Journey: Zanotti Ristorante in Bangkok

It is always a delight when the carriers of your dish or drink can add to the experience. Capping off a delicious meal of hand-made pasta spun with prosciutto, enveloped with walnut sauce, and hunks of burrata with baby tomatoes, this single espresso has been poured into a beautifully enameled special edition illy cup. Accompanying it is the tiniest ameretti cookie, that actually is whole, not a broken off bit of one. Again, packaging and presentation is 50% of the meal. Sometimes 60%. Which begs the question, do you eat more with your eyes, or with your taste buds? I for one would like to say the latter, but am definitely an ordering sucker for the former.

Journey: Mini Yogurt Pot with Fruit Compote

Rating: 4/5
I am completely sold on presentation. It is always an added bonus when something in an otherwise safely assembled international breakfast buffet in a hotel offers up a little package that brings about some kid-like glee in a diner. Nestled individually in a mound of crushed ice, choose between a peach or strawberry covered yogurt concoction. Concoction being the operative word, as its texture is somewhere between Greek yogurt and Meiji Japanese milk yogurt. Aside from the slightly sweeter fruit on top, the yogurt itself has good body and a light finish.

Journey: Open-faced Crepes with Rice Pudding

Rating: 4/5
Now if you ever feel lost in a Thai food hall, a concept slightly misleading (differing from the Singapore hawker concept), make your way over to this little stall serving up 1.5in x 1.5in delicate little napkins of sweet tissue-thin carbs. Skillfully nestled in the middle, find a surprisingly generous dollop of rice pudding that has been thickened with coconut milk. With about 8-10 fillings to choose from, indecisive diners will not need to worry, as every pairing seems a perfect fit. However, this thick and coconut milk does get overpowering after two servings, which is a shame since the outer layers are so blissfully edible.