Curious about their TripAdvisor “Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Award for Fine Dining” for Thailand, I decided to bring my mother to The Silk Road on our recent visit to Bangkok to celebrate her birthday. And it really did impress us with exceptional food and impeccable service! I wholeheartedly recommend that anyone seeking a good Chinese restaurant make a reservation at this exceptional venue that offers a memorable gastronomic journey.
The Silk Road is one of eight remarkable dining venues at The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, a place steeped in royal heritage. The hotel’s prestigious location once belonged to the palace of Princess Valaya Alongkorn, daughter of King Rama V. Stepping into The Athenee Hotel, I was immediately enveloped by an aura of elegance and allure, setting the tone for the culinary journey that awaited me.
The ambiance at The Silk Road is both inviting and luxurious, making it the perfect setting for an unforgettable dining experience. From the moment you step inside, you are greeted by a sense of refined elegance. I appreciated the intimacy of the restaurant and its stylish decor, reminiscence of 1920s Shanghai Art Deco. The restaurant’s design seamlessly blends historical charm with modern sophistication. The marble mosaic flooring adds a contemporary touch, while the welcoming plum-colored wooden doors beckon guests into an intimate dining space. The main dining area seats only 42 persons, and the restaurant has five private dining rooms.
Dragon Boat Festival Zongzi (Rice Dumplings)
Look no further if you’re trying to decide where to get Zongzi to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month of the summer solstice, usually in June. A seasonal dish, The Silk Road serves up three different renditions (Cantonese, Hainanese and Abalone ) of their signature glutinous rice dumplings as part of the Annual Chinese Dragon Boat Festival. Each dumpling uses premium ingredients, and the glutinous rice is cooked so perfectly, with flavours elevated by the tender pork belly. Wrapped in bamboo leaves, each rice dumpling is a treasure trove of taste within.
The Cantonese Zongzi also comes with pork sausage, chestnut, lotus seed, shitake mushroom, green beans and salted egg yolk. The Hainanese Zong Zi instead is a multi-textured treat without salted egg, yet equally tasting with the generous serving of pork belly with dried shrimp, red beans, peanuts and shiitake mushroom. And for a luxurious zongzi, the Abalone Zongzi offers a harmonious balance of umami flavors with every bite, elevating the flavours with Japanese abalone, combined with pork sausage, pork belly, chestnut, lotus seed, shiitake mushroom, green beans and salt egg yolk.
The pyramid shaped dumplings are great for gifts as they are packaged so prettily in a pyramid shaped box, and when we brought the Zongzi home back to Singapore as gifts, every loved the flavours as much as we did, sharing that they were extremely impressed with the flavourful and generous ingredients used to make the Zongzi.
Signature Peking Duck
Five stars for their signature ‘Flaming’ Peking Duck, doused with Cointreau liqueur for an extra burst of flavor and spectacle. Expertly carved tableside, with the flames adding a dramatic flair that enhances the dining experience. Using only the finest ducks, their special marinate combines Chinese wine, herbs, ginger, sugar and natural red-bean coloring. The duck is masterfully grilled to produce skin that is exceptionally thin and crisp with the unique flavours. The crispy skin and succulent meat are perfectly complemented by traditional accompaniments, making this dish a must-try for any visitor.
Double-boiled Fresh Fish Maw Soup
Another culinary masterpiece from Executive Chef Cheng Kam Sing of The Silk Road, originally from Guangdong. was his specialty dish – Cantonese-style Double-boiled fresh fish maw soup. Each spoonful revealed layers of taste, starting with a delicate, clear broth that had been simmered for hours to extract the essence of premium ingredients.
The Silk Road Signature Dim Sum Trio
We were delighted to order a platter featuring three of the restaurant’s signature dim sum. The Siew Mai was my favorite, lavishly prepared with abalone, pork, and prawn. The steamed prawn dumpling “Har Gow” was elegantly topped with caviar, while the Crab Dumpling offered a generous portion of crab meat (complete with the crab leg), minced prawn, and pork in a flavorful Chinese yellow curry. For the two of us, one platter was sufficient, as each dim sum item even when halved for a sharing portion, was a very substantial serving.
Reflections and a Wonderful Surprise
Our only regret was that we did not have more friends with us to try the other dishes at The Silk Road. The quality of the food gets a WOW rating from both my mother and I. For me, it was such an enjoyable experience and I loved that we could enjoy lemongrass tea at a Chinese retaurant, which aided with our digestion. And as we were about to head out, the staff surprised us with a mini cake as I had shared that we were having the lunch to celebrate my mother’s birthday.
Leaving the restaurant, I was overcome by a deep sense of gratitude. I was truly thankful that we had celebrated her birthday at The Silk Road. For me, a luxurious holiday is being able to find these pockets of special moments with my mother, and the exceptional experience is definitely one that had left an impression, as you will really appreciation the dedication and attention to detail on offering guests the best in food and service. It’s no wonder, when you search online about The Silk Road, many others often share that the restaurant is their favourite place for anniversary or birthday celebrations. I’m sure I’m not the only one who appreciates their high standards of service – that is the hallmark of fine dining!
Address: The Silk Road
3rd floor, The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, BangkokÂ
61 Wireless Road (Witthayu), Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok, 10330
- LUNCH DAILYÂ 11:30 A.M. – 02:30 P.M.
- DINNERÂ DAILY 06:00 P.M. – 10:00 P.M.
Booking in advance is recommended, and can be made here.
Read our interview with The Silk Road’s Head Chef Cheng Kam Sing here.
