Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Cinema Plus | Young World | Property Plus | Quest |

Eating out

Simply Thai

Photo: Liza George

Spicy fare Chef Das with some of his famous Thai dishes

The Thai food festival at Buddha’s Delight, Comfort Inn is a culinary journey into the ‘land of smiles,’ as one discovers the aroma and flavours that make up Thai cuisine.

“Thais use a lot of chilli and coconut. In terms of spiciness, it is often a degree above Indian food,” says Chef Das, who is in charge of the festival at the restaurant.

Sceptical about his claim regarding spiciness, it soon vanished as I sipped into my steaming hot Mee Nahm Tao Sab soup (Rs. 80).

With its generous use of Bird’s Eye Chilli Pepper, this yellow noodle soup with diced tofu and peanuts is fiery hot but yum all the same.

Armed with a tall glass of water in hand, I took a careful bite into the starter-Thao Phrik (tofu tossed with bell pepper in chilli sauce).

Despite the threatening look of the dish and the strong smell of chillies which hit me, it wasn’t as spicy as I had expected it to be. The dish reminded me in terms of looks and taste of ‘mutton peralan.’ In fact, if it wasn’t for the fact that the restaurant serves only pure vegetarian dishes, I would have thought that I was chewing into a piece of masala-cooked mutton.

“That is the beauty of tofu. It is ‘mock’ meat. There are varieties of tofu that taste like chicken and mutton and are yet 100 per cent vegetarian. Hard core non-vegetarians would not know the difference. Also tofu is said to reduce cholesterol,” says Abhishek Basu, restaurant manager.

Next came a serving of Khao Pad Sab Pa Rot Tua. Rice with pineapple and peanuts, Khao Pad Sab Pa Rot Tua goes well with Tao Hoo Che (tofu cooked with vegetables and soya sauce) and Hoy Farang (stir fried vegetables). While the Tao Hoo Che (Rs. 150) has a smoked, slightly bitter taste to the chunks of tofu, Hoy Farang (Rs. 115) which is cooked in coconut cream, has a smooth creamy feel to the sauce.

Phrik Kra Thiam Woon Sen (Rs. 115) is a must try. Soft rice noodles and sliced vegetables are cooked with Thai spices and garlic in this dish. To top off my meal I had Khanom Thai (steamed banana pudding) which is mashed banana mixed with coconut and coconut cream and steamed to perfection.

The ambience at Buddha’s Delight is delightful. With Chinese lanterns, Chinese wall hangings and with Chinese instrumental music floating in the background, it has a truly oriental feel to the place.

A good thing about the Thai food festival at Buddha’s Delight, is that it has stuck close to authentic Thai cuisine- no playing up or playing down the taste and flavour of the dishes to suit the Indian palate.

The menu during the festival changes on a daily basis. Some of the other Thai dishes that will be available at the fete are Tao Kheow Wan Goong, Tao Tempura, Khao Pad Kratiem and Pad Ma Prown. The Thai food festival is on till July 25.

Liza George

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail