Eathai All You Want

The Good Life from gathering a few cooking chops on how to dish up authentic Thai food to taking home unique packaged flavours of the land—I discovered a foodie’s paradise that rivets you with the storytelling of the land’s somewhat rustic, somewhat complex cooking traditions. Just like the culinary experiences on offer, the interiors of the place, too, capture the spirit of the country in its totality. The world-renowned artisanship of every region of the country is placed alongside unmistakable Thai street specials like a colourful tuk tuk, to create a place that is sleek, yet warmly welcoming. This bursting-with-flavours story is divided into four chapters— Street Food, Krua 4 Pak, Talad Eathai and Issaya Cooking Studio—each with its own distinct plot.

Street Food offers a premium selection of specialties brought in from the many famous sidewalks of the country, transported into a safe, hygienic and inviting setting. Care has been taken not just to bring in the distinct street flavours under one roof, but also to replicate and maintain the theatrics and aesthetics of eating on a street. The clanging of the woks, the exaggerated histrionics of the chefs cooking in an authentically Thai way, the distinct aromas wafting in the air, and of course a whole array of stalls to choose from, your street food experience here will not make you miss the sensory stimulus of the busy streets. I chose the grilled pork stall, and thoroughly enjoyed feasting on the succulent, tender pork on skewers. Then my eyes wandered to the busiest stall where the chef was tossing a big omelette—bigger than I have ever seen—skilfully into the air. I learnt that Fried Oyster, basically an oyster omlette, is an Asian street food staple and very popular amongst locals in Thailand. A bite of this crispy thin version loaded with bean sprouts, seafood and big chunks of oyster was a new taste for me, one that I have remembered for its light, distinct flavours. It won’t be too off the mark to call Eathai a Thai food kingdom. Spread over 5,000 square metres in the basement of the impressively luxurious Central Embassy, and inarguably the largest and the most comprehensive offering of Thai food in the world, Eathai, I realised, is not just a place to eat authentic Thai food. It is a culture, waiting to be explored. From relishing the famous street delicacies that are on every traveller’smust-try list to sampling the seasonal and the best exoticas from four different regions of Thailand, Krua 4 Pak or ‘kitchen from all regions’, turns the spotlight on Thailand’sde licious regional cuisine that has not yet been discovered amply. Divided into seven kitchens—Central, North, Esan North, Esan South, South, vegetarian and seafood, this vast section serves up unique region-specific flavours and cooking traditions, very dear to Thai hearts, but otherwise not easily accessible in Bangkok. You can order portions from different regions and take them to the comfortable seating area, set up right in the centre of all this action, done up with a mix of benches and chairs. Natakarn Sirijaraya, my host from Central Embassy, made me taste her favourite raw papaya salad called So mT am,an exquisite delicacy of Esan South, which I thoroughly relished. I also enjoyed Goong Phan Oi, pounded prawn on sugar cane, an Esan North specialty, which has a Vietnamese influence. But the Southern Thai cooking is the oneI connected most with—its bold and spice-loving flavours mingling with the freshest catch from Thailand’s sun-kissed seas. My honest recommendation, especially to seafood lovers, is the Bamboo Shoot Yellow Curry with Black-Banded Trevally Fish, called Kang Lueng Nor-Mai Dong Pla Sum Lee. This is served along with Kao Yum, a rice and herbs salad. Together, this meal treated my taste buds to a party of sea-caressed flavours. Alongside an elaborate seafood spread, the country’s vegetarian spread is no less vibrant. Resonating with Buddhist precepts, colourful herbspiked dishes are given a creative twist and are perfect for bingeing on, guilt-free. What won me over from this part of the menu was the Pomelo Salad, called Yum-Som O.

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Talad Eathai pulls you out of the food coma that Street Food and Krua 4 Pak may have thrown you in, making you look at some more food, with the thought of taking it back home for your loved ones. A gourmet supermarket, it displays an exhaustive range of Thai food’s most famed gems, perfectly packed for overseas travel. From curry mixes to sauces, tea, coffee, and of course the all-time- Thai favourites—durian and pumpkin chips—I bought a whole load of stuff. What my family enjoyed the most were the slightly sweet durian chips, very typical of Thailand, and dried fish snacks with assorted nuts, which I carried in many interesting flavours, such as Szechwan and Hot and Sour. Souvenirs like soap leaves and some exclusive essential Thai aroma oils are also worth a look. Issaya Cooking Studio aims to take your affair with Thai cuisine beyond a singular dining experience, by providing you the knowhow of whipping up a Thai meal in the comfort of your home. Set up by Thailand’s first celebrity chef and leading culinary voice Ian Chalerm kitt i chai,the cooking school is open seven days a week and welcomes walk-in guests, looking for a quick lesson, in addition to its regular class schedule.This multipurpose be spoke venue also has abar,alounge,an intimate event space and a chef’stable,makingit truly a place that reinvents itself as per the need of the hour. The Good Life Ingredients 4 pieces black-banded trevally fish, sliced 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 can bamboo shoots, sliced 3 tbsp yellow curry paste 2 cups coconut milk 2 fresh red chilli, sliced diagonally 3 kaffir lime leaf, thinly sliced 2 tbsp fish sauce 1½ tsp palm sugar Thai sweet basil leaves for garnish Method Pour a cup of coconut milk into a wok. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Add the yellow curry paste, stir until red oil comes to the surface. Now, add the black-banded trevally and cook it through. Pour in the remaining coconut milk and follow with the bamboo shoots.

Season with fish sauce and palm sugar, and bring it back to a boil. Then sprinkle with kaffir lime leaf slices, chilies, and sweet basil leaves. Now it’s time to turn off the heat.

Arrange on a serving dish and garnish with sweet basil leaves before serving. It’s best served with a rice and herbs salad.

KANG LUENG NOR-MAI DONG PLA SUM LEE Bamboo Shoot Yellow Curry with Black- BandedTreva l ly Fish YUM SOM-O PomeloSalad Ingredients For the salad 2 cups pomelo, with the flesh torn into small pieces Smashed peanuts 3 tbsp dry-roasted shredded coconut 2 tbsp fried shallots 1 tbsp coriander leaves 1 tbsp mint leaves 1 tsp red Thai chilli, chopped 1 kaffir lime leaf, thinly sliced for garnish ½ red spur chilli, thinly sliced for garnish Wild betel leafbush For Dressing ½ tbsp soya sauce 1 tbsp palm sugar 2 tbsp lime juice 1½tbsp paste of roasted chillies Method In a dressing bowl, add roasted chilli paste, palm sugar, soy sauce and lime juice. Stir well.

In another missing bowl, add pomelo, ground peanut, fried shallots, roasted shredded coconut and peanut, coriander and mint leaves and toss well with the dressing. Garnish with kaffir lime leaves and sliced red spur chilli and serve with wild betel leafbush.