Flavors of the White Elephant Kingdom

Thai food is one of the major reasons tourists go to Thailand, at least to Mary Ann and I and to a lot of people I know. I cannot count the many times we’ve been to Bangkok – each trip is a gastronomic adventure and we make sure that on each trip, we try something new, whether just a dish or a restaurant. Mary Ann’s palate is on the very hot side. What she considers mild may be fiery hot to many. In the countless times we have shared a meal, we have come to meet at a level comfortable for both of us. If something is still not too hot for her, she simply adds more powdered chili or fresh bird’s eye chili, which surprises the company we dine with.

When we were still dating, she ordered a congee that turned red orange because of the amount of chili sauce she added to it. She enjoyed every spoonful without breaking into a sweat, so calm and feminine, as if she was eating a bowl of cereals. "This lady is hot," I thought. And from then on, I simply followed her everywhere. I can truly say I married a "hot lady," however that may sound to you.

One of my utmost dreams is to be invited to a Thai home and try its homecooking. So far, I have not been lucky. I learned that the Thais, like the Chinese, seldom cook, if ever they do at all, at home. Eating out is very cheap and their kitchens are very small. So, I guess their kitchens are there merely for boiling hot water for their tea or noodles when they are too sick to go out.

Being a handy chef myself, a good meal cannot be all hot, all salty, or all sweet. Dishes have to be in harmony, in balanced proportion to tickle the taste buds to high heavens. As in most Filipino meals, some food combinations just don’t go together.

When I was last in Bangkok with Mary Ann and my sister Carmen, I was hoping that a Thai home will open its doors to us. My search ended at Thiptara, the Thai restaurant of The Peninsula Bangkok. We got a tip from a local that it is known to serve homecooked-style Thai food, and true enough, it was voted as Asia’s best hotel restaurant in November 2003. When we checked out its menu, I was impressed to see its imposing Thai architecture. Thiptara’s setting consists of five traditional fan-cooled dining salas of handcrafted teakwood pavilions from Ayudhya. They are clustered around a garden courtyard of a rural setting with an antique well, a bridge and a canal, amid lush tropical foliage. It has a relaxing feeling, like being in a home and not a restaurant. The atmosphere was described in the hotel flyer as "A personal residence on the banks of Chao Phraya River." "This is the closest we can get to a Thai home," I told the two demanding ladies with me.

We asked for the restaurant executive chef, Khun Sumalee Boonek, but she was busy that night with another function. I asked the manager to assemble dishes that would represent a complete, balanced Thai meal. Surprisingly, only one dish in the collection was hot. The rest were rather mild, and I was not sure if they were intentionally toned down to come up with a harmony of tastes. I was more than curious to meet the chef, especially when I learned she has won prestigious awards, including a gold medal from the Thailand Chefs Association, is famous in Thailand, and heads The Peninsula Academy, the hotel’s cooking school.

The following day, we excitedly took cooking lessons under chef Sumalee from whom we learned to cook dishes like phad thai noodles, kaeng kiew warn moo, a dish of pork in green curry sauce, and dessert, thab thim siam, diced water chestnuts made to look like red pomegranate seeds served with coconut milk syrup. Our cooking class was held outdoors by the terrace facing the Chao Phraya River, with a view of boats and barges passing by. With a constant breeze blowing, the sound of water falling from a terra-cotta wall and the chirping of birds made it all seem like a delightful rural experience, made more wonderful with the aroma of food wafting in the air. It was a most memorable experience, to say the least.

Sometime last week, the Peninsula Manila invited a media group for dinner to launch a Thai food promotion at its Spices Restaurant. When I learned that the 45-year-old charming chef Sumalee was in town to do it, Mary Ann and I simply had to be there to try her cooking again.

That evening, she made kratong-thong, those crispy cups filled with minced chicken and pork sautéed in Thai sauces. They were very tasty, and the crispy cups added a nice crunch to the soft chunky filling. Mary Ann very much enjoyed the other appetizer, crispy morning glory (kangkong) salad with prawns. The prawns were sweetish, she said, and balanced quite very well with the tartness of the morning glory. And since I could not eat prawns, she eagerly took my share.

