Sitting in the upper lobby of the Dusit Thani Hotel, Ha milton's is well known by carnivore lovers, since it was the first steakhouse in Bangkok. A recent renovation now offers a 1920's atmosphere with dark parquet floors and tables dressed with crisp white linen and silver cutlery. Black & white photos adorn the walls with pictures of Bangkok's past. The restaurant offers views of an inner garden with a cascading waterfall.

The menu is quite small, but accommodating to the style of cuisine, with a good balance of meat, poultry and seafood. From the interesting array of appetizers, we selected some old standards; First, Caesar’s Salad. Many claim to be a connoisseur of Caesar’s salad and during my time in Thailand, I have yet to find a Caesar comparable to the one I learned to prepare while working at the Hilton in New York City. With that said, the Hamilton’s Chicken Caesar was delightful and somewhat reminiscent of my own dressing recipe. My only requirement is that fresh, crispy romaine is used with a good anchovie-based Caesar dressing, and fresh parmesan cheese. The other appetizer of choice; the Prawn and Lobster Cocktail, offers a generous serving of succulent lobster pieces on a bed of salad, dressed with slices of creamy avocado and prawns clutching to the rim of the glass. Spicy with a tomato flavor, Dusit’s own seafood dip accompanies the cocktail, and is a tasty alternative to the typical cocktail sauce.

Entrees are centered around beef, with US Black Angus cuts of tenderloin, sirloin, rib-eye or T-bone. There is also Australian beef at prices considerably lower while you may also choose the Japanese Matsuzaka steak, higher in quality (and price) than Kobe Beef. They offer the traditional whole roast US Prime Rib carved at your tableside, rack of New Zealand Lamb (in a mustard herb crust), marinated Roast Pork, and free-range Chicken. If you'd rather enjoy seafood, there is Phuket Lobster, Norwegian Salmon Steak and Snowfish.

I chose a Rib-eye and my partner, a rack of New Zealand Lamb. The lamb was served with assorted vegetables and crunchy potato pieces and more than a meal. My steak was wonderful; Slightly blackened on the outside and pink on the inside, it was cooked to perfection over the Hamilton’s specially designed lava-stone grill. Both our meals were complimented by a 1999 Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon. There are more than 16 wines available by the glass while desserts all sound delectable, whether you select chocolate sin cake, the apple crumble, or the cheesecake.

NOT A MEMBER OF THE VIP CLUB.