There is nothing ordinary about Chef McDang and his rise to become one of the world experts on Thai cooking. Born into the Thai royal family, Chef McDang followed in the family tradition to go overseas to boarding school at 12 years old. Later he enrolled at Georgetown University, with a plan to realize the family goal of entering into the foreign ministry. But somewhere along the way, plans changed. Chef McDang enrolled in culinary school, the Culinary Institute of America, and put his life on a totally different trajectory. If not for this bold decision to go against the family wishes, no doubt Thailand would not have it’s most visible ambassador of Thai cuisine.

Reflecting on his life, Chef McDang agrees it might not have been entirely unforeseen, this move into the culinary world.  “My mother was a wonderful cook. And I grew up going into the royal kitchen, taking in the smells and senses of the kitchen,” says Chef McDang. Further, Chef McDang’s father, is a well known food writer, singer, TV personality and had his own radio show for 45 years. When asked about the inspiration from his family, Chef McDang says, “Yes, I am following in my father’s footsteps, and his shadow is very long.”

But it wasn’t always the case that Chef McDang was known for Thai food. He spent 20 years in America and ended up opening a restaurant there, the Back Porch Cafe, featuring modern American cuisine with flourishes of Thai.  But eventually after some serious thought, he decided to return to Thailand to be with his family. “I took the best of what American culture has to offer…” says Chef McDang, clearly wistful about his time in the US, “…and also the same with Thai culture.” In doing so he feels he has experienced the best of both worlds. And it was only when he came back to Thailand that he started thinking about his role in Thai culinary culture.

It started when the Thai Foreign Ministry asked him to go back to the US and do a lecture series on Thai food.  And shortly thereafter the first book on Thai food was written by David Thompson, an Englishman. And Chef McDang asked himself, “why are there no Thais writing about Thai food?” And a mission was born. Out of this came a weekly TV show on Thai cooking that airs in Thailand every Monday, a cookbook sold worldwide (The Principles of Thai Cookery) and many guest appearances on shows you have no doubt heard of like Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” and Gordon Ramsay’s “Gordon’s Great Escape.” Chef McDang says, “I wanted to bring real Thai food to the world!” And so he has.

Below is one of my favourite Thai dishes, also a national Thai favourite, as prepared by Chef McDang. I like this particular dish best with ground or minced chicken, but as you will see below, there are several variations. You can visit Chef McDang’s website for more recipes and to find his cookbook.

Pad Krapao

(Stirfried beef with holy basil)

Ingredients:
12 ounce                                 tenderloin , sliced *
6 cloves                                  Garlic, peeled
6-8 each                                 Thai red and green chili peppers
½ tsp.                                     Salt
4 Tbsp.                                    Vegetable oil
½ cup                                     Onion, diced small
1 Tbsp.                                    Fish sauce
1 Tbsp.                                    Oyster sauce
½ tsp.                                     Sugar
1 cup                                        Thai holy basil, picked

* You can do this with any of protein (chicken, pork, beef, or seafood).

Preparation:
1.  Pound the garlic, Thai chili peppers and salt together. Reserve.
2.  Heat up the wok until very hot and add vegetable oil.
Add the pounded garlic and Thai chili peppers and stir-fry until fragrant.
Add the chopped onion and stir.
3.  Add sliced beef to the wok, quickly stir-fry until sliced beef stiffens
but not yet cooked. Seasoned with fish sauce, oyster sauce and a bit
of sugar stir to mix and cook. Turn off heat, seafood should not be
over cooked or it would become too rubbery.
4.  Before plating the dish add the basil leaves and toss in the pan to wilt.

Serve hot with rice and Thai fried egg (over easy fried egg with crispy fried edges).

I never go on group tours, I hate having others show me around, and I can’t stand being spoon-fed culture. So what am I doing perched atop a borrowed bike with a group of European tourist zipping along the busy streets of Bangkok?

It all started with a conversation with my friend Patricia who works at Spice Roads Asia. In my years in Bangkok I’ve often seen strings of cyclists exploring the sois around my home and wondered what exactly they were driving around seeing. With motorcycle taxis, tuk tuks, taxis, sky trains and good old feet as transportation options, I couldn’t imagine why anyone would risk the traffic head on riding a borrowed bike.

