“Some of the most happening rooftops in Sukumvit”
Above Eleven Rooftop Bar and Restaurant overlooks Bangkok Sukumvit’s vibrant Soi 11 (hence its name), with panoramic views of the city from the 33rd and 34th Floor of Fraser Suites.
This restaurant is a unique fusion of Peruvian with Japanese cuisine, being the first of its kind in South East Asia. The dishes are made by Peruvian-born head chef Omar Frank Maruy.
Peruvian cuisine is a diverse blend of influences from Europe, Asia and West Africa immigrants within the indigenous population and you’ll see the ethnic mix of the country spill into the dishes themselves.
Above Eleven Restaurant
Above Eleven can be described as “an abstract art installation of a park experience with a captivating bird’s eye view of Bangkok” according Rohit Sachdev, Managing director of Soho Hospitality.
Guests enter Above Eleven through a maze-like garden completed with grass covered walls organic maze (which also leads to the toilet), and set sights on the island bar in all its purple-lit glory.
The entire restaurant has a soft glow, with highlights of purple streaks cascading different spots of Above Eleven, creating a party-chic yet welcoming ambiance.
Enjoy cocktails and mocktails here, especially the “Rojito” cocktail created by Managing Director Rohit Sachdev- definitely a hit with the girls.
Tiradito Sampling plate, which includes a sampling portion of Tiradito Octopus (470 THB) and Tiradito Nikkei (380 THB) which includes tuna with Aji Amarillo Leche De Tigre.
‘Aji Amarillo’ is Peruvian for chili pepper, while ‘Lech De Tigre’ literally means tiger’s milk – a tangy Peruvian sauce made with blended chili pepper, fish, lime, onions and chili.
This is Peru’s version of the Japanese sashimi, which compliments the whole fusion theme perfectly. The savoury Lech De Tigre was the clear standout, with light spicy notes blending with the oceanic flavours wonderfully.
Causa Kani (370 THB). Crab Meat, Togarashi Mayo, Avocado, Quail Egg & Huancaína (spicy cheese) Sauce atop mashed potatoes made with chili and lime. Creamy textures that go well with the more textured shredded crab meat, then a firmer boiled quail egg for a crescendo of textures. Multiple layers of flavours are exhibited here for a very appetizing bite-sized snack.
Anticucho Beef Heart (250 THB). A heavy full-flavoured ‘cut’ that is more mentally hard to get over then it really is to eat. Slightly tough, but the beef flavour lingers for a very long finish in the mouth.
Tuna Tartar (350 THB). Tuna Tartar, Cilantro, Wonton Crisps, Sesame Oil and Red Chili-Wasabi Dressing. The heavy seasonings really depletes the natural sweetness of the raw tuna though, but creates a more powerful punch than the usual clean sashimi.
Cebiche Above Eleven (470 THB). No it’s not a typo, Ceviche is spelt with a ‘B’ in Peru. Seabass, Prawns, Deep Fried Calamari, Sweet Potatoes and Red Chili Leche De Tigre all the the same bowl. A combination platter that again focuses a lot on the dominant flavours of the Leche De Tigre, as well as freshness of seafood.
Salmon and Scallops Carpacio with Ponzu sauce (off-menu item). Another personal favorite and creation from Rohit, this was also one of my favorite dishes of the night. The salmon and scallops are cured by the acidity of the ponzu and citrus sauce thus having a more brittle soft texture, which is then dipped and eaten with the spicy garlic ponzu sauce for a burst of expression.
Arroz Con Pato (450 THB). Duck Confit, Cilantro Rice, Seasonal Veggies, Salsa Criolla & Huancaína Sauce. Definitely wasn’t a fan of the duck as it was a tad dry.
Snow Fish Anticucho (750 THB). Grilled Snow Fish, Yuca-Bacon Mash, Olive Mayo and Cherry Tomato Salsa. A buttery, oily fish that has added savoriness from the bacon mash and mayo.
Lomo Saltado (800 THB). Sautéed AUS Beef Tenderloin, Onions, Tomatoes, Aji Amarillo, Cilantro and wedges. The presentation resembles stir-fried spring onion beef slices with rice in Chinese cooking, but didn’t have the same fragrance but rather having a more subdued taste.
Seco de Cordero (950 THB). Slow Cooked Lamb Shank (In Beer, Cilantro, Cumin, Aji Amarillo) served with White Beans, Rice and Salsa Criolla. It was quite a carbohydrate overload already but the juicy, tender lambshank does go well with the rice and beans as a very comforting and homey dish that grandma would cook.
Tortas Tres Leches (230 THB). Vanilla sponge cake soaked in 3 kinds of milk: evaporated milk, condensed milk and regular full cream milk. The sponge cake soaks up the milk in a moist bite that is still airy in texture without being too overwhelming.
Traditional Crème Caramel (200 THB). Made with cream, milk, eggs and vanilla this was a classic fluffy dessert to end the night.
After a full meal in Above Eleven, it’s time to head to the secret rooftop bar within.
Gramercy Park
Accessed through the iron gate hidden away on the mezzanine floor of Above Eleven restaurant, Gramercy Park’s name is derived from the private space in Central Park where only residents have the key to access. It’s no mystery that Central Park New York played a huge role in inspiring the creation of this open-spaced bar.
Gramercy Park includes customized structural trees, a discreet, narrow entrance and a very unique bathroom observatory that overlooks the city (in the men’s bathroom only, sorry ladies). Peeing here literally gave me new perspectives.
Enjoy music spun by the live DJ on Fridays and Saturdays at Sukhumvit Soi 11’s highest rooftop bar akin a secret garden in the sky. Differing from Above Eleven in terms of casualness and laid-back atmosphere, guests can enjoy this unpretentious space with great drinks and amazing company.
Above Eleven’s Peruvian-Japanese cuisine provides a whole new dimension of flavour that surprisingly melds together for something new with each dish. Balancing the subtleties of Japanese technique with strong influences from Europe, this innovation is something you need to try when in Bangkok.
Gramercy Park is also one of the hippest rooftop bars to be drinking at in Soi 11 with its wide-open space that’s just so inviting.
Expected Damage: 1200 – 1600 THB for dinner
