We were recently paid a visit from Singapore by David and Chor Phan. To celebrate the cool season we dined at the 18th floor rooftop restaurant/nightspot called Zense, located at Central World Plaza on top of the Zen department store.
There are several different restaurants that provide food for Zense so you can order from a combined menu and then your server coordinates the orders from each of the restaurants. Service was good and the food, while a little pricey (which one would expect from a rooftop restaurant), was pretty good for the money. A fun place to enjoy the cool weather and take in the lights of the city.
Here’s a selection of some of the dishes we had:
Assorted appetizers: spicy shrimps, crab cakes, baked oysters and smoked salmon.
Bacon-wrapped sweet potato French fries! Yummy…
Tawn’s obento box unagi, grilled and glazed eel. He said it was very tasty.
Australian sirloin marinated in a Thai-style lemongrass and citrus marinade, grilled medium rare and served with spicy chili and fish sauce dipping sauce. A contemporary take on a classic northeastern Thai dish.
Sticky rice (three colors) with mango.
Mixed berries tart.
christao408 
I’m a sucker for deserts.. And showing that tart is really crewl lol
There are very few places in L.A that can make a good mango with sticky rice dish. The mangoes in BKK are the best of all!
This was a beautiful feast for the eyes but a really mean trick to play on those of us that just had breakfast. I loved the photo of the sticky rice and mango (fruit of the gods) which was much more appealing than the tart. But have to admit that the bacon wrapped sweet potato fries had me salivating. I would choose sweet potato fries over regular fries in a heartbeat. So far the best I’ve tasted were from Amazing Joe’s Grill in Muncie, IN. Just one more reason to visit…
Whenever I find Mango with Sticky Rice as a dessert option in a Thai restaurant I go for it. The one in your picture looks great!
the mango dish seems to be the rage with your subscribers, i must try that next time i go to a thai restaurant.eating on the rooftop must be fun. i saw a show saying these things are popular in thailand (rooftop bars). it sounds really appealing, albeit expensive.
Wow so you can also go to those individual restaurants???That looks very nice. 🙂
I don’t find the colorful rice particularly appetizing, but, as you know, sticky rice and mango is my absolute favorite Thai dessert. I’m still working on being able to get the rice just right. Does murisopsis live in Muncie, IN., by any chance?
Oh that looks like a very nice restaurant and I like how you can combine the different menus from different restaurants. Are the tables far enough apart so you private conversations can still take place? It always irritates me when restaurants jam the tables so close together.
WOW! They look so good!
Whoa.The food looks pretty good, but I have to admit the restaurant itself is making my eyes sparkle. I LOVE the setting and location and design. I think this is a definite stop for me. That photo just makes me feel dreamy.
is that tamago in soup next to unagi?is it good that way?
My classmate from medical school, is going to Bangkok in January. I am sending her this email so she can see what she can expect. This is certainly food for the eyes.
@ZSA_MD – I’d be happy to email you a list of recommended restaurants if your classmate would like it.@Wangium – I asked Tawn and he didn’t remember what it was. Sorry.@arenadi – The setting is really nice.@Dezinerdreams – Yes, they do, don’t they?@ElusiveWords – There is pretty good spacing and light jazzy music playing from the club on the next floor so not too difficult to have a nice conversation.@jandsschultz – @murisopsis – Val, my mother is curious if you’re in Muncie. I know you’re in Indiana, right?@yang1815 – Good question. The restaurants don’t exist individually here. But you could order fully from each one’s menu. They are restaurants that have other locations in the city as stand-alones and then come together under one roof (or on one rooftop, as the case may be) at Zense.@TheLatinObserver – And considering that the mangoes in the US tend to be not so great, you don’t see that dish as often in Thai restaurants there.@CurryPuffy – @ZSA_MD – Gary, I think Zakiah may argue that the mangoes in India are better, but we won’t rile her on that point. =)@WilldrawsRainbows – What, did I make you hungry? (evil and michevious laughter and rubbing of hands)@stepaside_loser – They are expensive relative to, say, street food. But this one wasn’t too badly priced given the setting. It was way cheaper than some of the hotel’s rooftop restaurants. Outdoor dining is a new thing here in Thailand. Four years ago there were only a handful of places that offered it. Then someone discovered that there are actually a few months here when, especially if you’re several stories above the ground, outdoor dining is quite pleasant.
Wow! I am drooling! =) I’m usually a pretty frugal diner, and sometimes I wish I would let myself spend a little for a meal like this!!
@christao408 – Last time I had that dessert was in 2007 in a Thai restaurant in Brooklyn Heights, so yeah … it’s rare!
@christao408 – Interesting. So I assume there is only one bill in the end and not split up by restaurants?
@christao408 – Are you kidding me?? The mangoes in India are definitely better than anywhere else in the world. I mean there is absolutely no doubt about that whatsoever.
@ZSA_MD – @christao408 – Well then, when are we going to have a mango contest? But I doubt they could make a better sticky rice dessert though! ~_~
Dinner with a view! Now that’s my style. Was the sticky rice different flavors or just different colors?
@christao408 – I don’t live there anymore. But it is my home town and my mom lives there so we go back all the time. Is your mom familiar with Muncie?
@CurryPuffy – @ZSA_MD – Well, just don’t tell the Filipinos as they are convinced THEIR mangoes are the best.@murisopsis – My parents live in Avon, a suburb to the west of Indianapolis.@TheCheshireGrins – Green was pandan leaf flavored. Not sure about the purple.@yang1815 – Correct.
@christao408 – That sounds like fun. If I go to Thailand, I’ll definitely try rooftop dining.
I’d like some of those bacon wrapped sweet potatoes right now!
Dang! Avon’s marching band has beat us every year at the state finals… They are just too good! I do know where Avon is located… Hoosier roots – I knew there was a reason I liked you beyond the food porn and the wonderful writing.
Oh wow, if I ever visited I would love to go there. The food looks so delicious, and the eel looks so mouth-watering. Thanks for the pictures.
@LADYLILYTHAO – The one drawback to the eel as prepared in Thailand is that they make the sauce sweeter than in Japan – this appeals to local taste buds but I think is a bit overwhelming for the dish.@murisopsis – I didn’t realize AVON has hoosier roots.