I have always trusted a local hand over one that’s been trained to be local-like. There is something terrifically incomparable about food that’s cooked by a native, just like was the case with Chef Supattra Bonsrang who comes from Yasothon province in Thailand. Even though she’s now based out of Grand Hyatt Kochi, her hands still carry smell spells of characteristic Thai flavours—the pungency of fish sauce, woodsiness of galangal root, sharpness of dried chilly, citrusy of lemongrass, tartness of lime juice and sweetness of coconut milk. Afterall, she was born into the cradle of Thailand’s unique culinary traditions. With that as her advantage, she plays up ingredients to their fullest threshold.
The Thai Food Festival in which she is presenting a selection of her specialities is concluding on October 28, however, based on the feedback received from a score of profiles, the popular selling dishes will make it on the menu of the CAfe’ permanently. Getting down to the meal, we I was off to a bumpy start with the Spicy Raw Papaya Salad that lacked flavour. The shredded unripe papaya was sapped of tangy juiciness and the peanuts in it were sodden. The BBQ Chicken salad that came next was also disappointing for a large part as chicken in my serving had an off putting smell and the aftertaste was rancid.
The soup, however, reclaimed the dinner’s losing glory. Warm, comforting whiffs of earthy flavours whisked past my nose as a moment of tease. Once laid infront of me, the aromatic infusion of galangal, kaffir lime and lemongrass sent currents of pleasure my our throat. I was impressed that the chef agreed to present a vegetarian version of it for a guest who requested for it, which many other chefs would refuse simply because one of the main ingredients that make the soup so delicious is Fish Sauce, a non vegetarian addition.
The globalisation of Thai food is one of the reason I was able to sit on that table and savour bona fide characteristics of this cuisine that continues to make its way into different food markets. The profile of Thai food has been so rapidly and widely accepted into our food belief systems that its easy availability has spurred interest in it further. Sure, there are plenty of hybrids, but through each experiment, the cuisine has made its profile stronger.
I am glad it did, and how! Next, arrived the The Thai Green Curry. It spread on my plate like an untamed little steam, and I began to quickly tame it with my spoon. The creaminess of the galangal, lemongrass, coriander and Thai basil infused curry made it flavoursome in every bite. We were served a vegetarian version, and as a stout connoisseur of non vegetarianism, I assure you, it won’t disappoint.
The Seabass Red Curry was remarkably prepared with the consistency of the gravy being semi dry side. It had large portions of fish as opposed to the usual shreds that are thrown in. True value for money. There was Stir-Fried Phad Thai Noodles and Thai Fried Rice, both well done. What went best with it was the Fried Prawn with green and bell peppers. Fiery to the core, the prawn sucked all the spices into its skin uniformly. Slightly on the saltier side for me, I would forgive that for the overall exuberance it brought to my meal.
Long before the dinner commenced, I had spotted a quintessential Thai dish on the menu that outlined the culinary map of Thai-ness. It’s Mango Sticky, Thailand’s well preserve food tradition and a gourmands greatest treasure. The version in front of us was good, not great. A tad disappointing but not disheartening. The Mango was an unripe one which took away from the sweetness of the dessert. The coconut milk and sugar consistency was perfect.
It doesn’t stop there. The best was yet to come. The Lemongrass and Coconut Ice Creams—appropriately flavoured with the right texture of creaminess, they brought our meal to a sweet end.
Must try: Thai Green Curry, Fried Prawn, Coconut and Lemongrass Ice creams, and Mango and Sticky Rice. Till October 28, at CAfé, Polo Lounge & Sidewalk, Hyatt Regency Delhi.