Dorsett Regency Kuala Lumpur,
172 Jalan Imbi Pudu, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel no: 03-2716 1000 ext 188
Business Hours: Daily, 6.00am to midnight.
WHAT I like most about Thai food are the fresh and flavourful ingredients such as fresh seafood, coconut flesh and milk, lime and kaffir lime leaves, and an array of tropical fruits.
Thai cuisine is often characterised as spicy, but this is not always the case and it would depend entirely on the ingredients used and the method of preparation.
At Dorsett Regency Kuala Lumpur, Thai culinary chefs have been featuring a variety of authentic dishes at the hotel’s Checkers Cafe.
Hands-on: Toh (left) making Som Tam using a mortar and pestle with the assistance of Aek (right) and Sangwan.The award-winning chefs — Aek Charttrakul and Sangwan Thummasa — have had their fair share of culinary experiences in their native land as well as abroad.
Thirty-five-year-old Aek, who previously worked in France, is currently an organising committee member of the Thailand Culinary Academy.
He has worked in a Thai kitchen for about six years and has been to Mumbai, Austria and the US to promote Thai cuisine.
Meanwhile, Sangwan, 32, is a lecturer from Suan Dusit Rajabhat University and has been to Singapore and the US on a similar mission.
The Amazing Taste of Thailand food promotion was held in conjunction with Songkran, one of the country’s most colourful festivals of the year.
The food promotion was launched by the hotel’s area general manager Christina Toh as she made Som Tam using a mortar and pestle with the assistance of Aek and Sangwan.
Presented buffet style, the dishes included Kao Tang Na Tang (rice crackers with shrimp dip), Kao Neow Na Kracheek (coconut sticky rice with toppings), Khanom Thai (assorted Thai sweets), Kaeng Kew Wan Luk Chin Pla (green curry fish ball), Panaeng Nue (beef curry), Pla Rad Prik (deep fried sea bass with sweet chilli sauce), Gai Oad Med Prik (stir fried chicken with cashew nuts).
The Kao Tang Na Tang is a light dish and serves as an appetiser, while the green curry fish ball goes absolutely well with jasmine rice.
Tangy: Pla Rad Prik (deep fried sea bass with sweet chilli sauce).The green curry was so aromatic and you can actually taste the wonderful flavours of lemongrass and galangal, as well as shallots and garlic, which gave the curry its pungency and depth.
Also a must-try is the deep fried sea bass with sweet chilli sauce.
The fish is so fresh and the sweet chilli sauce, which I presume is locally made, is not spicy unlike the traditional Thai sweet chilli sauce.
This dish was well presented and the cashew nuts were great.
Som Tam or green papaya salad is the most popular salad in Thailand and is especially loved by Thai women for its low calary count and tasty goodness.
It is usually served as a main course. You can choose the level of spiciness for this dish, but this is definitely a healthy and satisfying.
The ingredients are simple with fish sauce honey and lime, which only then gives that much-needed salty, sweet and tangy flavour a Som Tam needs.
Dessert deserves a special mention. Though sweet coconut, sticky rice dishes and custards are common, the overwhelming favourite dessert in Thailand is fresh fruit.
The Thai obsession with fresh fruits and vegetables is evident in their traditional art of fruit and vegetable carving.
Favourites : Kao Neow Na Kracheek With his recently acquired culinary skills from France, chef Aek has used the techniques required to present a wonderful array of assorted Thai sweets.
The buffet ends today and is priced at RM70++ per person, while the buffet dinner, served from Mondays to Sundays is priced at RM80++ per person. 50% discount is given for children aged four to 12-years-old and senior citizens aged 55 years and above.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
