Mon T.
Yelp
We were greeted and sat promptly, I was pleasantly surprised by the personalized welcome letter. But I'm curious though, my husband didn't specify in the reservation that he's bringing me, yet in the letter they address me as 'Mrs X', so it makes me wonder how they obtain that information. What if my husband was to bring a family member or a friend or same sex partner, then that well intentioned letter would have been awkward.
As the journey of our tasting menu and wine pairing starts, every dish is a work of art. From sourcing, explaining of each dish and its story/inspiration, presentation and taste are magnificent.
The most beautifully decorated dishes amongst the menu is the Tom Kha (coconut galangal soup). It's colourful, intricate and tasty.
The most delicious dishes amongst the menu is the Pad Thai. It's perfectly al dente, not oily, yet noodles do not stick together. Each noodle is evenly coated with tamarind sauce, yet is not a saucy dish at all. The beautiful egg net wrapping the noodles like a present is definitely a fancy cherry on top.
The wine pairing I enjoyed the most was the one paired with the dessert. The Riesling ice wine paired with the smoked ice cream added so much depth and almost like a salted caramel taste to the dessert dish.
All servers are very professional and courteous, with the exception of our main server William. Perhaps he was too occupied to think of logistics or felt too busy/stressed, he was polite but he was the only one on the floor without a smile. Unfortunately he made our first half of the dining experience rather uncomfortable and intimidating. When we asked for the bill, my husband asked William whether he was nervous, it opened up the conversation and he was actually very friendly and pleasant when he loosen up and smiled.
As for the restaurant ambience, it has a very high ceiling and more of a minimalistic industrial feel to it. Since it was already night time, it was pitch black so we couldn't enjoy the beautiful serene view. I wish there's some way to enjoy a hint of Thailand scenery and decoration at night. It would also be amazing if there's some transcendental soothing music background. I believe that would help elevating the whole dining experience.
One last thing, at no fault of the restaurant or servers, one of the other table, a guest kept using his cell phone to watch videos, and his volume was rather loud and disturbing. It was totally unexpected at such a high end restaurant.
If we're only talking about sourcing, presentation and taste, I think Baan Lao is worthy of a Michelin 2 stars. I look forward to trying their afternoon tea some day.