The document summarizes a dining experience at Jester's restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand. It describes the talented kitchen staff who conceive and prepare intricate dishes worth looking at before eating. The relaxing dining room offers spectacular river views and a varied menu that the new chef will put his own stamp on while hopefully preserving the daring spirit. Most dishes delight the senses as high-end restaurants should, so guests are advised to take their time and look before eating to fully enjoy the experience.

1. Occasionally when you’re in a fine dining restaurant you find yourself wanting to just look at the food instead of eating it — at least for a minute or two. The fact that someone in the kitchen had the talent and precise techniques to put together the dish is rather awesome but there’s also the original thought that went into conceiving the dish in the first place. It’s a process that escapes most of us, although, thankfully, there are people, like the kitchen staff at Jester’s in the Peninsula Bangkok, who are capable of putting together dishes like the ones pictured here. They taste good too, just in case you were wondering. And to top things off, they’re served in a very relaxing, dark and comfortable room that features spectacular river views through the tall windows that look out over the ever-changing landscape of the Chao Phraya. A recent visit was highlighted by a spectacular lightning show that provided an interesting counterpoint to the culinary pyrotechnics on the plates. New chef Philip Sedgwick inherited an esoteric and varied menu from his predecessor and it will be interesting to see what changes are made in the coming weeks and months. Chefs being the way they are it will, of course, be impossible for him to leave things the way they are for too long without putting his own stamp on the menu. It should be hoped, however, that the spirit of the current menu will be preserved as it emphasizes daring approaches that, admittedly, don’t always work: the carrot cake is still a mystery. However, the overwhelming majority of the time they do work and the diner is rewarded with an experience that engages several of the senses which is the way high-end restaurants should treat their guests. Make sure you take your time and look before you eat here so you’ll enjoy the entire experience.