The Bite Magazine Issue 17

This evening, we were being looked after by the lovely Tang and the very knowledgeable Jhenno. Tang went through the menu with us and explained that Thai people do not have starters hence the ‘small plates’ category and adopt a sharing concept, which is why the tables are so big. She also told us that soups and wok noodle dishes are often counted as complete meals. Rice is usually ordered separately but for those who wish to eat more healthily, they can substitute this for Chinese broccoli with garlic and shiitake mushroom or Phad Phak which consists of French beans, broccoli, courgette, baby corn, cashew and pine nuts. Before considering what to eat, we decided to try their cocktails first and with the assistance of Jhenno, we chose Guava Bellini, Bitter Lychee and Whiskey Plum Sour. The interesting thing about these cock- tails is that they are all fruit-based which we had never experienced before. The Guava Bellini with guava puree and Pro- secco was my favourite drink out of the three cocktails and had a rich taste of both ingredients; while the Bitter Lychee with vodka, lychee, Campari and lemon had a subtle hint of the fruits and vodka but you can really taste the distinctive bitter-sweetness of the Campari; and the Whiskey Plum Sour with bourbon, umeshu plum liqueur, lemon, grapefruit and bitters had a bit of a sweet taste with a kick of whiskey but wasn’t overly strong. We also tried the Spiced Apple, a blend of apple, coriander, ginger and lime juices which is a good drink to have especially if you’re on a health kick. While we waited for our small plate orders of Matchstick Chicken, Vegeta- ble Spring Rolls and Thai Calamari, we had prawn crackers that were crispy and spicy with a certain kick in the taste but prepared us for what we were about to participate in. The Matchstick Chicken consisted of small crispy fried wings that tasted just like Southern fried chicken but was even better and abso- lutely delicious as well as moreish, while Por-pia Jay otherwise known as Vege- table Spring Rolls were full of flavour and really went well with the Sweet Chilli Sauce; but the Thai Calamari with ginger and green peppercorn was just to die-for! The seasoning used in this dish complemented the calamari so well and literally melted in our mouths – it was that good! Now it was time for the main course, which with the help of Jhenno, we decided to have Sen Chen Pad Thai, Songkhla Beef Curry, Chilli Beef Jasmine Rice, Coconut Rice and Sweet Potato Fries. Sen Chen Pad Thai with rice noodles, king prawns, peanuts, egg, green mango and crabmeat was soft and moist with a lovely mix of flavours and was the best Pad Thai I have ever tasted; while Songkhla Beef Curry, a slow-cooked beef red curry with cherry tomatoes, banana pepper and Jasmine rice was rather spicy and most of the time I had to reach for my glass of water. With the Chilli Beef Jasmine Rice which is made up of chilli minced beef and Thai basil with an egg on top, you don’t notice the spiciness at first but then it suddenly hits you and you have no choice but to reach for the water. The fried egg is crispy and the beef blends well with the rice. You can really taste the coconut in the Coconut Rice which has a nice sweet edge and can be bite cuisine Matchstick Chicken