Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok will on 29 February be opening ALATi, an informal yet stylish restaurant with a menu that reflects the diverse culinary traditions of the entire Mediterranean region.
“Alati is the Greek word for ‘salt’, a seasoning and preservative used for centuries by many different cultures and civilisations,” explained executive chef Carlo Valenziano. “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.”
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, Chef Carlo, who is from Italy, uses his considerable experience to combine ingredients and flavours from a multitude of Mediterranean countries such as Spain, Tunisia, France, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon and Italy.
The dinner menu also features a number of Chef Carlo’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 homemade 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 Southern France, which produces a unique flavour and texture. The lamb rack is cooked the classic French way (pink) unless otherwise requested and served with roasted garlic, potatoes cooked with rosemary, and gremolata Italian dressing.
The North African tajine dishes include Chef Carlo’s signature cauliflower cooked with saffron, apricots, shallots, almonds and oranges.
The charcoal grill at ALATi offers a combination of meat and seafood dishes including Turkish-charred organic chicken.
All wine labels in the ALATi cellar are from vineyards in Mediterranean countries and many are certified “natural” and “biodynamic”. The wine list includes some hidden gems uncovered during intensive research for the new restaurant.
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 à la carte lunch from 12:00 to 14:30 and dinner from 18:30 to 22:30.
For more information or to make a reservation, please contact ALATi on +662 162 9000 or email alati.siambangkok@kempinski.com.
