It was surprising to see the restaurant donning the look of a mini Bangkok market, offering an unusual collection of classic and lesser known dishes inspired by the great food capitals of Southeast Asia with live displays of satays, salads, soups, Thai curries, grills and desserts to choose from.
Rajeev Bajaj, General Manger and the man responsible for curating the innovative concept walked me to the live salad bazaar where I selected my choice of salad. Traditional Som Tam made of diced raw papaya having a tangy mixture of fresh chillies and herbs. The other one was the Yam Woon Sen, a glass noodle preparation with crushed peanuts. Both the salads were refreshing and light. To enhance my appetite I went for the regional Thai classic Tom Kha soup. Nice and tangy soup infused with lemongrass and Thai herbs. Live satay bazaar had to offer some lip smacking goong/prawns and kai/chicken satays having different marinations of Thai herbs and sauces.
In starters shrimp popcorn was amazing. A good blend of kaffir lime leaves and spices. It was so crunchy that I could hear the crunch at my first bite. A good option to munch on. Pla Mokh – delightful and aromatic basa fish was steamed to perfection in porous banana leaves maintaining its own flavour. Main course had traditional tasty masaman curry, a lamb preparation made after braising lamb for around four hours. The lamb was really tender, enjoyed best with the sticky rice. While I was enjoying my masaman curry, in came the chef with his specialty Pla Kae. A specialty on the banks of the Chao Praya river: fillet of pomfret, deep fried in a special batter served with a sweet and salty basil sauce was finger licking.
To satisfy my sweet tooth I was waiting for something special to arrive and immediately I was served kluai buat, a popular Thai banana dessert made in coconut milk. But the fried coconut ice cream mentioned in the menu was tempting enough for me to order it. Three small balls of fried crunchy ice cream…having the whole ball in one go was amazing!
The festival will last till September 16 and a meal for two costs Rs.1600.
