The place: Ekkamai’s new high-class den of meat and wine, The Cured Chamber, pulls cured meats from their association with starters and nibbles and puts them center stage of its menu. Walk inside and you’re confronted with a display room of hanging ham hocks and dried meats. The restaurant takes over a ground-floor space in Somerset residences, where the decor is all red bricks and stacks of firewood. If you like places like Malt & Salt and the bar at Il Fumo then you’re gonna be happy.   

The festive menu: From Dec 19-31, The Cured Chamber gets into the holiday spirit with nine special a la carte dishes made with festive ingredients. Start fresh with hand-shucked oysters with condiments (B480) or go rich with the duo foie gras (pan-fried duck liver and duck liver pate with apple compote, B660). Pasta lovers can enjoy angel hair with porcini reduction and grilled beef striploin (B690). Even heartier fare consists of honey-glazed ham and baked pineapple (B540), butter-roasted corn-fed chicken with stuffing and sweet potato puree (B520) and baked Maine lobster with chorizo au gratin and mesclun salad (B1,900). Finish the meal with pumpkin pie and caramelized chestnut with hazelnut ice cream (B260), Christmas pudding with madagascar vanilla bean ice cream (B280) or mince pie with cherry compote and ice cream (B240). Available all day.

What else: On top of wine (from B290), there’s also a big list of juices and smoothie creations created by their house bartenders. Teetotalers, try the monster frappe ultimate chocolate smoothie (B150). Signature cocktails are all priced at B280, including The Ultimate Cherry (St. Remy VSOP, cherry brandy, guava juice and cherry) and Smoldering Chamber (silver tequila, melon, strawberry, honey, cinnamon and ginger ale).   

G/F, Somerset Ekkamai, 22 Ekkamai Soi 2, 02-381-4381. Open daily 11:30am-11pm

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