Based on our experience, a dinner in a beer bar normally entails munching on greasy and comforting bar chow like fried chicken and chips while gulping down a giant pint of frothy ale. But that’s not the case for the Bangkok outlet of Mikkeller, a Danish-born beer bar-slash-brewery. The upstairs of this Ekkamai haven for hops is home to one of the finest meals you could find in the city.
Though the food at Upstairs leans toward fine-dining, its interiors still speak of homey simplicity—the tiny space is festooned with framed artwork of Mikkeller beers, while a small prep kitchen takes up one side of the room. No one would feel offended if you turned up in shorts and a t-shirt.
Korean chef Dan Bark boasts a CV that includes working under Curtis Duffy at the Michelin-starred Grace in Chicago. Chef Dan eventually journeyed on, and moved to Bangkok where he set up a small kitchen that churns out unbelievably creative dishes made with complicated techniques. The restaurant had always been an underdog where fine-dining is concerned, until it surprisingly (even to the chef himself) received its first Michelin star two years ago.
There is only one option in the menu: a tencourse meal (B3,800) that promises an explosion of flavors and a parade of contrasting textures. A starter of Alaskan king crab sets the tone, highlighting the well-balanced flavors of zesty calamansi and creamy coconut purée, as well as the satisfying crunch from pickled cucumber and the sweetness of candied cashew. This is followed by a beautifully-presented dish where carrot is elevated by the tangy tastes of lemon pudding, milk curd, pomelo and fennel marmalade. For the soup course, heirloom tomatoes and octopus make for an indulgent gazpacho, complemented by celery ribbon and pistachio purée.
Chef Dan’s version of Mexican mole is up next. At Upstairs, the innovative chef deconstructs the chili sauce, and pairs dollops of coriander, cocoa and lemon (the key components of mole) with braised pork collar. Another meaty dish, an olive and beer-fed wagyu beef from Sanaki, is divinely cooked and paired with broccolini and pickled lotus root. End-meal is no less impressive. We particularly love the mango dessert, which is served with nutty sesame sponge, and fragrant kaffir lime and basil.
Enjoy the full Mikkler experience by going with the beer pairing option (B1,300), which features six glasses of malted brews, including Zeffer Hopped Cider (4.8%), Bhutanese pineapple beer Namgay Druk Traffic Lights (4.7%), and Mikkeler Upstairs Downstairs (5.2%), a special lager with hints of peppercorn and lime. “Beer pairing makes [the meal] fun, because there are many different styles of beer, so the spectrum of flavors that I can play around with is a lot wider than wine,” says Chef Dan. The restaurant also offers a wine pairing option that includes bottles from New Zealand brewery Garage Project.
Upstairs is one of those places where you can’t judge the food by its setting. An intelligent mash-up of ingredients produces flavorful and tantalizing outcomes, making a visit to this restaurant a one-of-a-kind and fulfilling one.