Less than a year after Yu Ting Yuan, the signature restaurant at the new Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, welcomed its first guests, the restaurant earned its first Michelin star in Michelin Guide Thailand 2022. Yu Ting Yuan offers authentic Cantonese cuisine and regional favourites.
At the helm, Executive Chinese Chef Qiu Xiaogui leads a dynamic international and local team where craftsmanship and technique reign supreme. “Cantonese cuisine is all about the details,” says Xiaogui. “From the selection of ingredients to the cuts on the vegetables, to the sear on the barbecue, down to the plating; it is all about techniques that take years to master. I am so proud of the team to receive the first Michelin star for Cantonese cuisine in Thailand and the recognition of all the work we put in each day.”
A new seasonal menu highlights premium ingredients with a choice of live seafood and a robust selection of abalone, and all-time Cantonese favourites including steamed red grouper with Chinese spinach and egg white, braised winter melon with crab and dry scallop, and wok-fried Obsiblue prawns with garlic.
Dim sum is the key offerings for the lunch period, all prepared à la minute by Head Dim Sum Chef Justin Po and his team. With more than 20 years of experience, Po continues to challenge himself by creating new refined and unique dim sum. “Dim sum is a true handicraft,” says Po. “While it may look easy, the technique to master a popular dim sum such as shrimp dumplings could take one to two years of practice. The skin needs to be just the right thickness, it cannot break when you pick up the dumpling, and the shrimp inside has to be tasty and just the right temperature.”
New on the dim sum menu, Po introduced his signature deep-fried thousand silk crisp with Obsiblue prawn. “Each individual dim sum is meticulously handcrafted to have every layer of the crisp exactly the same,” noted Po. “Once deep-fried, the dim sum is crispy but retains the freshness of the prawn. It’s my absolute favourite and truly shows the potential beauty of dim sum.”
Designed by Jean-Michel Gathy, Yu Ting Yuan redefines the notion of a modern Cantonese restaurant. Floor-to-ceiling windows reveal a gorgeous backdrop of gardens and a shimmering water reflection pond with one-of-a-kind art pieces – sunlit by day, and dramatically illuminated at night. The interiors are opulent with traditional Chinese architecture expressed in a modern style, ornate chandelier fixtures and contemporary artwork.
Yu Ting Yuan is open daily for lunch 11:30 am – 2:30 pm and dinner 6:00–10:30 pm at Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River.