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Saturday, April 20, 2024

New ALATi restaurant gives fresh perspective to classic Mediterranean dining

There is an impressive new look to casual dining at Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok with the opening of ALATi, an informal yet stylish restaurant with a menu that reflects the diverse culinary traditions of the entire Mediterranean region.

ā€˜Alati is the Greek word for ā€œsaltā€, a seasoning and preservative used for centuries by many different cultures and civilisations,ā€™ explained Executive Chef Carlo Valenziano. ā€˜Eating salt is a symbol of friendship in many regions, and at ALATi, we believe that friendship and good food is a perfect combination. ALATi combines high-quality ingredients, an open kitchen and a relaxed atmosphere in a casual yet stylish setting.ā€™

ALATi is designed to evoke memories of times spent travelling in countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. For diners that have yet to experience this region in person, Executive Chef Carlo Valenziano uses his considerable experience to combine ingredients and flavours from a multitude of Mediterranean countries, creating new dishes that tease each discerning palate and satisfy every appetite, whether large or small.

ā€˜Our mission is to provide well-balanced dishes suitable for sharing that meet the demands of local diners as well as business and leisure travellers,ā€™ explained Chef Carlo.

ā€˜I am very excited to be playing an integral role in the concept and development of ALATi, and I am looking forward to showcasing Mediterranean dishes based upon intensive research of culinary traditions and ingredients of the region ā€“ including my home town in Italy.ā€™

ā€˜We plan to serve hearty meals at ALATi to suit appetites of all sizes. Importantly, guests at ALATi will always dine well without any sense of guilt because of overindulgence,ā€™ he added.

The ALATi dinner menu is a striking reflection of the diverse cultures and traditions of the Mediterranean region with Chef Carlo drawing inspiration from culinary traditions in countries such as Spain, Tunisia, France, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon and Italy.

The dinner menu also features a number of Chef Carloā€™s signature dishes, beginning with flatbread baked with cheese and served with sliced truffles. Muhammara is a tapas-like dish, suitable for vegetarians, served with flatbread, walnuts, burrata cheese, olives and pomegranate.

The Lebanese-style shish barak is home-made ravioli filled with a lamb stew that has been slow-cooked for many hours to ensure maximum tenderness. The dish is served traditionally with labneh sauce, but Chef Carlo has added sumac, pine nuts and mint to broaden the tasting experience on the palate.

Amongst the tempting selection of main courses is Iberico lamb rack. This dish uses milk-fed lamb from North-eastern of Spain, which produces a unique flavour and texture. The lamb rack is cooked the classic French way (ā€˜pinkā€™) unless otherwise requested and served with roasted garlic, potatoes cooked with rosemary, and gremolata Italian dressing.

The North African tajine dishes include Chef Carloā€™s signature cauliflower cooked with saffron, apricots, shallots, almonds and oranges.

The charcoal grill at ALATi offers a mouthwatering combination of meat and seafood dishes, including Turkish-charred organic chicken (600 g).

ā€˜Naturally, we hope that all our guests will embrace the desserts as part of their ALATi dining experience,ā€™ adds Chef Carlo. The selection of desserts includes chocolate choux with crumble and cocoa sorbet.

All labels in the ALATi cellar are from vineyards in Mediterranean countries and many are certified ā€˜naturalā€™ and ā€˜biodynamicā€™. The wine list includes some ā€˜hidden gemsā€™ uncovered during intensive research for the new restaurant. This enables patrons at ALATi to broaden their knowledge and appreciation of the regionā€™s amazing variety of red, white and sparkling wines.

The choice of hot beverages includes Moroccan mint tea, Karak tea and Turkish coffee. The Moroccan mint tea is served in the classic style using teapots, trays and cups purchased in Morocco. Karak tea, popular throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, is made from black leaves boiled in evaporated milk and blended with Iranian saffron, cardamom and cinnamon. Turkish coffee is growing in popularity throughout the world. At ALATi, the beverage is made from Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi powder and served with Turkish delight confectionery.

ALATi is located on the lobby floor of Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok and opens daily for an Ć  la carte lunch from 12:00 to 14:30 hrs and dinner from 18:30 to 22:30 hrs.

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