Love in the Time of Corona

(Main) Heart-shaped cake topped with 50 grams of luscious Imperial Ossetra Caviar grains from Royal Caviar Club in Hong Kong. (Above) Succulent Gillardeau n°3 Special oyster poached in Champagne at Blue by Alain Ducasse, Bangkok.

Bangkok

When roses are just not enough, book a table at Blue by Alain Ducasse. Executive Chef Wilfrid Hocquet and Executive Pastry Chef Maxou Boonthanakit do all the work and you get the brownie points. If you haven’t managed a booking for the Valentine’s dinner, think February 13 for dinner or even February 14 for lunch. The meal starts with the aphrodisiacal Gillardeau n°3 Special oyster poached in Champagne with ginger and shallot and topped with sago and finger lime. Next is king crab ‘chaud-froid’ wrapped in black truffle, topped with edible gold leaf. That is followed by warm gnocchetti with bottarga and citrus, and steamed John Dory with lightly-charred broccoletti and gold caviar. The main is a Rossini-style wagyu beef tenderloin stuffed with foie gras served with heart-shaped fluffy potato crisps and beef-black truffle jus. End on a sweet note with Chef Maxou’s creations: a rose and raspberry composition with a cherry pate de fruits and an elegant heart-shaped chocolate and coffee entremets from the Manufacture de Chocolat Alain Ducasse Paris. At THB 8,500++ with additional wine pairing at THB 2,500++ (available at dinner on February 13 and at both lunch and dinner on February 14).

Riviera inspired dining at Côte by Mauro Colagreco; Blue by Alain Ducasse serves up Rossini-style wagyu beef tenderloin stuffed with foie gras served with heart-shaped potato crisps and a dessert to gladden the heart; Get romantic at The Okura Prestige

Côte by Mauro Colagreco is all about sophisticated Riviera-inspired dining at Capella Bangkok. In store is an exquisite eight-course Valentine’s Menu (THB 12,200++ per couple) on February 13 & 14. (5.30pm to 9pm) featuring the finest ingredients. The restaurant’s à la carte menu will also be available on both dates.

Le Normandie at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok has Chef Arnaud Dunand Sauthier presenting a seven-course dinner that includes caviar soup with beetroot, langoustine with celeriac and apple, and melun brie with black winter truffle. At THB 25,000 net per couple.

The St Regis Bar offers a five-course Valentine’s dinner; Le Normandie at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok

The St. Regis Bangkok has a five-course dinner at The St. Regis Bar planned. A crab starter is followed by lobster bisque served with lobster claw, then comes smoked Hamachi served with sea urchin and caviar followed by A5 Wagyu tenderloin served with truffle beef jus and fresh truffles. Dessert is a yuzu curd with strawberry compress, rose diplomat, coconut sable, and white peach sorbet. At THB 6,800++ per couple.

At Elements Restaurant, The Okura Prestige, the romantic candlelit dinner begins with akami tuna and foie gras with Japanese sea urchin and pickled radish, taraba king crab with rose grapefruit and Japanese curry follow. Also on the menu is king madai with black truffle and miso, and wagyu beef tenderloin. The six-course dinner is priced at Baht 5,500++ per person.

Or get playful and escape to the Playroom for truffle hotdogs, wagyu burgers and the ultimate in finely brewed coffee: from cold drip to cappuccinos and iced lattes. Finish off with Stage’s signature dessert (Stage Bangkok is chef-patron Jay Sangsingkeaw’s French restaurant). The mocktails make for a fascinating read: Shackles is orange, Thai teat, lime and pandan, while Bullwhip is yuzu, apple, peppermint and maple and Close Your Eyes is apple, honey, lemon and milk. All very ‘50 Shades of Grey’. This ritzy speakeasy has reinvented itself as a café for the duration of the alcohol ban. Check it out before the bar it is meant to be makes a comeback.

Hong Kong

It will be a stay-at-home celebration, Hong Kong. And if you haven’t yet thought of what to do, begin by ordering the truly decadent caviar cake from Royal Caviar Club. This heart-shaped cake is topped with 50 grams of luscious Imperial Ossetra Caviar grains. What’s underneath the caviar? Layers of potato salad, smoked salmon, and eggs. It is priced at HK$1,800 for the 3.7-inch cake. Make sure you have the right bubbly to go with it. With the starter sorted, we have three options for takeaway romantic sets for two. La Rambla by Catalunya has a ‘Feliz Dia de San Valentin’ takeaway menu featuring Tsarskaya oysters with lemon & mignonette, cold seafood platter, La Rambla Caviar with red prawn tartare, Baeri caviar, and salmon caviar, an array of grilled fresh seafood with hollandaise, green sauce, and pilpil sauce, Spanish seabass a la Espalda with suquet sauce, and a dessert of strawberry and rose mille feuille. Priced at HK2,500 per couple (HK$3,550 including a bottle of Pol Roger Champagne).

RELISH At Home’s Valentine’s Day dinner, priced at HK $2,500, arrives fully prepped – just follow the simple cooking instructions to finish off the meal. This ‘semi-DIY’ feast features four fine-dining courses and all the added touches needed to set the mood for this special meal: amuse bouche of salmon rillette with shallot and crème fraiche and brioche, starter of kale salad with pomegranate, pecans, and honey dijon dressing. Mains are half a Canadian sustainable lobster with New Zealand beef tenderloin fillet served with black truffle butter. On the side are freshly baked artisan bread, gratin potato dauphinoise, and roasted asparagus with flaked almonds. Dessert is a decadent pistachio and raspberry chocolate brownie.

Hong Kong options: La Rambla by Catalunya takeaway dinner;Wanchai’s popular smoke and grill-house Mr Brown’s takeaway features many of the restaurant’s signatures; Feel the Roganic magic

Or you could spend your Valentine’s Day with Simon Rogan at Home (‘Simon Rogan at home’ was named the UK’s best-value Michelin-starred takeaway meal). For Valentine’s Day, Roganic has a romantic meal priced at HK$1,800 per couple featuring celeriac soup with parsley oil and cheese sauce, salmon pot topped with caviar, Uni custard with caviar, and braised beef short rib with mushroom duxelles. Finish with apple tarts and chocolate truffles.

While Wanchai’s popular smoke and grill-house Mr Brown will have you spreading the picnic blanket with its Valentine’s dinner featuring many of the restaurant’s best-loved signatures (whipped mackerel with ikura and housemade pretzels; Iberico pork muffins with mustard and aioli) alongside Valentine’s day specials (grilled tiger prawns with chilli and fennel; wagyu rib-eye with smoked winter truffle mash), and of course, a sweet note to finish off the meal (chocolate puff and burnt cheesecake with cherry sorbet); priced at HK $450/person.