“We offer a variety of trips, tours, and experiences for riders of all ages,” said Patricia. “Some of our tours show hidden parts of Bangkok I bet you’ve yet to see or visit.” Granted I do spend a fair deal of my time tied to the safety grid of the BTS, but I consider myself a well-traveled expat. I asked for examples. The first suggestion, the Bangkok Jungle, was already an unknown.

Out of a sense of curiosity I signed up for the next tour without bothering to research any of the details beyond how long it would take. I did ask about the fitness level required for the trip and was assured that anyone who could ride a bike could complete the trip. I’m a slightly overweight guy who hasn’t ridden a bike in about 10 years…so I’d definitely be putting that statement to the test.

I was told to arrive at Face bar on Sukhumvit 38. This was simple enough as it’s easily accessible from BTS Thong Lor. They have you provide weight and height via email prior to the trip, so the bike and helmet are already waiting, set up, and ready to go. There’s a quick rundown of the day’s journey and then you’re off riding.

The tour started off easily enough in some back sois behind Sukhumvit 38; snaking our way to the busy Rama 4. This gave us all a chance to warm up in an area without much traffic. I quickly found myself immersed in a side of Sukhumvit that’s long been hidden to me despite living very near to these roads for 4 years. We passed through a rustic, old-world Bangkok normally obstructed by the glitz of the high rise. This is a Thai culture I’ve seen many times…but typically up north or in remote villages; not so close to home.

Before I knew it we emptied out of the sub-sois onto the major roads. It was 1 p.m. so traffic wasn’t bad, but it’s never that great on Rama 4. Riding along the busy street I was struck by how effortless biking around Bangkok was. Maybe riding in the pack of the group helped the oncoming traffic see us better, but I couldn’t believe I’d been too lazy to try this before. I felt guilty for not getting a bike and riding the 1 or 2 km to the offices.

Soon we arrived at the Klong Toey piers. These aren’t the mega piers normally seen by tourists at Saphan Taksin. These were narrow, a bit dingy, and all local. A few of the Thais had, I assume, seen the bike tours pass through before and were unfazed at the sight, but many children and elders alike were delighted to see us pass…normally a sign that it’s not a super saturated tourist area.

A short long tail boat ride across the river and we arrived at our true destination. The Bangkok Jungle, or Bang Kra Jao as locals know it, can only be reached via boat. There’s no bridges or other methods of reaching the area. Not two minutes away from the piers and we were immediately engulfed in foliage. Not the manicured stuff you’ll find in Lumpini, but raw nature – fruit trees, bugs, monitor lizards and more dirt than paved roads.

We road along easily on a small two-lane road before our tour guide Tonga (who seemed to be able to speak any language necessary on the tour) informed us that we’d now be entering a section of raised, narrow pathways. “Be sure to get off the bike and walk if you feel you can’t maneuver through any of the areas,” he told us.

Soon we were riding carefully along the paths. These aren’t paths set up for tourists at some national park. These canal paths are there for the locals living in the area and make up an intricate network of roads used to reach food, friends, and everything in between. With barely enough space for two bikes side by side we occasionally encountered locals on the way back from market on their motorcycles or bicycles. Either the group or the locals would have to stop and give way for the other to proceed. It was refreshing to see someone smiling as we rode past delaying their daily commute, instead of flipping us the bird and laying into the horn.

Soon I had no clue where I was in relation to home, but I didn’t care. The weather was a good 5-10 degrees cooler than Bangkok and lush trees covered us. Every now and then we’d get a nice, cool breeze from the area’s various creeks and streams to ease things even further.

For the first time ever on a guided tour I found myself appreciating what I was being shown. This wasn’t an exhibit or recreation of what Thailand used to be, but was how people were living today…just a few kilometers from my home. We stopped sporadically so the guide could describe a plant or point out a temple, but mostly we rode silently along, taking in the sites, sounds, and smells.

Sadly we took the trip on a Wednesday and weren’t witness to the weekend Floating market. While not as sprawling as the more famous one in the city, this is a bustling market for locals nonetheless. We did get to appreciate the many temples in the area though and even caught site of monk initiates taking a break from study with some water play in the river.

