Crave, the well-regarded restaurant located in Aloft Bangkok, has won rave reviews for its tremendous seafood buffet available on Friday and Saturday evenings at this hot spot on bustling Sukhumvit Soi 11. Guests can sample a superb variety of fresh seafood, including snow crabs, river prawns, rock lobsters, babylon snails, oysters, mussels, and squid, kept on ice at the cold station so the food is in the best possible condition for diners to enjoy.
There’s also a delectable line-up of hot items to choose from, with the fresh pasta station being a favourite among their regular customers, who are able to customize their dishes. Steamed salmon, carved leg of lamb, grilled meat cuts, signature Thai delicacies, soups, salads, desserts, and ice cream are some of the highlights of this scrumptious buffet.
The venue is unquestionably spacious: high ceilings, large windows and a contemporary, industrial look give Crave an inviting, upscale vibe that sets it apart from rival restaurants close by. Breathtaking skyline views also feature at this fabulous eighth floor eatery.
This fine establishment is both a wine bar and restaurant, however with so much delicious fish to get through, as well as other tempting delights, we thought it would be a good idea to focus on just the food. Thailand is well-known for its many miles of coastline, producing a fresh abundance of seafood – certainly one of the most popular foods amongst Thais.
It stands to reason therefore that any good seafood buffet in the Thai capital city Bangkok is sure to be in high demand, and Crave’s weekend offering was no exception. On the first inspection of the buffet line, two wonderful crab dishes stood out as must-try items: snow crabs, and Singaporean soft shell chilli crabs – a twist on a national dish of Singapore.
The snow crab meat was very tasty indeed, with its sweet and subtly briny flavour coming through that left you longing for more after devouring each morsel. Singaporean soft shell chilli crab proved to be a revelation: Crave replaced the usual hard shell crabs of the dish with deep fried, softer crabs – the sweet, salty, chilli-hot tomato sauce was also epic.
Do make sure to bring your appetite to Crave’s seafood buffet as you’ll have a plethora of seafood on ice to feast upon: some of the shellfish to try include the mussels, oysters and of course the succulent prawns. The mussels were plump and juicy, while the prawns had been grilled to perfection, complimented by the spicy Thai seafood dipping sauce (green nam jim) that had a real kick to it, as well as slightly sweet and herbal undertones.
The spotted babylon snails packed a definite crunch and were ever so sweet, enhanced by the fried shallots and spicy dressing, which, like the oysters, are best eaten with chilli paste to give your tongue a distinctive full-flavored taste sensation. The varied selection of condiments were exquisite, but for us, it is hard to beat the classic nam jim sauce.
Some of the other options that are sure to impress are the grilled sea bass, white shrimp, and rock lobsters – order them directly with the chef, sit back, and wait for them to arrive at your table. If that’s not enough to satisfy your appetite, then you can have some whole steamed salmon topped with lemon and herbs, or some of the robustly-flavored lamb.
Vouchers for THB 850 are available to purchase for Crave’s Seafood Buffet Dinner at the Marriott Bonvoy Travel Show, including free flow soft drinks. Pay a visit to Aloft’s booth at EmQuartier, M Gallery, M Floor, from Monday, March 14th up until Sunday, March 20th.
Buy 10 vouchers to receive one additional voucher for free, valid for 6 months after their purchase. The buffet on Friday and Saturdays from 6pm to 10pm costs THB 1,599.
The crab items mentioned are available during the Crave Crab Festival in the month of March. For further information, please visit: Aloft Facebook or call: 02-207-7060.
