It was a packed-to-the-rafters kind of night last Thursday when members and their guests gathered at Brasserie 9 to celebrate the joys of champagne, a now-annual event for the Bailliage de Bangkok-Rattanakosin. Fellow member and celebrated chef Hervé Frerard added to his reputation for glamorous excess by spoiing diners with a true feast, all designed specifically to complement the bubbly. Platters overflowing with fresh oysters, blue crab, and scallop ceviche jostled with charcuterie boards, bowls of mussels, yellow Bresse chicken and a perfectly medium-rare Tajima Wagyu striploin, a succession of beautiful food that soon brought the table — and bellies — to overflowing.

To go with the beautiful food, Bailli and acting Vice Echanson Molchaya Techapaibul used her extensive wine knowledge to once again perfectly pair the champagne to the courses, focusing on more under-the-radar names like Champagne Waris et Filles ‘Prémices’ Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut NV, Champagne Corbon BDB Grand Cru Brut 2012, and Champagne Mouzon-Leroux L’Incandescent Rosée de Saignée Grand Cru Extra Brut NV. Finishing off with classic sweets like baba au rhum and crêpes suzette, guests literally tottered off into the evening to sweet dreams of their own.