This playground is strictly for adults only. No seesaws, swings, slides or sandboxes in this recreation ground. No monkey bars but a bar there is, a long one. No park benches but sofas and bar stools. There is lemonade though, but it isn’t for kids either. It’s spiked and depending on the mix it can be called Lemongrad, Lemondrop Martini or Fred Collins Fizz, French 74 or Fruit Sour.
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| Strictly for adults |
My favorite lemon juice drink is a refreshing and relaxing one, and laced with whiskey. I was having it in the playground I was in, mixed precisely according to my preferred taste.
Playground – Bubbles and Mixology Bars, is the stylish watering hole of the newest lifestyle hotel in Silom, the Pullman Bangkok Hotel G, and where Bangkok’s chic set, along with the Hotel G’s guests, come to play as the sun sets over the metropolis and frolic until the wee hours of the next day.
With the speakeasy concept of the bar, the look of the quasi-clandestine Playground blends perfectly well with the rest of the Hotel G’s minimalist and white interior. The long bar sits modestly along the opposite wall of the reception area with a decorative, rail less staircase that leads to the mezzanine floor to show Playground’s other play area.
At dusk, ornamental gas lamps in white light up these steps adding an interesting glow to the rest of the bar’s muted lighting.
What makes Playground more exciting is its guest mixology and gastronomy specialist from Barcelona, Spain -- Albert Garcia Mozley. “This Catalan is one of the few true specialists in the world, an artist who dares to create completely new definitions of cocktail. The imagination leaps to savour such original concoctions as B52 Jelly, Pina Colada Form, Mojito Drop, or even a cocktail fusion with Parma ham or salmon,” said App Supakdhnasombat, Marketing Communications Director of Hotel G.
Having 10 years of experience in this intriguing field, Albert is able to prepare and customize any kind of cocktail guests request with just a few questions to ascertain the specific need and desire, so maximum satisfaction is deliciously assured.
And ask was what he did when I ordered my preferred “lemon juice at the playground” refreshment —Whiskey Sour. “Your preferred whiskey?,” Albert asked, pulls out my preference after presenting several brands from the bar. “Do you have a sweet tooth?”, to make sure he sweetens my drink perfectly, and then added his “secret ingredient”....
With a sleight of hand, my concoction was served.
I sipped my bespoke cocktail. Bravo!
It was after one drink that I wished my alcohol tolerance was as high as it was way back when I was running clubs in Davao, then I could have stayed longer and sample more of this man’s specialties. These days, it’s rare that I intoxicated, Playground would have been the perfect venue for one of these rare episodes of wooziness.
Just like in any playground, this Playground carries a couple of advisories all their guests should heed —1. “A word to the wise! This veritable alchemist has been given the top secret mission to create the signature drink for Playground, entitled “G Effect”. Try it and find out what true cocktails are really like!; and 2. “Having a drink is simply not the same after experiencing the rare science of mixology. It will hardly be satisfactory anymore just to order a cocktail and drink it according to the old standbys. The boundary has been breached and cocktails are no longer just a beverage—they are a designer creation!
Playground – Bubbles & Mixology Bars are located on Lobby & Mezzanine floors of Pullman Bangkok Hotel G. Visit their website at www.pullmanbangkokhotelg.com
For more travel & lifestyle stories, visit http://jeepneyjinggoy.blogspot.com/ and http://apples-and-lemons.blogspot.com/
Published in Sun.Star Davao newspaper on November 22, 2012.
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