In case it’s flown under your radar, there’s a new kid on the hotel brunch block. The Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok’s grocerant Stock.Room has launched their “El Sabor de Kimpton Brunch,” a monthly celebration of various Latin American cultures. Highlighting the concept of “Vivir mi vida” (“live my life”), the El Sabor de Kimpton Brunch goes beyond just Latin American foods—from the drinks to decorations to live music, it’s a day-long celebration.
 
One of its biggest distinctions from the rest of the hotel brunch scene is, of course, the fact that it’s one of the city’s few (and perhaps only) Latin American-themed brunches. The team drew inspiration directly from their own backgrounds. “My descendancy celebrates Mayan cuisine that is more than 3,000 years old and can still be found in Latin Caribbean countries today,” explained Lamberto Valdez Lara, Cluster Executive Chef for Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok and Sindhorn Midtown Hotel, Vignette Collection. “It’s a colorful cuisine, it’s different and it's a conversation starter—but that's the Latin X community overall, we love food, and we love to celebrate with each other. As we say in Mexico, food, drinks and dancing equal a fiesta!”

Photo: Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok

Even though it only opened last month, the place was already absolutely rammed with people, which, when you consider that there are dozens of hotel brunches on offer every weekend, raised our hopes as to the variety and quality of El Sabor de Kimpton. And when we started eating, the entire experience more than delivered.

Photo: Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok

First off, all the food is incredibly good, and it’s worth reiterating that it was refreshing to see a cuisine that you don’t often see in this city’s hotels. One of our favorite parts of the buffet was the Nikkei cuisine section (a combination of Peruvian and Japanese styles), and our writer happily went back for seconds of the seared tuna and octopus. The other parts of the buffet include a Mayan-Caribbean section, traditional Brazilian dishes, and regional highlights from across the South Pacific coastline. There’s also an impressive array of top-quality Argentine-Italian meats that go beyond the typical charcuterie options you’ll see at most places, including meats like bresaola, salchicha parrillera, and chorizo Argentino.

Aside from the buffet itself, the price also includes an à la carte menu that really impressed our writer. As we mentioned previously, one of El Sabor de Kimpton’s biggest strengths is their meat selection. From the à la carte, we ordered the Asados Argentinos, a selection of grilled meats that were all prepared perfectly, including the medium rare Picanha steak. In the chilled Alaskan king crab and caviar dish, the sweetness of the chargrilled avocado was expertly balanced out by the succulent crab and a zesty leche de tigre. For the rest of the à la carte, guests can also order a full traditional Mexican breakfast, Wagyu taco served with morita chili salsa, and a slow-broiled whole lobster that comes with tortillas, salsa negra, and a variety of chillies for you to make your own taco.

Photo: Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok

Various drink packages are also available, and include everything from fresh juices to South American maté tea to some of Stock.Room’s signature in-house concoctions.

You’re not coming just for the delicious food, however. As you dig into your plates, salsa dancers and a live mariachi band go around to entertain you in the restaurant, singing and dancing to upbeat Latin tunes in order to provide a fully immersive experience. It’s truly a party for all the senses.

Photo: Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok

Because Latin American cuisine obviously spans a huge scope, El Sabor de Kimpton is determined to swivel the spotlight onto as many different aspects as they can. “No two months will be the same,” confirmed Patrick Both, IHG Thailand’s Area General Manager of Luxury and Lifestyle Brands. “We want the culinary and ambience to 'sing' and it's ok if that changes. We would also like to highlight local Latin chefs already in the region — bringing their experiences and roots to Stock.Room monthly.” This means a rotating roster of guest chefs and mixologists who, alongside Chef Lamberto, will be cooking up flavorful recipes that pay homage to their roots.

Photo: Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok

El Sabor De Kimpton Brunch is available at Stock.Room on the first Sunday of every month from noon to 3pm. There is a separate package for children under 12 (B1,250), while adults can pick from one of two free flow packages (B2,500 or B3,500).

Reservations can be made via phone at 020569999, or by emailing [email protected].