I’d like to say I was the man through the entire trip. I rode well, but honestly about 3 hours into the 4-hour trip I began to get a bit sore from the travels. Thankfully we pulled took a rest and snacked on some Thai fruits and sodas. I felt happy sitting by the river, sipping my Coke out of a glass bottle eating tiny bananas. I thought it’d be nice to spend some real time here, not just ride around it and go, but unfortunately it was time to head back or we’d get into serious issues with the Bangkok traffic.

We zig-zagged back to the pier and road back over. Now it was raining and I was worried for my camera gear. A lovely German lady on the trip offered to carry my heavy equipment in her backpack. With my gear now safe I was free to enjoy the refreshing rain as it washed our hard earned sweat away. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of not caring if it pours on you and just riding around in the rain like you used to do as a child.

Pulling back into the starting point I was a bit sad it was over, but glad to be off the seat…I was sore. In my hurry to book and lack of pre-trip research I hadn’t noticed the trip would cover 25 KM! Writing it on paper now, even after just completing the journey, it sounds like a lot…but it really is just manageable.

The Bangkok Jungle offers something actually unique and unexpected in Bangkok. I can’t believe I’ve lived here for so long with no knowledge of life like that so close by. The tour shattered all my normal hang-ups with group excursions…it was honestly interesting, showed me something I wouldn’t have seen on my own, and gave me a bit of exercise to boot. I’d recommend anyone who lives here and never heard of the Bangkok Jungle and anyone visiting Bangkok looking to visit someplace with authenticity to give it a go. Just stretch a bit first.

Spice Roads Tours
14/1-B Soi Promsi 2,
Sukhumvit 39,
Klongtan Nua, Wattana,
Bangkok, THAILAND 10110
Tel: 66-(0)2-712-5305
Mobile: 66-(0)89-895-5680

My favourite thin-crust pizza in Bangkok

The first week I was in Bangkok a friend took me to Limoncello. Having just moved from New York, I was impressed by the authenticity of the thin crust pizza being served. I hadn’t expected to find this in Bangkok and frankly at the time, I thought, well I guess they must know how to do good Italian in this city. Well….yes and no. Not everything is good, but there is lots of high caliber Italian in Bangkok (Zanotti, Vino, Guisto, Vicolo 4, etc) – and it turns out Limoncello really is special. After several years in Bangkok, it remained among our top Italian food destinations.

We were in Bangkok recently and revisited our old fave which is tucked away in a sub soi on the hopping and always popular dining / nightlife street of Sukhumvit Soi 11. As you might imagine, the thing to get here is the thin crust pizza. In fact one whole side of the menu is nothing but pizza, 20+ varieties.

You really can’t go wrong with any choice of Limoncello’s wood fired pizzas, but I tend to favour the more unique varieties…the ones you don’t see everywhere like those with ricotta, eggplant, salami, artichokes, etc. As usual our pizza was perfectly crisp with a fresh tomato sauce, high quality mozzarella and imported salami and seasonal veggies. A tip for pizza lovers – do you every wonder why some pizzas are greasier than others? Well this often has to do with the quality of the cheese. A high quality mozzarella doesn’t separate easily and thus releases less oil in the cooking process vs. a low quality cheese which separates and gets oily.

Also at Limoncello is a comprehensive pasta menu authentically and competently executed. I have had the squid ink fettucini, the homemade gnocchi, the pasta Bolognese, the ravoli and many more dishes. This particular night we were feeling decadent so we decided to also share the meat lasagna. As expected, it did not disappoint – it was rich and meaty, yet also delicate and creamy in all the right places. It was all in all an absolutely flawless preparation of this classic comfort food dish.

Limoncello also has fish, meats, chicken, salads and more. But to be honest we don’t really go there for the fish But if you have a carb hater or someone with other special requirements, it’s good to know that “healthy” and other food can be had there as well. I will say this…we did order a gratinated creamed spinach with garlic side dish and it was in a word “bland.” I never met a creamed spinach I didn’t like, but this one just didn’t capture my imagination.

