With an entire stretch of venues that cater to the in-crowd, Lang Suan is a great place to scavenge for good food. So it’s not surprising that one of Singapore’s acclaimed restaurants, Ember, has decided to open its Bangkok baby here. Located in the front of Lang Suan Balcony near Soi 5, this fashionable eatery is located in a three-story house. The third floor, which will house a room for private parties, is under construction. The all-white ground floor has all glass walls with a bar in the center.

As is the case in the Merlion City, European with a touch of Asian is what you’ll find here—naan instead of pizza breads, for example. For starters, crisp-fried Japanese oysters in a buttery vegetable sauce (B450) and fried soft-shell crab in a creamy wasabi sauce (B250) are both recommended. Or, for lighter palates, a spicy gazpacho soup with onion pakoras (B265) will jumpstart your tastebuds.

Fans of foie gras will want to try not one but four different foie gras dishes (not on the same day, though), starting with the signature crispy foie gras with pear chutney and beet-orange chili reduction (B650). And while we’re on the subject of politically incorrect foods, the Chilean seabass with mushroom and bacon ragout in truffle-yuzu butter (B650) is another delicious choice. There are also meat dishes ranging from B570 for chicken to B880 for a ribeye steak, as well as a lone pasta: linguini with seafood and Thai basil pesto (B510).

Desserts are vicious killers at Ember. Highlights include a warm banana tart with homemade lavender ice cream (B250) and an extremely chocolatey warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream (B280).

At lunch, Ember offers very reasonable two- (B345) and three-course (B370) sets, which include coffee or tea.

After our superb tasting and tour, we sat down with Suif Ahmad, operations manager of Ember Bangkok, and Chef Haikal Johari.

Why did you decide to open a branch here in Bangkok?
Suif Ahmad: The opportunity was given to us by Dr. Bhichit Rattakul, who helped us find the place to expand our restaurant. It is our first branch outside Singapore.

How would you describe the food? Is it fusion?
Chef Haikal Johari: We are making modern European dishes with an Asian touch. We are not a fusion restaurant. I think the term is misused a lot these days. Fusion brings up the image of throwing different types of food together without any identity, but here we are focusing on the European while also adding in Asian flavors to make them distinctive.

What are your signature dishes?
Suif Ahmad: Crispy Foie Gras (B650), Pepper Crusted Australian Lamb Rack (B850) and Chilean Seabass with Mushroom and Bacon Ragout (B650).

Are the customers here different from ones in Singapore?
Suif Ahmad: They are different here. In Singapore though our restaurant is located in a hotel, the customers come from all over. But here in Bangkok right now the customers are mainly the people who come to Lang Suan and when they see us they walk in. Our target customers are mainly foreigners and businesspeople.

Enjoy European with Asian accents at Ember, 99/11-12 Lang Suan Balcony, Ploenchit Rd., 02-652-2086. Open Mon-Sat 11am-2:30pm, 6:30-10pm.