July 18th, 2011
The Crystal Design Centre (commonly known by it’s acronym- CDC) has expanded its scope beyond the original concept of an upmarket centre for interior design products and services, and becomes an ever more popular “lifestyle” destination for the urban professionals living in the affluent Lad Phrao area of Bangkok . One of the early success stories there has been the opening of the wine restaurant- Wine I Love You. Tapping into the recent upsurge of conspicuous wine consumption – as much a lifestyle trend as an appreciation of wine on its own merits- the owners of Wine I love You have found the sweet spot in this trend and the restaurant is busy every night of the week- with queues for tables on the weekends. The opening of numerous new restaurants and cafes in the new Phase 11 at CDC appears to have had no impact on the popularity of Wine I Love You.
The restaurant occupies a large corner space on the ground level of the Building E in the complex. Some tables are set outside in the style of a Parisian street cafe, and there is a glass gazebo room at the rear of the main dining room that overlooks an open spaces. Entering the main restaurant dining area takes customers through tall timber display shelves of wine bottles. The decor of the restaurant has dark timber tables and chairs- some in the classic cafe style, others with leather upholstery. Across one wall long plush leather bench seating overlooks the main room. The room features a high ceiling, and the combinations of dark timbers, exposed red brick wall, timber flooring and subdued lighting gives a warm, comfortable atmosphere. The rear “gazebo” room on the other hand, features a tiled floor and full height glass walls and roofing- providing a bright and airy feeling. A DJ plays lounge music mixes during the evenings- but at a level that is not intrusive for conversations.
The glassed in “gazebo” room
Wine displays highlight the entrance to Wine I Love You, and also function as the selection method for customers. There is no printed wine list. Customers make their selections from the bottles displayed on the shelves- arranged by region. All the major wine regions are represented- from vintage Bordeauxs to New World wines from Australia, California, Chile and South Africa. The prices range from house wines to the high end Bordeauxs- with the largest selection in the “mid-price” category.
The wine bottle displays at the entrance.
Italian Prosecco
The food menu at Wine I Love You has an extensive selection of dishes across various cuisines- and could be broadly categorised as “gastro-pub” food.
The selections include “Appetizer” ; “Salad I Love You”; “Asian Contemporary”; “Westernized.Simple. Delicious”; “Burgers & Sandwiches”; “Pasta & Noodle”. Servings are of generous proportions, presentation is attractive, and prices are reasonable. The table service is friendly and efficient- and dishes come out from the kitchen promptly. Some menu highlights featured below-
Seared Scallop salad– fresh scallops pan seared on bed of lettuces, with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, carrot.
Chicken Quesadillas– appertizer dish of warm, crisp tortillas, with filling of cheese & chicken
Foie Gras & Banana bacon– interesting combination of ingredients with grilled foie gras accompanied with banana slices and bacon in caramel sauce.
Black Pad Thai with Tiger Prawns– from the “Contemporary Asian” selection- variation on the usual pad thai- with black ink noodles and two large grilled Tiger Prawns
Spicy Salmon Slices- slices of fresh salmon sashimi, served in spicy sauce.
Although the location of Wine I Love You at the CDC can be somewhat challenging for residents and visitors from other areas of Bangkok- with no direct mass transit access- the effort is rewarded with a well thought out and executed concept of a wine cafe- serving good “honest” food at reasonable prices , accompanied by a diverse selection of wines. If popularity is any measure of success- indicated with the nightly buzz of a busy restaurant- Wine I Love You can look forward to a maintaining it’s strong following in the Bangkok dining out scene.
See more photos in the slide show
WINE I LOVE YOU
Address: CDC, Crystal Design Centre, Building E, Ekami-Ramintra Road, Bangkok, Thailand 10240
MRT: Nearest station Lat Phrao- a few kms by taxi down Latphrao Road
Reservations: +66. 089 141 7000
Website: http://www.wineiloveyou.com/
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/wineiloveyou
Opening Hours:
Monday-Friday 4:00pm ~ 1:00 am
Saturday & Sunday 12:00noon ~1:00 am