Some people also love the desserts there (tiramisu especially) but we never seem to have room for dessert when we visit Limoncello Limoncello is located just off of Sukhumvit Soi 11. You walk down the soi as if going to Bed Supperclub. You’ll see the following sign jutting out on your left with the BTS at your back:

Walk down this street just a little ways until you see the actual restaurant:

Pizzeria Limoncello
No. 17 Sukhumvit Soi 11
(across from Grand President Hotel)
Bangkok, Thailand
Telephone: +66 2 651 0707

A wonderful little cooking course in a Thai-style outdoor kitchen

Thai food has become one of my favourite international cuisines. And unlike French or Italian where there are many competent executions in various cities around the world, I find Thai food a bit lackluster when not in Thailand. Don’t get me wrong, some places outside of Thailand do get it right, but they are few and far between. So we’ve decided to take matters into our own hands and make Thai food at home. I myself am a very comfortable and accomplished Western cook but I am unaccustomed to how to build the Thai flavour profiles. This is why whenever we go back to Thailand, I try to take a Thai cooking course to supplement my knowledge of Thai cooking. On our most recent trip, this was Baipai Cooking School in the Chongnonsee area of Bangkok.

The special thing about this cooking school is that they use a typical outdoor Thai style kitchen. Most Thais (and Asians in general) have very small and limited kitchens within the home and expansive outdoor kitchens adjacent to the home. This is because the high heat, resulting smoke and amount of oil required to stir fry makes it a near impossibility to do indoors. The Baipai kitchen is set in a charming little Thai house in a quiet part of town. As the chef leads you through recipes the wind whistles through the palm trees and geckos croak. It’s a special treat to enjoy the process of cooking and nature at the same time.

We made several dishes that day…preparing them as individual courses and sitting in between dishes to enjoy what we had just prepared. It ranged from the more simple things like Som Tum Thai (Green Papaya Salad) and Goong Ma-Kam (Prawn in Tamarind Sauce) to Chicken in Pandanus Leaf and Ganag Pehd Ped Yang (Roasted Duck in Red Curry). We learned everything from the basic practices of cleaning shrimp (a good refresher), how to properly use a pestle and mortar, how to tie pandan leaves, and even specific regional styles of preparation like separating coconut milk to extract the fullest fat cream part.

Between the new techniques we learned and the relaxed feel of the tropical, outdoor kitchen, it was a really lovely way to spend the day. Since some of you may be far from Thailand, we wanted to share some recipes with you and have picked a couple where we think you will be more likely to find the ingredients in most large city supermarkets. Enjoy!

Chicken in Pandanus Leaf
If there are no Pandanus leaves available where you live, you can also substitute a corn husk or simply put on BBQ skewers. Further, instead of chicken you can substitute shrimp or fish.

Ingredients:
70 grams chicken thigh cut into 5 bite sized pieces
5 Pandanus leaves
1 clove garlic
1 coriander root, roughly chopped
10 black pepper seeds
1 lemongrass, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
½ teaspoon white sesame seeds
2 cups vegetable oil for deep frying

Dipping sauce – 1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce sprinkled with white sesame seeds.

Directions:

1. Pound coriander root, garlic, black pepper seeds and lemongrass together. Ideally in with a mortar and pestle. If not then in a bowl with a heavy wooden spoon.
2. Transfer into a mixing bowl with chicken, sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, white sesame seeds and mix well. Leave to marinate 1 hour.
3. After 1 hour, wrap each piece of chicken in a pandanus leaf.
4. Submerge the bundle of chicken, completely wrapped in the leaf into hot oil. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
5. Serve with dipping sauce.

Prawn in Tamarind Sauce
To prepare the prawn, remove the sharp pointy part of the tail, then cut down the middle of the prawn. Pass the tail backwards through the hole in the middle. This results in a more evenly cooked and elegant presented prawn.

Ingredients:
3 – 4 medium sized prawn
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup vegetable oil for deep frying

Tamarind sauce:
1 tablespon shallot, finely sliced
2 tablespoons tamarind paste or sauce
1 tablespoon palm sugar
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons water

Garnish:
3 small dried chillis flash deep fried in oil
Fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves

Directions:

1. Prepare prawns as indicated above and coat them with flour. Deep fry until golden brown (1 minute). Set aside and drain on paper towel.
2. Prepare tamarind sauce by stir frying sliced shallot in oil until crisp. Add palm sugar, tamarind paste, fish sauce and water. NOTE – palm sugar must be added 1^st! Stir until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat. (Sauce will actually keep for 1 month if you wish to prepare in a larger batch to save).
3. Serve by arranging prawns on the plate and drizzle with the tamarind sauce. Garnish with the fried chillis and some fresh coriander

