Joakim Persson

The Bangkok Chinese restaurant XinGu is a delightful surprise in more ways than one, but in particular for its food – where Happy Hour Asia got to taste some of the new dishes from an upcoming, revamped menu to be introduced later during 2025. The dishes bode very well in terms of this being a destination for bold and contemporary cuisine, delivering beyond expectations!

Coming here with expectations of a very traditional Chinese restaurant? Forget that notion and be ready to embrace something new and truly innovative. Perhaps looking for the opposite? Then you have come to the right place!

‘Modern’ is truly a keyword here – which is representative for the food as well as the interior design and also the music (with a soundtrack of DJ underground house and dance music at noon on a weekend)!

Occupying the top floor of 37th floor of the Ascott Embassy Sathorn Bangkok hotel/serviced residences, the l-shaped XinGu showcases – via tilted glass walls – panoramic views of downtown Sathorn and towards Silom area. Its interior design merges elements from the east and west with a contemporary focus, while there are nods to historic, Chinese architecture (in particular for some layered wood wall panel details).

In the restaurant lobby find a living room ‘setup’ at the centre (similar to in a furniture store). It features a large wine-red floor carpet, and comes with a velvet-upholstered designer sofa in the same hue, flanked by wooden chairs and a low table. Its decorated/equipped with a chess board.

XinGu’s flooring is laid with faux-wood tiles in different brown hues, inlaid black-and-white marble and brass lists. Dining seating includes brown wooden chairs with mint green textile padding and brass legs. Square dining tables come in black marble with brass-and-pink hued legs, or also as window-facing semi-circle, ruby-red marble top tables(bar counter also ruby red), flanked by purple-red velvet dining chairs. One wall side also has a Chinese dragon painting, above a long velvet wall sofa. Stylish table setting includes brass cutlery. Guests can also enjoy sustainability-friendly fine dining drinking water here from Nordaq.

As for the food – where the restaurant tagline states: ‘Chinese cuisine like no other’ – it delivers on this bold promise big time.

The upcoming new menu of elevated Chinese cuisine includes the following dishes: Turnip Cake with Crab Sauce is a perfect starter, as a Chinese dim sum where the traditional turnip cake has been reimagined using French butter for pan-searing, adding depth and aroma. The result looks like a firm slice of cake. It’s topped with a rich crab sauce made from crab meat, crab fat, and a touch of Mala oil, offering a bold and modern twist.

Next dish tested is XinGu’s signature roasted suckling pig. This dish is inspired by Spain’s iconic Cochinillo, a dish consisting of roast suckling pig – an oven dish traditionally prepared in an earthenware pot and served hot with a crispy crust. XinGu’s version uses a one-week-old pig, carefully brined with Chinese herbs and slow-roasted at a low temperature for 3 hours. This method ensures perfectly crispy skin while keeping the meat incredibly tender.

And tender, indeed it is! Served on a big white plate with a wide rim the pork dish comes with some shaved garnish on top, resembling partly thinly sliced ginger – and dried grass (which is obviously only a visual similarity)! All rests on a bed of a thick, sweet sauce. This feels like a Chinese dish, and yet something modern.

Finally, the Hot stone bowl fried rice topped with F1 wagyu steak and foie gras is a true winner. It arrives oven hot to the table with the premium foie gras, and sliced wagyu resting on top of a bed of rice succulent from being soaked in the fat from the beef. The foie gras is seared to perfection and the combination is a rarity!

This trio of dishes certainly builds up anticipation and an urge to return and explore more from the upcoming new menu!

Take note XinGu also offer a Free Flow cocktails package. Enjoy for during 90 minutes everyday from 17:00 – 20:00, at only baht 1,090++, with a comprehensive selection including of drinks, such as: Margarita, Kamikaze and Old Fashioned.