Review of Silk Road Thai Bistro (Bonifacio Global City)

If you’re in the 4th Avenue and 31st Street area in Fort Bonifacio and want to be borderline painfully full, go for Silk Road Thai Bistro. Nine bloggers left pretty happy after scoring a delicious and extravagant dinner at this newest Thai restaurant of “Chef in Stilettos” Cecille Chang last Saturday night.

Executive Chef Cecille is at her best when working with Thai cooking, since she garnered her culinary skills from Bangkok, Thailand way back in 2000. With her love for Thai food, she has been continuing to improve her knowledge and competency by developing avant garde restaurants concepts and menus for Thai at Silk Restaurant, Thaipan Restaurant and Simply Thai Resaturant and Bar. Just recently, she has established her very own “babies” as she call them: Thai Bistro in Robinsons Magnolia and the soon-to-officially-open Silk Road Thai Bistro in BGC.

While Thai Bistro has started operating in August 13, 2012, Silk Road will have its grand launch on October 25, 2013. Deserving significant attention, this “new kid on the block” is where Chef Cecille devotes all her focus and time now. She’s managing the business very well, assuring customers to feel a something-for-everyone vibe early upon entrance.

Review of Silk Road Thai Bistro (Bonifacio Global City)

Ambiance: ★★★★★

Trendy, intimate and utilitarian chic—these are the three big adjectives, I think, that best describe the ambiance of Silk Road Thai Bistro. It’s not exactly a place for family luncheons but one place where you can bring your date. Dominating the restaurant, the long bar is where diners can just enjoy drinks after dinner. Roller shades will be installed soon to control the light and bring new perspective to the space.

The dining area in the ground floor becomes a lounge at 10:30PM. There are music bands from different promoters playing live from Wednesdays to Saturdays. In December, they will be launching their lunch buffet featuring 12 dishes paired with drink-all-you-can wine at a minimal price.

The second floor houses the close-curtain VIP area, where politicians, celebrities and other popular figures can keep their privacy. Silk Road accepts reservations for its function room that can accommodate up to 30 people.

Service: ★★★★★

Silk Road treats their customers at the best as royal guests and offers them a warm welcome and friendly service. They consider privacy very well but also stay vigilant and attentive to all requests.

There’s an extensive list of drinks on their beverages menu, ranging from stellar wines (glass or bottled), cocktails, martinis and mocktails to fruit juices, teas, sodas, coffee and water. If you’re unsure which ones to match with the food you ordered, the staff will be more than glad to suggest the best combos.

Food: ★★★★☆

For starters, we had the Siam Roti with Tomato Salsa and Curry Dip and Coconut Cream (PHp 195). The naan bread was buttery, not as crispy as I prefer and not unbelievably elastic as I thought it would be, but still good. It was soft and steaming and a little bit chewy on the inside. Between the two dips, I liked the house curry dipping more as it reminded me of Indian food. Yum. 🙂

The second appetizer was a plate of Thai Spring Rolls with Sweet Chilli Sauce (PHp 260). Unlike the typical Shanghai spring rolls that are like omnipresent in birthday parties and celebrations, these Thai spring rolls were light, crisp, and perfectly fried. Rolled in rice paper, the vegetables and noodles paired with the sweet chilli sauce were brightly herbaceous and tangy.

Next came the Son-in-law Eggs (PHp 195) or “khai luuk kheuy,” made with just hard-boiled eggs (still can’t believe those were actually just eggs) presented in an imaginative way. Once your fork cuts through the “white thing,” you’ll see the oozy yellow yolk making its way onto your mouth. Bite into the bitter leaf that disguises itself as its plate and you get a crazy mix of flavors in one quick chomp.

And as if we were not satisfied with much appetizers we thought were already main courses (*gasp*), Thai Ravioli with Lime Sauce (PHp 330) was served on the table. I was delighted as to how shitake mushrooms with well-seasoned sesame beef and shrimp were carefully wrapped with feathery-light skins of steamed rice paper. Together with the lime sauce, the Thai Ravioli had a bold melange of sweet, salty and sour taste I would dare not forget.

Last in the appetizers series was the Soi Langsuan Salad (PHp 340), which was composed of green mangoes, seared salmon, heart of palm and slices of apples in coco lime garlic sauce. It had pleasing litheness but was just too spicy for me. Maybe next time I can request to leave the chili out of this dish for a lighter and more refreshing salad blend.

Okay, now we move on to the actual main courses. First, the Siamese Pork Ribs (PHp 310) — grilled cinnamon caramel pork ribs. Four tastes of Thailand (sugar, chili flakes, vinegar and fish sauce) were also served as complementary condiments. Under these smoky ribs were stacked chunks of charcoal in a bucket covered with leaves. I’m sorry to report that aside from the presentation, I can’t say anything else about this because I don’t eat pork. 😀

Next was the famous Pad Thai (PHp 340). Like all handmade pastas, these wonders are a special occasion fare. Especially that the pastas were covered in cheese net, I’m sure that it takes both time and finesse to assemble. The resulting pad thai with pork, shrimps, egg and bean sprouts was well worth the effort in wow factor alone. However, it tasted a little bland to me, or I might not have added enough crushed nuts to taste.

The Kha (PHp 295) and Hormok (PHp 285) were my top picks among all the dishes. Made with fish, these two entrees were most unique! The Kha consisted of fried fish fillet tossed in caramelized ginger chilli sauce, while the Hormok consisted of steamed fish with curry mousse at the bottom. Both were perfect to be paired with the Steamed Jasmine Rice (PHp 70, a cup). I liked the contrast of the curry into the fish mousse. The smooth filling was like heaven. Expect the aftertaste to kick in.

Stealing the show, house specialty Lamb Shank Massaman (PHp 120/100g) took all attention as the waiter noted that it was slow-cooked in eight hours with a special type of curry sauce. Its sophistication with shallots, crispy fried noodles and sweet potato chips on the sides can justify your tears of joy. While I didn’t eat the meat, I did manage to taste the chips and the noodles that crackled and shattered on first bite. For that alone, I sensed that the chips and noodles were a decent effort, having enough girth to allow the flavor of the meat come through while still exhibiting plenty of crunch. The sauce, on the other hand, reigned supreme prominence and I could already have an impression on how the lamb tasted like. Strong.

For desserts, the Silk Nest (PHp 240) arrived next. The crispy shell made out of taro and sweet potatoes did not help in improving the coconut taste of the ice cream, but the accompanying chocolate sauce did. Densely packed, it had an addictive textural contrast which only heightened the intensity of the coconut flavor.

Completing our awesome dinner was the Silk Road Dessert Sampler (PHp 295), which consisted of Sticky Rice with Mango, Ice Cream (Durian, Mango and Coconut), Takhoo Thai and Strawberry Sago (with tapioca pearls). When put individually, each item seemed to be no-fuss desserts on its own. But when cohesively placed and meticulously presented into one platter, the “quadro” instantly can become the dessert sampler of your dreams.

Price for Value: ★★★★☆

Thai dishes are nothing new to Filipinos, since there are a lot of Thai restaurants now in the Philippines that offer quite the same dishes. Silk Road Thai Bistro owner is aware of this but one thing she’s sure about is that hers are the improved version. With a strong statement like that, you gotta be intrigued on how the dishes taste and look like—or at least I was!

The great atmosphere at Silk Road Thai Bistro, replete with excellent food and customer service, can compensate for the costs. So forgive the high prices for now because they are reasonable for the quality, which can be another reason why it would be worth waiting for a reservation. 😀

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Operating Hours: 11AM-3PM (lunch); 6PM-2AM (dinner)