Hyderabad is getting hotter by the day, isn’t it? And so, the palate craves something refreshing. Well, if there was a cuisine synonymous with freshness, it would undoubtedly be Thai cuisine. Just as we settled down at our tables at Zega in Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel — and lamented that the sun had something against Hyderabadis — we were cajoled by flavours from Isaan, or northeastern Thailand, for a curated culinary experience ‘From Thailand with Spice’.
We were first served a big bowl of soothing Tom Jiew Spicy and Sour Soup; now, before one could declare that having soup in summer was sheer insanity, this dish begged to differ — with glass noodles, button mushrooms, and a generous garnish of spring onions, the soup made for an indescribably refreshing start!
This streak of freshness continued, with Som Tam Jay So, a raw papaya and veggie salad amplified by the drizzle of lemon juice, and Larb Hed, an Isaan-style mushroom salad. The latter comprised black fungus, white fungus, shiitake, button, and shimeji mushrooms with crushed flavoured rice — a true winner in terms of both texture and aesthetic appeal, courtesy of the edible violas. Larb Gai, a minced chicken salad with fish dressing and crushed flavoured rice, was a favourite of meat lovers at the table.
And then, we were served baingan bharta…or so we thought. Because Yam Makeua, the grilled aubergine salad with lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaf, tasted like your grandmother’s bharta!
After these lighter dishes, we devoured meaty delights like Gai Yang and Moo Yang, which consisted of grilled chicken and pork belly, respectively. In both dishes, the meat and skin were marinated in Thai herbs, coriander roots, and garlic. Crispy yet tender, each bite was heavenly. We also had the Pad Phed Ped Yang, a wok-tossed roasted duck in a curry sauce made of Thai herbs, onion, garlic, and red chilli. The duck, with its rich barbecue flavour, contrasted the freshness of Pad Phak Ruam Mitr, which was a stir-fried mix of bok choy, asparagus, broccoli, zucchini, and black fungus in garlic sauce.
How can one savour Thai food without noodles? So when we were served Phad Kee Mao, our tummies let out little squeals of excitement, thinking it was pad thai. But we were in for a pleasant surprise. “Phad Kee Mao has a rich chilli and basil flavour while authentic pad thai has tamarind and jaggery in it. Think of it as the difference between pulao and biryani,” quipped Chef Benjamin Lalhmangaiha to CE.
Chef Benjamin explained that in Thai cuisine, there are five fundamental flavours — sweet, sour, spicy, salty, and bitter, to a certain extent. “The most unique part about Thai food is that you can taste the natural flavours of the central ingredient in a dish. For example, let’s take the Kaeng Khanun, which was the jackfruit curry everyone was served. The gravy was a vibrant mix of onion, garlic, lemongrass, chilli, galangal and coriander. But despite being cloaked in this, the jackfruit still remained the star in the dish,” he said. Indeed, this dish was an out-and-out winner.
For dessert, we were served Ka Nom Krog, a not-too-sweet set of three mini pancakes, made with rice, tapioca starch, and coconut flavouring. Topped with some vanilla ice-cream, this dessert was absolutely delectable.
Are you craving Thai food yet? Well, you have until February 28 to appease your tummy and palate at Zega, where you can savour authentic Isaan food, cooked with love and bursting with fresh flavours.