Baipai Cooking School,
150 / 12 Soi Naksuwan, Nonsee Road
Chongnonsee, Yannawa
Bangkok, Thailand
Telephone: +66 22 94 9029

If you ever find yourself shopping for bootlegs computer accessories at Pantip Plaza in Bangkok, do yourself a favor and skip out on the foreigner friendly fast food chains and S&P (I’m not knocking S&P) found on the ground level. Instead walk across the street to Soi Som Prason 4. A short walk up the street is Mama’s. Mama’s is cheap, lacking any kind of ambiance (save for the orange chairs) but has surprisingly good food at an ever better value.

If you have Pantip Plaza at your back walk across the foot bridge to the other side of the road. You should see the following sign.

Head up this road and you’ll soon spot Mama’s on the right hand side of the road. The people who told me about the restaurant called it “orange chair restaurant” due to the chairs.

There’s no real sign up, just a menu posted on the wall. The real menu is much larger than what’s advertised here.

Don’t worry, if you don’t read or speak Thai, they have a picture menu with dishes listed in English. This is one of the cheapest meals you (and your bowels) will comfortably have in Bangkok. Seriously, any cheaper and dirtier than this place and you’re just asking for a world of hurt.

I love to come here for the Yam Plu Duk Fu (crispy fried catfish with mango chutney). It’s crispy, spicy and a touch sweet. This is my favorite Thai dish and Mama’s sells one of my favorite versions. Sure there’s fluffier catfish sold at other restaurants, but I kind of prefer this dish a bit more rustic… and cheap. At 50 THB (1.50 USD) it’s just good value.

The Pad Kra Pao (Gai – Chicken or Moo – Pork) with fried egg on top here is also good.

The Pak Boong Fai Dang (morning glory fried in oyster sauce) here is interestingly served with rice. Normally this comes out as a plain veggie side dish. Here they serve it up with some steamed rice which serves to catch all that great stir fry juices (usually the best part of the dish). A small touch that adds a lot of enjoyment to the meal.

Everything else is pretty much spot on as well. Mama’s might not be the cleanest restaurant in town and it doesn’t have the slickest presentation… but 9 times of 10 in Bangkok those are the places you want to find. Those out of the way dingy places are where you’re going to have your best meals in Thailand. It’s those super clean, expensive, foreigner friendly Thai places in Bangkok you’ve got to watch out for .

A very special New Year’s Eve at Amantee

We decided to spend Christmas and New Year’s in Thailand this year. It was time to totally chill out and honestly I have yet to find a better place than Thailand for complete relaxation. But we still wanted to do something special for New Year’s Eve in Bangkok and when we heard Amantee was having one of their seasonal celebratory event dinners, ourselves and some friends immediately booked a table.

Our friend Jeremie Sebag is the Executive Chef at Amantee. We have been to visit him at Le Café at Amantee before, but being based in Singapore, we seemed to always miss the epic dinner events at Amantee that our Bangkok friends raved about. We have also had the pleasure of also dining in his home a few times and I will say that based on these experiences plus our experience at Le Cafe, anytime a meal prepared by Jeremie is on offer when we are in Bangkok, we are there!

Amantee is more than a restaurant, it is a series of joined traditional Thai teak houses that features a gallery and store of Oriental and Tibetan antiques as well as Le Café that Jeremie runs. They often host special dinners, wine tastings and exhibitions at their serene location in Chaeng Wattana, a short taxi ride from downtown Bangkok.

This particular dinner was a special New Year’s Eve Jazz event. We arrived and were greeted with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on the charming teak terrace – replete with Thai silk covered cushions and lit by candlelight. Paul particularly liked the Lemon Flavoured Mousseline and Gravlax Salmon Verrine, while I was drawn in by the Pan-fried Gamba Tail Wrapped in Pancetta with Rouille.

But the real event was the 6-course meal with paired wines we were about to enjoy.

