Tired of watery coconut curries served in city restaurants? Head to From the Streets of Thailand food festival that is being held at The Leela Ambience, Gurugram. Thai expat Chef Tarathip Nooriengsai has enterprisingly arranged (along with the Thailand Tourism board) authentic Thai fruits such as Pomelo, Durian, Rose Apple and Rambutan that are on display as soon as one enters the dining area.
On what makes Thai food so palatable, Chef Tarathip says, “Thai food is healthy; a lot of green vegetables and herbs are used in it. It is a blend of sweet, spicy, sour and salty flavours which suits the Indian palate. Thai food is famous for this blended taste. From healthy salads which are refreshing to tempting spicy curries you will surely be left craving for more. Research has proved that Thai food is one of the healthiest cuisines in the world ensuring that maximum nutrition is preserved while cooking. The ingredients used are healthy with many having medicinal values. Many Thai dishes are either steamed or stir fried which also helps retain their nutritional value.”
In an open kitchen buffet style set-up dinners can choose from Thod Mun Gong (Thai style shrimp cake), Gai Yang Bai Chaplo (Mince chicken wrapped in pan Dan leaf), Thod Mun Khao Phod, (Corn fritters with Thai aromatic herbs) Raw Papaya Salad with honey lemon sauce or Miring Som O Goong (Grilled prawn pomelo salad with chaploo leaf). The colours on display are not just appetising but enthralling and one can’t help but fall for the trope of clicking pictures for social media.
Next on offer is a soup called Tom Kha Huaplee where one can mix and match from a plethora of assorted veggies that are presented in cane baskets. I loved choosing my own vegetables and skipping the usual greens. The light broth was reminiscent of the street side soups one can get for a few bahts in Bangkok street sides. However, the main dishes were a little more extravagant.
The Geang Kiew Phak (Green Curry with Chicken) is better suited for bland palates, while Geang Paa Nua Kae (Sliced Lamb in aromatic clear red curry) and Phad Kaprao Gai (Thai mince chicken hot basil) burst into our mouth with unusual yet delightful flavours. All this is paired with steamed jasmine rice. The piece de resistance of the meal was, of course, the Phad Mee Korat (stir-fried flat noodle in spicy tamarind sauce – I guarantee no place in the city is currently serving a more authentic version of padthai.
At last, the final round consisting a bowl of mango with sticky rice and Tub Tim Grob which literally means “crunch ruby”. While there was no coconut ice-cream in the buffet, Tub Tim Grob stole my heart with its combination of water chestnuts served in chilled coconut milk, and I happily asked for an encore.