Ice cream and Teppanyaki are two words we never thought would go well together. In our minds, teppanyaki is a Japanese way to grill meat, seafood an veggies on a burning hot metal surface, so it was weird trying to visualize someone dropping a melting scoop of ice cream onto a grill. But the stranger the idea, the more we want to try it, so we crossed the river to reach 'The Lantern', a creative ice cream shop located at the foot of the Millennium Hilton hotel. It's very easy to get to and the beautiful view of the Chao Phraya river is one more reason to give it a try.

The Lantern is entirely dedicated to chocolate in its many forms and to ice cream as an art, not just a snack or a little casual treat. With a very high ceiling and comfortable sofas inside and outside on a river terrace, it can look a bit intimidating;  and you can't help but wonder, is it going to be just a fancy and sophisticated ways to prepare what at the end will still just be... an expensive ice cream?

On the first visit, the most tempting place to sit and enjoy the experience is of course around the teppanyaki counter, the way you would do in a Japanese restaurant, just to satisfy your curiosity. It will come as a reflief to find out the the teppanyaki is actually a frozen metal surface rather than a sizzling grill. Hanging above the counter, a dozen glass jars containing sugar and chocolate toppings are here to remind you that no meat is about to be cooked here.

When the menu is presented to you,replica watches the complexity of the mix can be confusing, so the best way is just to pick one of the three signature ice creams:

• Frozen Sacher Ice Cream: Waffle basket, Grand Cru Maracaibo 65% ice cream, poached apricot, fudge brownie, Edelweiss ice cream, fresh raspberries, fresh whipping cream.
• Warm Berries with Grand Cru Chocolate Ice Cream: Edelweiss ice cream with chocolate terra, Elvesia chocolate ice cream with caramelized almonds, aged balsamic flavored berrie, swiss meringues, caramelized almonds, orange snap.
• Sticky Chewy Grand Cru Chocolate Ice Cream: Maracaibo Criolait ice cream with brownie, Maracaibo chocolate cheese cake cubes, Edelweiss chocolate ice cream, Marshmallow, Bourbon vanilla sauce, caramel sauce, caramelized hazelnut.

If you happen to know a bit about chocolate origins and qualities, you start to get the first clues that this isn't going to be just another fancy mix. But spas also have overly-complicated names for what ends up being just another way to massage you, so it's with great interest that we started to scrutinise and then admire the skilful way the ice cream sommelier (that's probably an appropriate way to call her) mixes the many ingredients on the frozen surface. It doesn't take very long and soon it's the moment of revelation... is the 260 baht just for show or is is going to be a blast?

The verdict is clear, this is no ordinary ice cream, it's something beyond anything we tried before, and we've tasted a lot. It's not so much about the Teppanyaki process itself, which is just a logical and practical way to efficiently mix the ingredients while keeping them at the right temperature. In fact you can even find teppan ice cream in local Thai markets nowadays. Here, it's all about the unique quality of the ingredients, the subtle proportions and the creative way they have been selected. Take another minute to look at the menu again and you will see.

Even if you are no ice cream or chocolate connoisseur,rolex day date replica this is a new experience and even those who are not big cake or sweet fans will enjoy this treat by the riverside. It's the kind of place you want to tell your friends about, and then come back with them!

Getting There:

by taxi only

Address: Millennium Hilton Bangkok hotel 123 Charoennakorn Road, Klongsan, Bangkok Tel: 02-442-2000

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