1^st course:
Oyster tartare with passion fruit, snowfish skewer in herb crust

2^nd course:
Chanterelle cream vanilla – cappuccino style

Wine for courses 1 & 2: Macon Village Grand Elevage Maison Verget, 2006

3rd course:
Foie gras creme brulee with green apple emulsion

4^th course:
Oven baked scallops with creamy champagne sauce

Wine for courses 1 & 2: Chablis Terroirs de Chablis Maison Verget, 2006

5^th course:
Caramelized calves’ sweetbread on a sweet potato puree with cocoa and sautéed water chesnuts

Wine for course 5: Saint-Estephe Chateau de Pez, 2005

6th course:
Dessert, composition around 3 chocolates

Wine for 6^th course: champagne, optional

Jeremie had done it again – actually he is quite consistent, so I am not surprised The meal was flawless. Jeremie is masterful at modern French cuisine as represented this evening as well – the presentation of each dish was quietly elegant while the food itself utilized delicate layers of flavours that built into classic, yet fresh flavour profiles.

We also enjoyed the music of Jerry Byrd, a famous American Jazz guitarist who is the long time guitarist for the legendary pianist/vocalist  Freddy Cole, brother of Nat King Cole. He has also played with jazz greats such as Roland Kirk, Jack McDuff, Sonny Stitt, Dizzy Gillespie, Lonnie Smith, “Slide” Hampton, and Frank Foster, among others.(You can sometimes see him playing at the Sheraton Grande Sukhhumvit).

Between the good company, great food, perfectly paired wines and soulful jazz, I can think of no better way to have said goodbye to 2009 and to have rung in 2010. If you are ever in Bangkok, do check out Amantee and Le Café…if you are lucky perhaps they will have a special dinner event in the offing.

Amantee
131/3 Chaeng Wattana 13, Laksi,
Bangkok 10210 Thailand
Telephone: +66 (0) 2 9828 6945

A modern oasis of calm on bustling Petchaburi Road

I have said it before, but will say it again….I believe spa treatments are not a luxury, but rather an integral part of taking care of oneself. Not only do they promote relaxation, but depending on the treatment one has it can stimulate circulation, release knotted muscles, condition and rejuvenate the skin, reduce local muscle and joint inflammation and more… To that end, there is no shortage of spas in Bangkok, but my experience is there are a lot of places in Bangkok where massage are spa treatments are offered where the aestheticians are not so skilled and perhaps not appropriately trained. This is why word of mouth counts for everything in Bangkok and why we would like to tell you about the Sivara Spa.

Sivara Spa is located in an unlikely place, the Amari Watergate Hotel on Petchaburi (right across from Platinum Fashion Mall). While the hotel itself is a bit dated, tucked away by the pool area, Sivara is a modern oasis repleat with elegant water features and a cool grey color palate that oozes relaxation.

When we visited both Paul and I enjoyed a scrub and 1 hour massage. Our aestheticians helped us select the best treatment for each of us. Paul chose the herbal salt scrub and Balinese massage while I chose the lotus scrub and Body Balancing Massage.

There are a variety of scrubs available and your therapist will help you choose

Oftentimes, I find that massage therapists just kind of “do” the massage without really listening to the body…but this was not the case at Sivara. Our treatments were flawless with the massage therapists reading areas of tension in our bodies and focusing in on the tight areas to release them. The pressure was adjusted perfectly in both the scrub treatment and the massage to hone in on the areas that needed deep pressure while going lightly on areas that didn’t.

Our treatment room was generously sized for two with a shower and a whirlpool bath. After the treatment was over, we were left alone to further relax in the serene surroundings. We wished we had time to enjoy the whirlpool, but were has an appointment to get to (next time, we will definitely leave extra time for this). Upon departing, we realized we were as limp as jell-o, totally relaxed and blissed out, promising each other to come back as soon as possible.

While we enjoyed a scrub and massage (60 min massage 1800 THB, 60 min Scrub 1500 THB), Sivara Spa offers much more including body wraps, facials, Thai massage, foot massage / treatments and more… I cannot wait to try something new on our next visit.

Sivara Spa
Multiple locations throughout Thailand including Bangkok, Pattaya, Krabi, Phuket, Samui, Koh Chang
Bangkok location @ Amari Watergate Hotel
Petchaburi Road
Bangkok, Thailand 10400
Telephone: +66 (0) 2653 9045

Signature dish “Surf & Turf Indiana” recipe after the jump.

When working for Lookeast Magazine I had the chance to sit and talk with many Bangkok chefs. One of these was Arijit Ghosh, then new Executive Chef at Café 11. He’s a soft-spoken, gentle chef in an age of increasingly more exaggerated “personality chefs”. 

