Review

Mezzaluna crowns State Tower with a dining room high above Bangkok’s skyline, its sweeping glass walls framing shifting colours of dusk and night. Chef Ryuki Kawasaki builds a seasonal tasting menu around produce sourced almost entirely from Japan, applying French technique with precision, letting ingredients speak for themselves. Starters include fried octopus tentacle ball and a trio of uniquely styled tomatoes. Somen noodle with tsubugai and oscietra caviar shows textural balance, silky noodle offset by briny bite, cucumber and shiso refreshing the palate. Langoustine mi-cuit with tobiko and edamame is light and supple, or choose abalone risotto with pork trotter. Grilled tachiuo with zucchini flower and mussels captures clarity, while seared magochi with squid stuffed with mashed potato delights with a contrast of firm, springy fish and richness from the bouillabaisse. Pigeon wrapped in panko with foie gras turns richer, lifted by chanterelle, shine muscat, ginger confit, almond and verjus. Niigata Murakami beef, is slow- cooked in miso, sake, and soy sauce before being charcoal grilled, result- ing in tender marbling with smoked eel and Fushimi pepper. Pre-dessert of Japanese soft biscuit with red shiso and cheesecake foam precedes Okinawa mango or dark chocolate from Pattani. Wine pairing ranges from crisp Japanese Albariño with clean citrus lift to structured Piedmontese Barolo, service is impeccable from lobby to table.