Exploring LV The Place Bangkok
More than a luxe boutique, Louis Vuitton’s latest space in Thailand — with its chic café, exhibition rooms, and restaurant headed by multi-awarded chef, Gaggan Anand — is, as its name suggests, The Place to be
Towards the end of our press tour of LV The Place Bangkok, at the close of March, as L’OFFICIEL SINGAPORE entered Le Café Louis Vuitton, we were told that the next time a table would be available was sometime in May. And it is easy to see what the fuss is about: nestled at the ground level of LV The Place Bangkok, Le Café Louis Vuitton is simply très chic, dressed in white and jewel tones, and topped off with botanical design details that serve as the perfect setting for guests to enjoy an array of patisserie treats infused with Thai touches — the Mango Sticky Rice Fizz, Monogram Cake (a pistachio and orange blossom confection), and more.
On the top floor of the Gaysorn Amarin at Gaysorn Village building, which houses LV The Place Bangkok, is every trendy gourmet’s dream: Gaggan at Louis Vuitton. Superstar chef Gaggan Anand, who had his eponymous restaurant rank top five in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023, cooks up a fine dining “journey” over an eight-course lunch or a 17-course dinner here at the Maison’s first restaurant in South Asia. Our delightfully funky lunch started with Yogurt Explosion, which surprises with a globule of yogurt placed over a leaf packed with Pop Rocks candy. Another dish that won our hearts: World Map, a triad of tom yum crunchies in edible rice paper, a Monogram star-shaped tartlet, and a foie gras sandwich. Aroi, indeed.
Back on the ground level is the immersive exhibition, Visionary Journeys. It opens with Trunkscape and 96 suspended trunks, which lead visitors into the rooms with a clever (and picture-perfect) tunnel shape. A second room, Origins, shows how various members of the Vuitton family were innovators in the house’s earlier designs and products — here, trunks from the late 19th century present how the Maison had its beginnings as a trunk maker. No Louis Vuitton exhibition would be complete without a display of its iconic bags, and here’s where the third space comes into the picture, with iterations of the Alma, Keepall, Speedy, Noé and Petite Malle. Collaboration, the fourth room, covers those immensely memorable tie-ups with Stephen Sprouse, Yayoi Kusama, and Supreme. And finally, the Giveaway Room allows each visitor to leave with a little Visionary Journeys collectible when he or she can finally bear to go home.
