The Sept. 21-28 inaugural Thai Restaurant Week in the Greater New York City area was in full swing as Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra marked the occasion on Monday by presenting 11 Thai Select awards to restaurant operators in the region.
The Prime Minister, in opening remarks made before the awards ceremony at the Plaza Athenee Hotel, said that Thailand will continue to do its part to feed a hungry world and contribute to global food security. Indeed, the Southeast Asian nation exports more than US $20 billion worth of food products annually, including frozen seafood as well as vegetables and fruits. Exports of frozen shrimp alone topped $1.7 billion last year.
Restaurants competing for Thai Select awards were judged on multiple criteria. In addition to taste and eye appeal, other factors of importance included quality of ingredients, authenticity of Thai flavors and methods of preparation.
Top honors went to Chef Ann of the Ember Room in Manhattan, who received the Thai Select Premium award. Yum Yum was the most prolific winner, however, garnering Thai Select prizes for its Yum Yum Queens restaurant in Sunnyside, and the Yum Yum Too eatery in Manhattan. Among other winners was the Pa De Thai Restaurant of Edgewater, New Jersey.
Thai Restaurant Week is an exciting opportunity for people to try exotic Thai cuisine at special prices, said Somjin Plengkhum, executive director of the Thai Trade Center in New York. There are many wonderful Thai restaurants in the New York area, and we want to encourage all people to try our flavorful food.
Some 50 restaurants in the metropolitan region are making discount coupons available to further whet the appetites of consumers for Thai food. Special offers range from pre-fixe menus starting from $6.95 for lunch and $15.95 for dinner, to complimentary dishes and discounts amounting to as much as 35% of the total bill.
Each participating restaurant is certified as a Thai Select establishment, of which there are now 491 across the United States. More information about Thai Select qualification is available by logging on to www.thaiselectusa.info.
