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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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