We have been fans of celebrity chef Phol Tantasathien’s cooking show, Phol Food Mafia, for years. He is charming and his presentation is impressive, but we’re not always taken with his dessert shortcuts like chocolate compound and shortening. We wanted to blame the show’s sponsors for these poor substitutes, thinking he wouldn’t possibly use them in his real dishes. But we’re sad to say Wicked proves our faith misguided.

 

Unlike his previous restaurant, Spring Summer, this new one resides in a mall, thus you can expect a steady flow of students and 20-something, who come mostly for dessert . One of the recommended items, Bla Bla (B170)—described as a deconstructed banoffee pie—arrives impressively presented in a cute glass cup fogged up with dry ice, but otherwise is a disaster. The layer of banoffee ice cream tastes artificial, and is topped with sweet chocolate drinking powder. Digging deeper, there’s a layer of crumble that reminds us of cheap convenience-store cookies. Then, after whipped cream and thinly sliced banana, you get to a sticky and starchy panna cotta. Even favorites from Spring Summer like the BTS (chocolate lava in chocolate tart shell, B150) fall flat.

 

Wicked’s savory dishes are not much better. The inconsistent Ursula calamari (fried squid in squid ink batter, B180) flits between pieces that are crispy and not at all greasy to others which are tough and coated in batter with barely a hint of squid ink. Another recommended appetizer, the Berlin Sausage with a Twist (currywurst with curly fries, B180), has a dense texture and nice aroma, but goes way too heavy on the salt.

 

The signature sood yord khao moo dang (Chinese barbecue ribs with rice, B220) are nothing memorable, with a sauce that’s no different from the street-food staple. On our last visit, our main dishes also didn’t come out until some 30 minutes after ordering when we enquired where they were. If for some reason a friend asks you to join her at Wicked (girlfriend gatherings appear to be the norm here), we say play it safe with the savory dishes. Or better yet, cancel.

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This review took place in May 2015 and is based on a visit to the restaurant without the restaurant's knowledge. For more on BK's review policy, click here.