There are many ways to eat lobster, but KiSara at Conrad Bangkok is making a whole evening of it.
On September 18, the Japanese restaurant at Conrad Bangkok will devote a 10-course omakase to the crustacean, taking it from chawanmushi and nigiri to tempura, smoked lobster and a Thai-inspired tom yum creation. Called The Lobster Symphony, the one-night dinner also includes five sake pairings selected by sake specialist Naoko Saito.
The idea is to explore how lobster changes with technique, temperature and seasoning. Its natural sweetness appears relatively unadorned in nigiri, gains richness alongside sea urchin, and takes on bolder personalities when blow-torched, smoked or paired with Thai herbs and chilli.
The evening begins delicately with Lobster Chawanmushi, a steamed egg custard enriched with roasted lobster dashi, shiitake mushrooms and ginkgo nuts. Lobster Nigiri keeps things simple, while Lobster Uni pairs Boston lobster with Hokkaido sea urchin, accompanied by Kirinzan Beneath the Snows, a refined sake with notes of fresh rice, soft fruit and flowers.
From there, the kitchen begins to loosen the rules. Lobster Taco combines crisp tortilla, lobster salad, ikura and sushi rice, while Lobster Aburi brings blow-torched lobster together with shoyu butter rice. The latter is matched with Tedorigawa Yamahai Jikomi Junmai, chosen for its deeper umami and earthy complexity.
After a classic Lobster Tempura, the menu heads into more adventurous territory. Smoked Lobster arrives with Conrad honey, furikake, shishito pepper and pickled vegetables, balancing smoke, sweetness and acidity.
The most distinctly Bangkok moment, however, may be Lobster Tom Yum Crisp. Roasted lobster is paired with tom yum nam prik pao and Thai herbs beneath an ultra-thin crisp. Chiyomusubi Sparkling Sake “Syuwatto Sora” provides the pairing, with bright bubbles and fruity notes offering a refreshing counterpoint to the chilli and herbs.
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The savoury sequence concludes with Lobster Risotto, combining lobster teriyaki, stracciatella and green tea dashi. Dessert gives the evening’s star ingredient a rest: Cheese and Yuzu brings together whipped Brie de Meaux, umeshu tipsy cake and green tea sorbet, accompanied by plum-forward Nakano BC Kaoru Nankou Nouveau.
Rather than simply matching sake with Japanese food, the five pours are designed to follow the changing character of lobster throughout the meal, moving between sweetness, umami, richness and acidity.
The Lobster Symphony takes place at KiSara, Conrad Bangkok, on September 18, from 6pm to 10pm. The dinner is THB 4,697 net per person, with a limited early-bird price of THB 4,050 net. Reservations: +66 (0) 2 690 9233 or Conrad Bangkok’s online shop.
