This exquisite one Michelin star restaurant Upstairs at Mikkeller is quite literally a hidden gem.  Nestled in a calm residential area, away from Bangkok’s exciting frenzy, lights, colours and smells, the aim is to relax and clear your head for the culinary journey ahead.

The Chef, Korean American Dan Bark, offers a progressive seasonal menu composed of 10 courses complemented with beer pairings as an optional. An innovative idea in the fine dining world, but fret not, you are in for a bubbling explosion of flavours and surprising combinations.

As you enter through the first floor, you can enjoy a drink at the bar before heading upstairs for dinner. The decor is decidedly clean, airy, and convivial – it is the plate (and the kitchen) that will demand all your senses to be alert.

The open kitchen is the place where the show starts. More strongly lit than the rest of the restaurant, you feel like you are sitting on the first row of a theatre as you settle more comfortably in your Eames armchair, watching the artists perform their art.

The dishes don’t really have a name, except for their main ingredient, but they speak for themselves: a few sprinkles of fennel here, a zest of juicy pomelo there and the Carrot dish is displayed in front of you as the beer-sommelier suggests a Mikkeller American Dream, 4.6% pale lager, to accompany the vegetable’s sweetness. Simple in appearance, but surprisingly flavourful and sweet, this dish is pushing the boundaries of what a carrot can taste like.

The dish is made with an array of ingredients such as pickled carrot, carrot chips, fennel slices and marmalade with goats milk, lemon puree, fresh pomelo and puff riceberry for added crunch. A course that has lovely colours and textures, a delight for the senses.

By the time you start digging into the Cauliflower, your palate will have been marvelled more than once, but this one dish is another showstopper. The yellow and green swirls of curry have quite a hypnotic effect, and together with the dots of hoja santa, grapes and cauliflower, they make this plate a work of art. In the mouth, the textures are festooning: the curry is light and smooth, the meringues crunchy, while the Mexican leaves are pleasantly chewy, and the cauliflower fluffy.

Wagyu has excellent balance between flavours and marbling complimenting well with the earthy truffle paste and drizzle of sherry gastrique with chives. Sweet purple potato chips garnishes this superb main. Meat lovers rejoice.

To continue the visual feast, the Hokkaido Scallops are served on a stone plate and cinnamon sticks, liberating a dashing smoke when the waiter starts to pour cinnamon water above. It immediately envelops each and every scallops to give them a wafting aroma of spices and earthiness, then blend with the apple for a warm and comforting experience.

In between each dish, a refreshing interlude awaits you, and to kick-start the last part of the meal,  an apple palate cleansers is offered. Mikkeller Beer Geek Thailand beer, a 10.9% imperial stout will remind you of Bangkok’s unmissable dessert: Mango Sticky Rice. It has been brewed with Jasmine Rice, Mango and Coconut and will pair extraordinary with the next delicacy, the Chocolate.

This dessert is an all-around version of chocolate: ribbons, cakes, wafers and a cannelloni filled with creamy and smooth banana. A haven for chocolate aficionados, and the perfect ending of a meal marked by an exceptional flavour progression.

The Duck is confit, finished with duck skin crumble and crispy skin and has variations of beets that are roasted, sliced and in chips form. Sweetness from the black garlic and pumpkin puree balances the richness of the meat well, along with the beet reduction duck sauce.

The six beers accompanying this 10-course dinner are Mikkeller Say Hey Sally to bring crispness to the first courses, Mikkeller American Dream paired with sweet dishes to balance its bitterness, Zeffer Hope Cider was complementing the Cauliflower and Hokkaido scallops, Mikkeller Windy Mill to enhance the meats, Boon Lambiek for the last main course and Mikkeller Beer Geek Thailand paired with the desserts.

The service is warm, impeccable and completes the serene sophistication of the restaurant. Chef Dan Bark honours diners with a visit at the table at the end of the meal, an opportunity to congratulate the master for a one of a kind experience in Bangkok’s food scene. As the menu is seasonal, beers and dishes might be different on your visit, for a new experience each time. Make sure to book in advance, the restaurant is an exclusive 20 seater.

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