What It's Like Dining in 2023’s Asia’s Best Restaurant - Le Du

The reason why I flew to Bangkok last 2024 was to catch Coldplay’s show at Rajamangala Stadium; but dining in Le Du was the part of our trip that I was most looking forward to.

At that time, it was the reigning Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants (2023), so the idea of booking a table in that restaurant was truly elating. Admittedly, I have read mixed reviews on Le Du prior to booking it – but to dine in Asia’s Top 1 Restaurant at the cost of THB4500 (very comparable to 2026 tasting menu rates in Manila) was truly too difficult to say no to.

We opted for the 6-course menu and I loved the artwork sprawled on their menu – but admittedly, I had a hard time appreciating it as I was literally catching my breath as Bangkok traffic was insane – that despite all our best efforts, we all arrived almost an hour late. I was already in tears – as I thought about losing our downpayment - and not being allowed to consume our booking - but thankfully, the receptionist was Filipino – and assured me they’ll still accommodate our table despite the strict seating.

One thing I noticed apart from its sophisticated and polished interiors was that the seating was definitely cramped – the next table was literally inches apart from us – a far cry from how fine dining restaurants in Manila afford a more comfortable and private seating.

However, as we were incredibly late to our seating, the serving pace was understandably rushed throughout the meal (and yes, they did gently nudge us away immediately after we finished our desserts).

We started with a four-part amuse bouche. The first amuse bouche was definitely not a strong start – built on morning glory and sriracha, this vegetable-forward bite offered bitter tones that were definitely not a delight to munch on. Fortunately, the second amuse bouche turned the mood up – it was a mushroom and soybean cracker whose visuals do not match the flavors it boasted– but boy was that a delight to gobble up! The Amuse Bouche ended with a duo of Kale Soup with pickled radish and tuna and a lovely pickled radish and crab meat cracker!

Red Snapper | Mantis | Bitter Melon

The red snapper and mantis shrimp dish was glorious – the fresh seafood was delightfully cured by lemon and topped with a bitter melon sorbet which was divine. After a couple years of devouring degustations in Manila, I have noticed that Filipino restauranteurs have incorporated similar dishes in their own tasting menus – and I am all aboard on this trend!

Squid | Strawberry | Salted Egg

The next course truly teased in the combination of its ingredients – squid marinated in lemon oil and shrimp paste topped with salted egg and strawberry? Wonder what it tasted like? It tasted as incredulous as it sounded – flavors just simply didn’t complement one another.

Grouper | Tofu | White Chives

The grouper was another strong dish – I remember noting that it was my favorite dish of the night (so far) as it came with a perfectly fried (yet perfectly juicy) gorgeous piece of grouper which came with an amazing sauce!

Pork | Garlic | Pickled Plum

The pork rib soup was surprisingly tangy – but this made so much sense once you bite through the dumpling it came with. Though extremely elevated than your usual pork dumpling soup (this one’s snazzier as it comes with clams), it’s still incredibly comforting.

Thai Wagyu | Berries | Spicy Sauce

For the main course, we were treated to a Thai Wagyu – which admittedly looks like a quintessential main course served by Gallery by Chele. It was a quality cut of wagyu served with great sauces – perfect execution, but no wow factor.

Coconut | Sago | Sesame

The lime/lemon-based sorbet laced with coconut was simply divine. I would not have minded this to be our main dessert to be honest.

Petit Four

The first petit four was a caramelized sponge cake with coconut sago which was absolutely delicious!

We were then served with an assortment of forgettable cakes and incredibly fresh fruits.

Ultimately, it was a delicious feast (despite the stressful start and rushed pacing), but it was definitely not worth being on the top spot especially as I’ve had better experiences in Manila (shout out to Modan and Gallery by Chele) – and I believe diners and critics felt the same as Le Du stumbled down the list immediately the year after.

Le Du

Date of Visit: February 5, 2024 with Kerwin Chua, Mase and Dolf Constantino

399/3 Silom 7 Alley, Si Lom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand