A steak meal at a fancy restaurant in Bangkok will most likely empty out your pockets—and all you’ll get is a small serving of tomahawk and maybe a side of veggies. But this is not the case at Carne, the new restaurant by the team behind Bib Gourmand-awarded Thai restaurant The Local and seafood haven Crab and Claw, where secondary meat cuts are utilized to deliver bold and tasty fare with Latin flavors.
At this upscale dining room, masculine and wood-heavy interiors are combined with softer touches such as warm lighting and colorful neon signs. One of the dining partitions connects to the bustling kitchen where a team of chefs flames up meaty goodies.
Kitchen operations are led by Chef Mateo Roberson who injects robust South American flavors into locally sourced proteins and vegetables grown by one of Carne’s owners at his suburban home. Start out with the sweet corn succotash (B150), which features perfectly charred corn with chorizo, smoked aioli and pickled chili dressing. The ember beetroot salad (B260) is also a great way to start off your meal. The scrumptious starter comes with a spicy dressing made of herbs and greens, and spiced pecan. You may want to try the seabass ceviche (B320) as well, which comes with fresh and flaky fish, intensely flavored tiger milk sauce and sweet potato bits.
To keep prices low, Carne mainly makes use of secondary cuts like flank or skirt, but they are prepared with such finesse that you wouldn’t be hoping for a rib-eye midway through your meal. Our order of skirt asada (B950), which came with honey-glazed chayote, was a perfectly cooked medium-rare, just as we had requested. The pork tomahawk (B590) also deserves a try. It may look slightly dry, but the meat is tender and juicy, and flavorful from being marinated in red koji.
Carne is proving to be a strong new contender in Bangkok’s steak scene. The food is delicious, and the price won’t have you fasting until your next paycheck.
