Quite possibly Bangkok’s finest Indian restaurant the Rang Mahal offers superior cuisine in a warm setting. Ken Pearce enjoys an evening in the Rembrandt Hotel’s flagship restaurant.

We must eat to live, that’s stating the obvious. But we require more. We need to eat, relax and above all enjoy that experience. It is insufficient simply to pay to eat what is put before you. Other senses must be satisfied: taste, texture, presentation, service, ambiance, all should play their part in providing that gratifying culinary experience offered with great cuisine. In today’s stress filled world, be it business or hectic multi-country tourist travelling, it is insufficient to present great cuisine if the other requisites are absent.

The Rang Mahal Restaurant amply meets those demands. The words that come to mind on reaching the 26^th floor of the Rembrandt Hotel, Sukhumvit Soi 18, and entering their renowned Indian Restaurant, The Rang Mahal, are “elegant” and “grand.”  The same can be said of the Rembrandt Hotel itself. The Indian influence is, indeed, authentic. The hotel is independently owned by Thais of Indian origin. The Rang Mahal is a genuinely “grand” and “authentic” Indian restaurant whose ambiance is definitely elegant and emphatically Indian. One enters a large, deeply carpeted space with seating for about two hundred guests. Its size, however, is not overpowering because the carpets, fine furnishings and table placements are designed to give a sense of intimacy, and because a good proportion of its tables are arranged so diners will enjoy the spectacular views of Bangkok along two fully plate-glassed walled sides. In the evenings those diners whose tables are placed in the centre of the restaurant can view the Indian musicians who are flown over from India and who provide very relaxing, genuine Indian music throughout the meal.

The Rang Mahal’s extensive menu offers food from various regions of India; Kerala, Goa, the Punjab, the North West and Delhi, Hyderabad, the North East and Bengal. But I fancy the greatest influence is that from North India and the Punjab, with rich curries such as Rogan Gosh and many tandoori kebab dishes, uniquely marinated and cooked in the clay “tandoor” oven so popular in that region. Indeed the delicious house speciality, Raan-e-Khyber – tender lamb leg, marinated in rum, exotic herbs and spices then barbequed on charcoal, is ample evidence of that influence.

The Rang Mahal has been a flagship restaurant of The Rembrandt for over 16 years. Jovial Chef Rajan Mishra has been in residence for seven of those years. He hails from Delhi. His pedigree as a chef is impressive, having worked for very many years at several of the renowned Taj Group of Hotels in the sub-continent and also at the prestigious Bombay Brasserie in London. His menu is very attractively designed, although I imagine it might be a bit difficult to read at night if seated on the terrace outside – yes, there are a few tables to allow diners to eat al fresco if that is their wish. It is presented on a wooden base and features a picture of the Palace of the Winds in Jaipur. The leaves fold back to reveal a very wide range of dishes: meat, chicken, fish and vegetarian with accompaniments and sides and a large selection of sweets. My fellow guest and I wished to sample as wide a variety as possible. We chose one of the three special menus of convenience designed to satisfy those who might otherwise be bewildered by the variety.

Each special menu had a name: The Maharani, The Maharaja, and The Rang Mahal Special. We chose The Maharaja. First came a plate of pappadoms with three pickles: baby mild pickled onions, mango chutney, and a mint dipping sauce. To follow that there was marinated boneless fish kebabs, chicken tikka tandoori and a delicious small vegetable samosa accompanied by a tamarind sauce. Next, a presentation of three very tasty ‘curries’: Rogan Gosh Kashmiri (tender pot roasted mutton cooked in thick onion gravy with selected Indian spices), Murgh Makhanwala (succulent chicken simmered in a creamy fenugreek flavoured tomato gravy; I was particularly attracted to this dish)! Vegetable Jaipuri (mixed vegetables in a yellow curry), Dal-Maa-Rang Mahal (black lentils simmered slowly and laced with cream) accompanied by Basmati Rice Pulao, flavoured with cumin, and an assortment of Naan bread and Parathas. The desert on this menu was Gulab Jamun (cream cheese dumplings in almond flavoured sweet syrup) for the dieter it is “naughty but nice!” Khun Shubhangi Bhaisare, the Restaurant and Indian Banquets Manager also persuaded us to try a small portion of Rasmalai (a divine tasting kind of Indian cheese cake served in sweet reduced milk, topped with pistachios, and then some Kulfi (a delicious Indian Ice cream made from reduced milk and tasting of almonds and pistachio).

The wine list must be given a mention. Besides the usual selection of Old and New World wines, most originally, and very successfully in my opinion, the list includes Indian wine from Maharashtra under the, “Ivy,” label. There were a couple of whites on offer – a Chardonnay and a Sauvignon Sémillon; A Sparkling Brut méthode Champagnoise; A Shiraz and a Cabernet Sauvignon. Based on our bottle of Sauvignon Sémillon they are well worth a try. Not cheap, (but what wine is in Thailand!) but they would be a successful introduction to Indian wines.

Rembrandt Hotel – Rang Mahal Restaurant

19 Sukhumvit Soi 18, Sukhumvit Road, Klong Toei, 10110 Bangkok, Thailand
Phone +66 (0) 2261 7100 — Fax +66 (0) 2261 7017