Review

On level 19 of Rosewood Bangkok, Nan Bei serves regional Chinese cuisine in an atmosphere characterised by green and gold tones, art deco features and cosmopolitan elegance. The name, south and north in Mandarin, reflects a duality mirrored in the tasting menu’s structure. Sweet and sour crispy seabass in northern Shaanxi style opens the course, offering light crunch and balanced sweetness, good with tea or cocktail. Matsutake and fish maw broth follows, double-boiled with bamboo pith and goji berries. The soup is thick with a mellow taste and the fish maw has soft bounce, but matsutake stands out, meaty and shell-like in texture. Shrimp and scallop siu mai lands next, alongside a spinach dumpling with black fungus and glass noodles. Black vinegar and chilli oil amplify each bite. Wok-fried tooth fish with xo sauce comes crisp-edged, yielding inside, complemented by asparagus and celery cutting through the richness of the sauce. Kurobuta pork neck with ginger and zucchini delivers rounded flavours, pairing well with vegetable fried rice. For dessert, chilled mango sago with pomelo refreshes with brightness and creamy texture, while black sesame tangyuan in ginger broth concludes things with warmth. The tasting menu includes one tea and one signature cocktail. Tea selection ranges from classic to rare varieties, served tableside. Cocktail highlight is jasmine pisco sour, light, floral and balanced.