The gingery hot tom som pla soup was a favorite. I had two servings of it. Well, I did skip the prawn salad and two other crustacean dishes. It had a slice of fresh, firm sea bass in a clear soup that was a little bit sweet and sour, but soothingly gingery in flavor. It was as comforting as tinolang manok. I was not surprised to discover that the Thais take this soup when they are not feeling well.

The first of the main courses was a yellow curry lobster, which Mary Ann described to be very mild. Do not mistake Thai curry for Indian curry. Indian curry is heavy in cream and spices. In cooking Thais curry, although it is influenced by Indian cooking, the overpowering spices are toned down and enhanced by fresh herbs, such as lemon grass and galangal or blue ginger. Over time, the Thai used more fresh herbs and fewer and lesser spices in their curries. It is generally acknowledged that Thai curries burn intensely but briefly, whereas other curries, with their strong spices, burn for longer periods. So, Thai curry is generally lighter in comparison. Whether it will be hot or not is entirely up to the chef or the person the chef is cooking for. Chef Sumalee’s version is with small white onions and pineapple bits.

Next was a crab dish, a double whammy for my wife, who loves crustaceans, and unfortunately for me, since I am allergic to them. The stir-fried crab with curry powder was again not a hot dish. Chinese influences saw the introduction of stir-frying and deep-frying into Thai cooking. The curry sauce was delicately sautéed into the dish and was not heavy at all.

We had flat noodles with beef slices that was moderately and pleasantly hot. The two Caucasians with us, who admitted getting hiccups from hot food, had no problem with the dish and even had second servings.

The next dish served was hor-mok pla or serpent soufflé. Don’t be scared. The word "serpent" is the direct English translation of the fish used in Thailand for this dish. Here in the Philippines, chef Sumalee used lapu-lapu fillet. Mary Ann asked what fish they use in Thailand. It turned out to be mudfish (our dalag). And it was a soufflé, actually more like a mousse, so you do not really see how the fish looks like. This dish was smooth and carefully made that even children will enjoy it.

The desserts were Thai rice pudding with water chestnuts and egg custard in pumpkin. We have always enjoyed this dessert, but have always wondered how it is made so smooth and even. We learned that the custard has no pumpkin at all, but is made purely of milk and sugar poured into the hollowed pumpkin, covered and steamed until ready. It’s no wonder that it was smooth and not fibrous at all.

That evening, we learned from chef Sumalee a proper Thai meal should consist of a soup, a curry dish, fish and vegetables with accompanying dip. A spicy salad may replace the curry dish. The soup can also be hot, but the curry should be replaced by a non-hot dish or non-hot curry. There must be a harmony of tastes and textures within individual dishes and the entire meal.

Contrary to most people’s notion of Thai food as being chili hot, a Thai meal is not a chili festival, but a combination of flavors – sweet, hot, sour, salty, and sometimes bitter. A Thai cook strives for a balance of flavors, textures, and colors. Instead of serving dishes in courses, a Thai meal is served all at once, permitting diners to enjoy complementary combinations of different tastes. And it is entirely up to the chef how hot the dishes will be depending on his preference or for whom he cooks and to whom hi intends to serve the dishes. Like an artist with his canvas, the chef is the king in cooking, or in this case, the queen.

For those who wish to taste what The Bangkok Peninsula serves at its Thiptara Restaurant, catch chef Sumalee at the Peninsula Manila’s Spices Restaurant from April 15 to 30. Do not hesitate to ask the chef to compose the meal for you, she would be more than happy to oblige. Just tell her the degree of hotness you want the hot dish to be and leave everything else to her. Remember a good Thai meal is not all hot dishes that can make you sick after. This is an eye-opener to many; admittedly, I included.

There will also be an exclusive cooking class on April 16, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., to be conducted by chef Sumalee at the Old Manila kitchen. The P2,700++ fee includes The Peninsula Academy Cooking Class, a traditional Thai-style family lunch, a Peninsula Academy apron, and a special gift.

For inquiries or reservations, call 887-2888 local 2168 or 2956.