The
Pop-Up Kitchen Series being organized by Park Hyatt has created quite a buzz among the food lovers in Hyderabad. Every month, Oriental Bar & Kitchen, the Pan-Asian restaurant here, has introduced different flavours of oriental food curated by guest chefs. For the last dimension of this series, the restaurant is showcasing Thai cuisine, through a promotion aptly called
Aromas of Thailand.
Chef Wimon Junlawong, the Chef De Cuisine at Grand Hyatt Mumbai is in Hyderabad to curate the festival. An extremely affable person, Chef Wimon explained that the menu for the festival has been designed keeping in mind the diversity of flavours and styles that are the hallmark of Thai cuisine, and the dishes included are from different regions of the country.
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| Chef Wimon Junlawong |
At the media and bloggers preview for the festival, Chef Wimon elaborated on the simplicity of Thai home food through a demonstration of two recipes. The first was
Phad Taohu Kab Hat, a dish with tofu and three varieties of mushrooms. The dish had minimal seasonings and all the native aroma of the ingredients were apparent during the stir-frying itself. An interesting twist was adding white fungus in the dish which had its own distinct taste.
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| Phad Taohu Kab Hat |
The second recipe was
Thai Green Curry with Chicken, one of the signature dishes of Thai cuisine. The success of this dish often lies in the composition of the green curry paste, for which each chef has his or her own variations, as well as the amount and the specific point when coconut milk is added. Chef Wimon’s preparation was brilliant, and I especially loved the baby eggplants in it which had soaked in the gravy.
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| Thai Green Curry Chicken |
After the demo, we were treated to a sit-down dinner. We were served some hot
Tom Yum Goong, which had everything going for it – color, flavours, density, and taste.
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| Prik Kai Thod |
Prik Kai Thod (Deep Fried Chicken Wings) and
Thod Mon Pla (Herb Fish cake) were the appetizers served. I liked the fish cakes especially with the cucumber and chilli based relish served with it, though I felt that a more flavourful fish other than Indian basa would have enhanced the taste.
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| Som Tam |
Som Tam and
Yum Mamuang were the two salads served – the latter, a raw mango based salad complemented the spicy Som Tam well.
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| Yum Mamuang |
Among the main courses, we were served the two dishes which had been earlier demonstrated to us. Apart from these
Pla Neung Manao (Steamed Sea Bass) was served with a delightful lemon chilli sauce which enhanced the taste of the dish. There was also a mixed vegetable dish
Phad Pak Ruam Mit, which I enjoyed with
Phad Thai Goong Sod, a noodles preparation with prawns.
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| Steamed Sea Bass |
The desserts were kept simple. Chef told us that
Khao Niew Mamuang or ripe mangoes served with sticky rice was a very popular dish to have after a satisfying meal. The classic Thai dessert,
Tub Tim Krob, however, stole the show with the optimum sweetness and the crunchy red coloured water chestnuts in coconut milk. The use of jackfruit in this dish was interesting.
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| Khao Niew Mamuang |
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| Tub Tim Krob |
From the other items in the menu for the festival,
Goong Makham (Prawns with Tamarind Sauce),
Thai Khao Suey, and
Phad Cha Tatay (Spicy Seafood with Thai Herbs) were some of the highlights. Aromas of Thailand will be on until 12th June at Oriental Bar and Kitchen. The promotion is only for dinner and dishes are served a-la-carte.
Location
Oriental Bar & Kitchen
Park Hyatt, Hyderabad
Road No 2, Banjara Hills
Hyderabad
Telephone: 4949 1234
Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite from the restaurant.
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