Arijit was born in India and considers his mother the best chef he’s ever tasted, but doesn’t specialize in Indian cuisine himself. He considers whatever dish he’s preparing at the moment to be his favorite, but if pushed he’ll admit to, “possessing a bit more flair with French and Italian cuisine.”

Arijit feels that being an executive chef means being a good administrator. This means attention to the customer in the front of the house and to detail in the back of the house. Out front, you can find him socializing and talking to guests to ensure the dishes meet their needs. He’ll even go so far as to prepare pasta for an Italian guests one way and for an Indians a different way.  In the back of the house he’s very stubborn and focused on food quality. Arijit will watch to ensure that recipes are held to the letter. If a recipe calls for two drops of balsamic it will only get two drops of balsamic.

He feels that many chefs today have lost sight of quality.  He feels, “… they were hard working and sincere when they began, but  now people don’t put their heart in to things.  They want to grow too fast.” Arijit worked 8 years in different kitchens before taking on his first executive chef position.

That doesn’t mean Arijit feels he’s “arrived”. He feels that, “as a Chef at every point of life you are learning and the kitchen offers unlimited opportunities to grow and learn.” He embraces this constant learning with new positions, studying overseas, and anything else that will push his career, palette, and generally teach him something new.

Recipe for “Indian Surf & Turf”

Prawns (med sized) 50 gms
Jasmine rice 25 gms
Yellow moong lentils    20 gms
Blanched spinach (chopped) 20gms
Chopped onions 15 gms
Chopped garlic 8 gms
Corriander leaves 8gms
Chopped tomatoes 10gms
Cayenne pepper 4gms
Turmeric powder 3gms
Cumin powder 3 gms
Cumin seeds 3 gms
Salt 6 gms
Heavy cream 8 ml
Unsalted butter 10 gms
Lemon juice 2 ml
Parmesan cheese (grated) 5gms
Brown sugar 5 gms
White wine 5ml

Shell and de-vein the prawns with tails on. Marinade with  lemon juice, salt, turmeric powder and cayenne pepper powder and keep aside. Heat half of the butter in pan and add the cumin seed.

Once the cumin seeds start crackling, add 4gms of garlic followed by 9gms of onion and saute. Then add the rice & lentils and cook for 3 minutes. Add white wine to the rice and lentil mixture and saute. Add vegetable stock or water and cook till 90% done.

Then add the cream, parmesan cheese, cumin powder, corriander leaves and finish with seasoning. Heat the rest of the butter in a pan and saute the onion & garlic. Add the spinach and cook. Season with salt and 1gm cayenne pepper.

Now cook the prawns on a grill. Melt the brown sugar in a pan and add 1gm cayenne pepper. Dip the grilled prawns and roll to make the caramel stick on. Take a plate and place the khichdi as a tian. Put the saute’ed spinach on the khichdi. Place the grilled prawns with the tails up in a triangular manner and serve hot. Garnish with caramalized shallots and chilli oil around the khichdi.

Like HCMC today, the Bangkok foreigner scene of old thrived close to the river. These days, however, I never really think to set foot down there. It’s the kind of place you visit once, the first time you come to the city… King’s Palace, check. Emerald & Reclining Buddha, check. Either the Oriental or Shangrila for tea or brunch, check. Then for most who live in the city (unless they work nearby) the river is a distant memory. This has more to do with the difficulty and time it takes to get down to the river than what’s on offer. But, if you wait till Sunday brunch time, with no traffic… the other side of the river is accessible in about 20 minutes tops and you don’t even have to wait for a ferry. This is the perfect time to venture out to Trader Vic’s massive brunch/lunch buffet spread.

Trader Vic’s is… well Trader Vics. Check out their pages if you don’t already know. Sure they’re a chain, but so are Four Seasons and Orientals. And they can be a bit dated in decoration style… unless you still rock a photographer’s vest, the sandal and sock look, cargo khaki shorts, or all of the above. But ignoring all that, this place has some great food.

I was seriously floored by the selection and availability of foods here. I walked in and saw immediately to my left a sushi bar complete with fresh sashimi and rolls. The quality of the fish was high for a buffet and featured real tuna… deep red and not neon pink like most of the cheap sushi buffets. Nearby there was also an oyster and caviar bar with freshly shucked oysters and a wide sampling of exotic caviar.

