I really must begin by saying I was definitely blown away by this food. I was really not prepared for how good this was going to be. Whats even more amazing is just how well it tasted in delivery mode, I can’t wait for Workshop to resume ‘normal’ service. It’s inevitable that its gonna be really fantastic food!
Note from the Editor : Bangkok Eats is running a series of delivery only reviews to adapt to the challenging time, we review as per the delivered condition.
Chef Clément has be banging around Bangkok for quite a while, from Sous Chef at J’AIME by Jean Michel Lorain in U Sathorn Hotel, then graduating to Executive Chef of Brasserie Cordonnier. A place that really set things alight in Bangkok for a while. He had a quick stint as Executive Chef of The Bar Upstairs before FINALLY co-founding the Workshop.
Beetroot Salad
It may appear deceptively simple but this dish is anything but! It’s the tiny flourishes that round out this appetising entree into what is sure to be a great gastronomic journey . They have cooked and pickled the beetroot themselves and have done really great job in the process. The beetroot iscooked sous vide overnight using olive oil, salad and pepper, and in a red wine pickling liquor with some spices. The pickling liquor is then used to make a balsamic dressing. Topped with Pickled beetroot “Chioggia”, sour cream, dill, black pepper, orange, and candied pumpkin seeds. Already i can tell that Workshop know their food.
Smoked Ham Salad
As soon as i opened it, again i saw another dish that had travelled well. Straightaway I was suspicious that I was going to really enjoy this. The suspicions was well warranted. Workshop provided smoked ham (Speck) which was quite exquisite, and its rounded out with candied sunflower seeds, homemade sun-dried tomatoes, slightly cooked cheese ( parmesan chips), some rocket and Red and Green Oak. Then a generous self pour off their balsamic dressing. What this salad has achieve is a wonderful balance of tastes. I would not be surprised if there was a decent amount of research in order to arrive at this wonderful balance.
French Onion soup
I decanted this myself into a bigger bowl (better for pictures) and then added the cheese that accompanies it. This is really a great French soup. What makes the difference? Its has a quite robust savoury taste, that has very present salted taste with other things going on. Cheese is done perfectly with hat toasted flavour coming through. It’s decadent and it could possibly be a strong contender for last meal before electric chair scenario. It’s a classic french onion soup using chicken stock as the base, obviously confit onion given liberally and generously. A bit of dijon mustard. Served with crispy sourdough and grated Emmental cheese.
Roasted cherry tom penne
The pasta is quite good, its one of those ones where its not an excess of sauce, but where the sauce is sufficient that it sticks to the pasta. Which makes sense for this delivery option. It’s a strong, slightly rich flavour somewhat punctuated by the basil and cherry tomatoes and the occasional sharp bite of the semi dried tomatoes.
Pork belly
Wow this is really a gorgeous treat, from the perfectly done potatoes and vegetables, cooked perfectly with a slight firmness yet somehow slightly creamy as well.to the simply amazing pork belly, that is up amongst perhaps the best I have ever had. Its just soft, succulent and ever so rich, as food writers we overuse the phrase, melt in your mouth. But this pork belly truly does. I may sound like Im going overboard, but I was say this dish is simply sensational. I honestly challenge anyone to prove me wrong.
Sous Vide Options
They also very kindly included a broad range of pre-packed Sous Vide meals. Even when this return to normal, I do hope (and strongly suggest) that they continue with this option. These are wonderfully delicious and honestly manage to retain their full flavour from Clement’s team preparation., regardless of transit.
Conclusion
Once of the real challenges I had with this is not stopping eating. My usual approach is to eat a couple of forks or spoonfuls, put the dish aside and then move on. That way I avoid overfilling before reviewing the next dish. Instead I acted like an out of control glutton, finishing every dish first, before moving on. It was simply that good.
Further more Clement has managed to provide this enlightened and enjoyable experience for a very friendly price.