A Taste of Thailand
Anyone who has ever been to Thailand and experienced first hand the friendly and social nature of the Thai people will understand instantly how the country gained its internationally recognized trademark as the "Land of Smiles." Along with all of those happy faces comes an amazing variety of colorful ingredients and dishes that make up the culinary culture of Thailand. Food is often a social occasion in itself and is such an integral part of life that Thai people often greet each other with the phrase "gin khai yung," which means "have you eaten yet?" or literally, "have you eaten rice yet?"
Back in the late 90's when Chef Chandon Clenard was just embarking into his culinary career, he jumped at the opportunity to travel Thailand to see, smell, touch and taste his way through the kitchens, street stalls and floating markets of the Royal Kingdom. For a month, Clenard made his way from the hills of Chiang Mai at the Northern border, down to the southern-most beaches of Phuket, stopping off in cities, villages and islands all along the way. What started off as an unplanned, open-ended adventure soon became a focused and educational journey where he discovered the intricacies of Thai cooking, apprenticing with village grandmothers and fine dining chefs across the country.
This month's Regional Tasting Menu draws from Chef Clenard's rich and extraordinary experiences from his culinary sabbatical through Thailand.
The three-course menu commences with a quintessential Thai staple, a Coconut and Blue Ginger Tom Kha Soup. Shrimp, mushroom and summer tomato are simmered in a broth made of coconut, galangal (blue ginger), kaffir leaves, lemongrass, and chili. Of all the soups found in Thai cuisine, Chef Clenard selected this one for is rich, aromatic character and fine balance of herbs and coconut, resulting in a flavorful yet light feel on the palate.
Diners may also opt for more pedestrian, street market-inspired fare for the first course by selecting the Char-Grilled Lemongrass Chicken Satay. Chef Clenard's satay rendition is based on one of his favorite Bangkok road-side stall snacks - Whole roasted chicken marinated in a delicate lemongrass and fish sauce. Instead of roasting a whole chicken, he paired the dish down to bite-sized satay chicken skewers, marinated them in a similar sauce, and bar-be-qued them over the open flame grill. The skewers are accompanied by a spicy peanut sauce drizzled in cilantro oil, fresh cucumber salad and our house-made sweet Thai chili sauce.
The main entrée, Banana Leaf Salmon, was created by combining two unique fish cooking techniques of the coastal regions of Thailand; roasting a whole fish smothered in a herb-garlic paste and steaming herb-rubbed filets wrapped in banana leaf. For our Regional Menu's main course, the salmon is prepared with a Thai herb rub, steamed in a banana leaf on our char grill, and finished off with a delicate, light citrus sauce of fresh lemon juice, cilantro, coconut, garlic and Thai chili. Served with a classic Pad Pak assortment of stir fried vegetables seasoned with Thai fermented soy bean paste and aromatic coconut rice, this dish makes our chef nostalgic for some of the best meals he enjoyed in Southern Thailand's beach resort of Phuket.
Our regional menu is rounded off with mouth-watering and cravable banana Spring Rolls reminiscent of the fried bananas and Thai crepes sold from rolling street food carts in rural Chiang Mai. The egg roll wrapped banana gives a nod to the Chinese immigrant population of Thailand's Northern region, and is perfectly complemented with a "full moon" scoop of creamy coconut ice cream. This sweet ending to the Land of Smiles Menu is sure to leave a smile on your face.