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Bai Yun - Banyan Tree Bangkok
Bai Yun, the Banyan Tree Bangkok’s Chinese restaurant, combines a heady blend of chic and exciting surroundings with a menu of some of the city’s finest traditional Cantonese food that is occasionally punctuated with exciting contemporary dishes.
By Michael Moore
Located on the hotel’s 60th floor, breath-catching views of Bangkok’s skyline are provided by a series of three massive windows with arches reminiscent of giant wagon wheels. Diners cross a beautiful parquet floor to reach tables covered with white table cloths and adorned with a candle and flower. Walls and the pillars leading to the lofty ceiling are burgundy with silver highlights while the furnishings are contemporary Chinese, including striking high backed chairs that left my dining companion oohing and aahing.
Although there is a wide selection of regular Chinese dishes available, most people opt for Bai Yun’s fabulous ‘all you can eat’ dim sum at lunchtime. On Monday through Friday, when it is popular with business people and shoppers, the price is 750 baht++ and on weekends, when it is a bit more luxurious and popular with families, it is 800 baht++. The large menu comprises regular and signature items with our favorites being Steamed shrimp dumpling (Har Gau), Steamed Seaweed and minced shrimp with spicy garlic sauce and Steamed tofu and snow fish with fermented soy bean. The latter is an especially impressive combination of flavors and was our favorite dim sum item. Tea is an integral part of dim sum dining and Bai Yun has over 30 types available from an authentic Kunming tea cart. Popular brews are the pu-erh with its medicinal qualities and the oolong for its ability to rejuvenate and ease digestion.
The fabulous setting provided by dining 60 stories in the air makes Bai Yun especially suitable for a romantic meal with that special someone or when you are trying to impress business associates or out of town guests. We started our dinner with appetizers of Homemade Cantonese roasted duck and Drunken chicken, a signature item on the menu. We enjoyed both, but the chicken with its Shaoxing wine flavoring was the real standout. We then progressed to a trio of seafood dishes: River prawn in XO sauce, Scallops with black bean sauce and Snowfish marinated in bean sauce. We gave all three rave reviews, but the chef outdid himself with the scallops. They were cooked to perfection – read not overcooked – and blessed with a beautiful sweet taste that was highlighted by the black bean sauce.
Although we didn’t have room to try them, three signature items that looked exciting were Braised Abalone with black mushrooms, iceberg lettuce and oyster sauce (1890 baht), Homemade barbecued whole suckling pig (1300 baht), and Hong Kong style stir-fried Wagyu beef with tomato‑hoisin sauce and seasonal garden vegetables (300 baht for single serving). We have had the last dish on previous occasions and can attest that this is an excellent way to serve and enjoy Wagyu beef.
Bai Yun has an extensive drinks menu, including the teas mentioned above. With our meal we had an extremely well made 2008 Wittman Riesling trocken. On the tongue there was a hint of apricots and the medium acidity made it an excellent choice with our Chinese food.
As is the case with all of the Banyan Tree’s restaurants, the service was excellent and extremely well-informed. Questions about items on the menu were confidently met with knowledgeable answers that showed the staff had been well trained.
Bai Yun is open daily for lunch from 11:30-14:30 and for dinner from 18:00-22:30. Appropriate attire is smart casual. Long trousers and closed shoes are required for gentlemen. And no torn jeans or flip flops allowed.
Whether it is an economically priced all you can eat dim sum lunch or a more expensive, but extremely elegant, dinner, Bai Yun is an exciting place to dine that also delivers some of the city’s best Chinese food.
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