative to the pages and
pages of choices some other venues present. Here all the essentials
are included with a good balance of meat, poultry and seafood. From
the interesting array of appetizers, we selected some old favourites;
Caesar’s salad and a prawn and lobster cocktail. I am an avid
connoisseur of Caesar’s salad and during my five years in Thailand,
I have yet to find a rendition comparable to those served in the
West. However, the Hamilton’s Caesar was delightful; a dressing,
tangy with anchovies, crispy bacon bits and chunks of barbecued
chicken on crisp leaves, large slices of toast substituted croutons
and generous shavings of parmesan cheese added the right amount
of bite to the dish. The prawn and lobster cocktail saw a generous
serving of succulent lobster pieces on a bed of salad, dressed with
slices of creamy avocado and prawns clinging to the rim of the glass.
Spicy and highly accented with a tomato flavour, the Dusit’s
own seafood dip that accompanies the cocktail, is a very tasty alternative
to the average prawn cocktail sauce.
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The entrees were most agreeable. I chose a 300gr piece of grain-fed
Australian rib eye with a side of assorted vegetables and my partner,
a rack of New Zealand lamb in a mustard herb crust. The lamb was
served with assorted vegetables and crunchy potato pieces. Sealed
and seared for just the right amount of time, the medium-rare lamb,
covered thinly by a savoury mustard crust was excellent. My steak
was wonderful; 300gr was a good sized portion and I enjoyed every
bite. Ordered medium-well done, it was cooked to perfection over
the Hamilton’s specially designed lava-stone grill; the outside
smelled and tasted of the smoky charcoal and the centre was soft
and juicy. Both our meals were complimented by a tasty 1999 Columbia
Crest cabernet sauvignon. Meat selections include Australian, U.S
and Kobe beef, lamb, poultry and interestingly, ostrich. There are
a number of seafood dishes including snowfish, trout, lobster and
salmon and the soups include the restaurant’s signature lobster
bisque, which is baked covered with puff pastry and a New England
hot pot.
The desserts all sounded delectable and between the appetizer and
main course I was teetering between the chocolate sin cake and the
apple crumble, then I saw another table receiving their Philadelphia
cream cheese cake and added that to the list. My waistline was probably
very happy that the main course was of such generous proportions
that I just could not fit it in! Next time, I have decided, I will
fast all day and savour the chocolate sin cake.
The service at Hamilton’s is outstanding, due in part to the
fact that the restaurant is quite small, with a capacity of only
50 seats, but mainly to the Dusit’s excellent training capabilities.
The staff was attentive without seeming to hover around you and
they all wore a definite expression of satisfaction with their vocation.
Dinner for two at Hamilton’s Steak House may cost as little
as just over THB 2000, for the prices are very reasonable and the
Dusit Thani’s impressive wine cellar will accommodate almost
any preferences of taste, vintage or price. On the occasion of my
visit, a group of Ambassadors and other high-ranking foreign diplomats
had also chosen to dine at Hamilton’s. Later, in a conversation
with staff members I discovered that the restaurant was extremely
popular with dignitaries and visiting multi-national CEO’s,
all wishing for a taste of home. High profile guests may choose
to dine in one of the restaurant’s two private alcoves. The
fact that clientele of this stature chooses to visit regularly is
surely strong evidence of the standards of food, beverage and hospitality
presented at Hamilton’s Steak House. With a limited capacity
and an unlimited reputation, reservations are highly recommended.
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