Then to my immediate right I saw not one, but two beautifully cured pig legs. I loved the Italian sausage and meat section and ate more than my fair share of prosciutto, mortadella, and others.

Next… well it’s Southeast Asia and we have seafood in abundance. Trader Vic’s has it fresh and ready to hit the grill. Fresh crabs, prawns, lobsters, and fillets of fish are available for grilling… mmm.

Speaking of grilling, Trader Vic’s pulls a trained Benihana chef over for the lunch feast. Here you can have a steak (or other meat, but really with steak are you gonna have chicken?) expertly cooked and cut in front of you. Sadly they don’t toss prawns in your mouth while waiting in line, but it’s a free bonus that’s very welcome.

Then there’s some beautiful meats sliced freshly at the carving table. Yup, that was a bone in ribeye in the background there with fresh sauces.

A first for me at a foreigner friendly Sunday eating extravaganza – roast duck. I’m not Peking Duck expert, but the birds on offer here were nearly as crispy and succulent as the lauded Made in China… and best of all it was part of a buffet so I was free to come and go as I pleased (and I pleased a lot )

Then there was the cheese spread. I loved the layout, thoughtfully done on a tree log. It featured cheeses of many regions and styles. The accompanying real honey comb honey was a nice touch to the section.

Another notable station was the Som Tam station – fresh ingredients pounded to order.

Last but certainly not least was the pastry spread. There’s a well skilled and happy to produce patissier somewhere in the kitchen here. Pastries ranged from delicate small bites to  French classic cakes. Also there was a range of seemingly home made ice cream on offer (not pictured).

Trader Vics really surprised me. I’ve visited some epic buffet spreads and this one sits near the top of the list. Not only is there a ton on offer, the price is super reasonable as you can opt in or out of the booze. I can’t believe the amount and quality of food I was able to enjoy for under 50 USD (around 1700 THB). I’d recommend it highly to anyone… whether first time Bangkok traveler looking to explore the river area or jaded expat needing a break from the Four Seasons or Sukhothai brunches.

Trader Vic’s
Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa
257 Charoennakorn Road
Thornburi, Bangkok 10600
THAILAND
Tel: 66 (0) 2476 0022
Fax: 66 (0) 2476 1120

Anyone who’s ever talked to me about dining in Bangkok knows my passion for spreading the word of Soi Polo Chicken. You’d think that’s the only chicken I ever eat in Bangkok. As much as I’d love their beautiful fried garlic encrusted chicken every day of the week… well, that’s not incredibly healthy. Thai’s do a mean grilled chicken as well. That and some Som Tam is a tasty meal that’s not too bad for you. My favorite for grilled chicken currently is “Hai”.

Hai is conveniently located on Soi Convent road, very close to the Sala Daeng BTS station. It is also minutes from my former office at Lookeast Magazine. My friend Mario and I would regularly venture down to Hai for a cheap lunch of grilled chicken, som tam, and larb phet (duck larb). It’s fresh, fast, and a great weekday lunch in Bangkok.

I started going for the grilled chicken. Grilled to perfection, the chicken is juicy with just the right amount of crisp to the skin.

But I soon discovered that the real reason to go was the Som Tam. This is a classic dish everyone needs to try when in Thailand… and this is a great place to do it. Many friends have told me that it’s one of the best they’ve had in town. To start off with go for “Som Tam Thai”. This version lacks the nastier fermented crabs that aren’t for most foreign palates.

Round out a meal for two with one of their many “Larbs” (a thai meat salad). You can’t go wrong with any… I reguarly get the Larb Pla Dhuk (cat fish), Phet (duck), or standard (minced pork).

Service is quick and prompt. They’ll usually send round one person who speaks a bit of English to deal with the foreigners, so while it is mostly a local joint, you won’t feel out of place or unwelcome.

Is it as good as my beloved Soi Polo? It’s just different. Even though the menus are virtually the same, save for the difference between fried and grilled… they really do feel like different restaurants . I’d definitely recommend Hai Somtam Convent to anyone looking for a fresh, local meal in Bangkok. Best bet is a weekday lunch.

Hai Somtam Convent
(Across from Molly Malone’s Irish Pub)

Paul