At first glance, you might think Mokka and High Tea are two different restaurants. They are not. The two places share the same Thai/European menu. It’s just the interior that has the split personalities. Outfitted with all-white treatments, High Tea’s look is a Martha Steward rendition of a French country home—whitewashed walls, inviting couches, cushy pillows, colorful fresh flowers and, at night, flickering candles. Mokka, on the other hand, embodies a more elegant and sophisticated persona. You can cozy up on plush red vintage sofas, sip on fine wines and admire the kitschy artworks hung on the dramatic black walls. If weather permits, you can even opt for the outdoor seating on the patio. Unfortunately, unlike the setting, the brief menu, which offers “Authentic Thai” on one side and “European Experiences” on the other, is a far cry from creative. Ingredients like smoked salmon, rocket, tuna and more smoked salmon thrown in here and there make up the most part of it. You might have a hard time deciding whether you want your tuna simmered in green curry, stir-fried with spaghetti or topped on pizza toasts. And just when you think you’ve managed to avoid the recurring fish recipes, you’re stuck in a limbo of chicken with cashew nuts, pad kaprao and Caesar salad. Past the pain of ordering, these seemingly uninteresting recipes are surprisingly delicious and come with reasonable price tags and eye-catching presentations. Thai recipes are peppered with inter touches, but the kitchen makes sure what should be spicy arrives hot and zesty. Strips of juicy salmon are painstakingly rolled into blooming flowers and served with an enlivening mango salad, while the choo chee goong phan bacon features plump prawns wrapped with bacon atop a pond of luscious red curry. As for pasta dishes, spaghetti carbonara and spaghetti with Italian sausage and dried chili are the crowd pleasers. Those looking for some crunchiness can opt for the spaghetti pla salid kratiem krob, al dente pasta with crispy salted fish and topped with heaps of golden brown sliced garlic. We can’t recommend the seabass with garlic sauce and oregano rice, though. The natural sweetness of the seabass was ruined as it was breaded, deep-fried and covered with chopped fried garlic. Competing with the already strong, garlicky fish, the accompanying oregano rice, too, was overwhelming. Desserts were passable. The orange crepes served with vanilla ice cream looked tempting, but the crepe was too thick and the orange sauce seemed to come straight out of a Sunquick syrup bottle. As for desserts, the you-can-finish-it-in-three-spoonfuls cheesecake was overpriced. You could have it better with homemade ice cream. We especially like the refreshing apple custard flavor, which came with chunks of fruits. Service is friendly but at times too laidback. The verdict: A pleasant spot to pass your lazy evening and, with a little digging, you’ll find tasty treasures. Corkage: B250 (free if you spend B1,000).
