Saturday, February 20, 2010

Blue Velvet

Last night I went out for a rare, but much needed girls' night with my friend, K.  She's somebody I can imagine being better friends with because she's smart, funny, snarky, and an easy conversationalist.  But there's an unfortunate twist that prevents me from totally opening up to her and that is that she works with T.  Nevertheless, we can have a great time together, as we did last night.
We went for dinner and drinks to a relatively new hi-so (a commonly used term here that's short for high-society) hangout called Blue Velvet.  Both the exterior and interior are really interesting.  It looks like a miniature castle (or dungeon, depending on your mood) with a wooden drawbridge over the stinky klong (Thai for canal).  
Inside, the ceilings are low, the lighting is warm and dim, and the velvet chairs are comfortable.  While the juxtaposition of medieval with rustic country home is a bit strange, it works.
Perhaps the most clever component of the unique interior is the ceiling above the bar area, which is covered with light bulbs.
The menu has a variety of seafood and meat dishes with a fusion flair. K and I shared the scallops Florentine, which were served in little clams shells, and the chef's recommended tuna and octopus salad, which was a bit mayonnaisey and unimaginative.  We both had dory parcels for our mains; while the presentation of the fish left much to be desired (brought to the table in the parchment paper in which it was cooked), the flavors were delicate and perfectly balanced.  Combined with excellent service and delightfully strong martinis, it was a great dining experience.  I'm looking forward to going back with T to try the sirloin burger. 

(unless noted, all photos are from here)

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