Joakim Persson

Guests looking for French cuisine and western meals in a panorama dining setting will feel in their right element at Elementi Rooftop Restaurant & Bar in Rayong. For a start there is little competition on this level in the city of Rayong, and no other venue can boast the same unobstructed panorama ocean- and city view from the dining tables.

 

And its newly arrived French chef Cedric Cartal most likely felt the same when he first arrived to Asia thirteen years ago – by coming to heavily French-influenced Laos. After stints with restaurants and hotels there Cedric has arrived to Thailand, to be at the helm of Elementi (housed within Holiday Inn & Suites Rayong City Centre), enticed by the challenge. He has now launched his first menu in February 2024. Happy Hour Asia met up with the new French chef and also tried out the menu. 

 

Elementi Rooftop Restaurant & Bar is open for evening dining and shares premises on level 30 with an outdoor rooftop bar. So a pre-dinner alfresco drink is very much possible. The view is quite remarkable, because compared to Greater Bangkok Rayong still remains a low-rise city, with the exception for the 7+ years old Holiday Inn. Hence from the top floor, and through the window wall, the panorama view facing the gulf of Thailand see is completely wide open! It’s a quite remarkable sight, including the fact that Rayong city is dominated by low-slung buildings.

 

Elementi (meaning ‘Elements’ in English), has established itself based on Italian cuisine and successfully caters to a lot foreigners involved in business in the huge industrial zone area nearby on the Eastern Seaboard. This fact also brings a lot of hotel guests to Holiday Inn, and who are also frequent diners at the modern bistro. And now time has come for French cuisine, including some classic dishes from France!

 

“When I arrived here I suggested that we could try to do something very French because they don’t really have here in Rayong,” Cedric Cartal tells Happy Hour Asia.

 

He has mainly developed his skills further in kitchens over in Asia, following the arrival to Vientiene, Laos as the first stop, since his girlfriend had obtained a job there. They had jointly prepared themselves to head east in order to discover the exotic Asian region, seeing the opportunity to travel while still being young. And here they remain in Asia – 13 years later…

 

The French chef tells he grew up in Saint Etienne, near Lyon, and with lots of cooking by his mother and grandmother, who made everything at home. Cedric has also adopted this approach to cooking when he trains his team in how to come up with exceptional culinary creations – once he became a professional chef. “Just do things by yourself and use only good products and it will make a huge difference for what the dining guests get on the plates.”

 

“I never wanted to do this as my job but I decided to go school and learn property and get my degrees from culinary school. ‘Once that is done, we can leave’, I told my girlfriend. During the learning I also worked in restaurants in France. I have the French touch, of course, because it’s what I learned and it’s what I like to do, but at the same time I developed it in Laos and in Asia.”

 

Arriving to Laos as French was something of a soft landing: “In Vientiane, from the past they are very used to French cuisine, so they really know it in and out and there are a lot of little French restaurants with good quality and good price there.” 

 

Cedric says that Luang Prabang is even more French – “Super French”. But Laos and Thailand also inspires him with all the fresh herbs being used a lot in cooking. “I like the combination and matching of many things; for example, coriander, dill and chilli… the taste of lemongrass. And here you have fresh vegetables all year round and not only seasonal.”

 

“When you cook French or any kind of foreign food here you have you need to import some products – you have no choice. But I really try to do everything as locally made as possible.”

 

At Elementi, to start things off, it’s all about being authentic French: “I want to give it this identity that people can recognise, and know, when they come here for dinner, that there is someone French in the kitchen.”

 

Later on we’ll see – but I really aim to change the menu frequently, and to have of course some signature dishes to keep and for the rest to change every three months or so.”

 

New menu showcases his creative flair and passion for exquisite flavours, infusing each dish with a touch of French finesse.

 

Signatures he highlights for now includes beef tartar and Escargot snails. “We create our own tastes, for example making our own garlic butter with parsley in preparing the French-imported snails. Also the Parmesan cheese soup is nice.” This soup comes served with poached egg and a drizzle of truffle oil.

 

The Escargot – Classic Burguny Snails – at Elementi, served on bed of coffee beans, are truly a delicacy, herb-infused (baked with homemade parsley and garlic butter) and (for someone new to the dish) not dissimilar to some shellfish texture and a great appetizer, and superb with wine!

“Most guests coming are people here for work, and usually westerners. But the good thing is that more and more local people are coming, so also Thai people come to experience French food, where I have been surprised about the feedback so far for some special dishes like these. In Laos Escargot and beef tartar are super trendy, so why not try them out also here! And they get ordered a lot every day, so it works well!”

 

During golden hour the yellow sun beams shines through the windows and onto the furniture, including the mustard-hued, upholstered corner and wall sofas.

 

Past sunset, the traffic and street lighting along the main road running through Rayong and right below the hotel, plus the illuminated rooftop pool a level below, become focal points in the dark surroundings. 

 

And inside Elementi the staff members are dresses in elegant white blouses, and black trousers with braces.

 

Along the windows are triangle tables to maximise the view for pairs of guests, facing the sea. Flooring is chequred floor tiles.

 

The action in the open kitchen, on a Saturday evening, becomes tangible as orders float in. 

 

It’s a lively bistro atmosphere where kitchen sounds blend with guests’ conversations and a nice dinner soundtrack from ceiling speakers.

 

On weekdays expect lots of business hosted dinners; on weekends relaxed evenings between friends, and elegant dinner dates.

 

The latest menu focuses on western classic cuisine and still includes also Italian food. For a ’Bar Snack’, or starter, Fine de Clair Oyesters are served with condiments, vinegar, chili, fried shallots, lime and roasted chili paste. There is also Cheese & Cold Cut Board, Calamari and more. The choice for another starter falls on a Brie Cheese Croquette salad (also a signature dish), which comes as Salad with brie cheese croquette, fresh apple and black gruffle vinaigrette dressing, and is absolutely delicious

 

On the pasta front find Black Truffle Fresh Taglitelle as Chef’s Signature. Or how about a Chorizo and Prawn Risotto!

 

For fish lovers the Chef’s Signature Snow Fish is a winner, beautifully presented parmesan crust snow fish served with eggplant and tomato concassée. And this tomato is just awesome!

 

Then, as dessert, the signature Pavlova consists in Meringue, Chantilly cream and fresh fruits – including a personal favourite: passion fruit!

 

The same locally grown fruit is also part of another dessert temptation: Exotic Cheesecake.

 

Wow! Our passion for Elementi Rooftop Restaurant & Bar is hereby established and it is undoubtedly a destination in its own right in Rayong!