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MANOTE TRIPATHITHE NATION

When you think of Indonesian food, thechances are what comes to mind are beefsatay, nasi goreng and laksa. “IndonesianCooking” by Dina Yuen shows thatIndonesia’s culinary culture is as vast andcomplex as its archipelago.

What’s Indonesian food like? It’s somewhere between Thai and Indian

food, says the author, who lived in Indonesiabefore moving to the US in her late teens. It’slike Thai food because the Indonesians lovetheir food spicy and a little salty. Indeed, asYuen’s recipes show, the locals love rich cur-ries, but probably rely on more spices thanthe Thais.

With 17,000 islands forming theIndonesian archipelago, the countryboasts a vast array of indige-nous culinary cultures thatremain largely unexplored.Each of the islands offers dish-es that vary in spiciness andflavour. In eastern Java, peoplelove the spicy salads known asMasakan Jawa and can’t livewithout old fashioned mochacakes. In Bali, a meal isn’t com-plete without sweet and mildly

spicy roasted meats. In Western Java,Betawi and Sunda reign supreme.

The dishes in this book range from thefamiliar to the exotic. Yuen offers easy-to-follow recipes to introduce each of thesedishes that celebrate the use of organicproducts, fresh herbs and spices. The disheslaid out in this book reflect the breadth anddepth of Indonesia’s vast culinary culture.

The author starts by introducing sambaldipping sauce, using shrimp paste, peanut,tomato and chilli. She then recommendssome of the greatest appetisers and snackssuch as pan-friend soybean cakes, chickensatay, fresh spring rolls, spinach tempuraand fish cakes. You find a lot of curriesusing poultry and meat, which tastes sweetand spicy. Nothing beats golden-fried fishand fried seafood. Highlights include crispyfish with chilli sauce, grilled swordfish withfragrant yellow rice and spicy sautéed cala-mari. There’s a recipe for classic nasi gorengas well as the techniques for cooking greatdishes like garlic rice stew and coconutnoodle soups, among other dishes, in therice and noodle section.

For desserts, the Indonesians prefer nat-ural ingredients to processed products, andYuen illustrates her point through suchfamous delights as Dutch-Indo crepes withpalm sugar, sweet potatoes in coconut milkand iced sweet young coconut.

Don’t just sit there and enjoy the photosof the delicious looking dishes. Gather upthe ingredients and explore the Indonesiantastes.

MANOTE TRIPATHITHE NATION

Vichit Mukura, executive chef atthe Mandarin Oriental Bangkok,loves traditional Thai food, but he

also wants it to look modern on the table.He manages to please patrons who lovefine dining while at the same time ensur-ing authenticity.

The pinnacle of his success is in theChef ’s Table, a multiple-course feastserved to just a handful of diners at atime at Sala Rim Naam, the hotel’srestaurant across the river. It’s also achance to witness kitchen magic as it’screated.

You get to watch Vichit in action ashe prepares your six- or eight-coursedinner, complete with all the frenzyand sound effects. For a recent presspreview there were nine courses!

Vichit buys all the ingredients onhis own during morning visits to mar-kets like Or Tor Kor. We also hadbrown rice from his own experimentalpaddy in Pattaya.

“I never knew how fun it is to growrice,” he said. “I have my own millingmachine. And it’s a wonderful experi-ence to be able to eat rice that you grewand milled yourself. That’s my week-end obsession at the moment.”

The first course was Goong ThongPiw Som Sa Gub Khao Foo, a deep-fried bay prawn with sparkling limeand crispy, fluffy red-jasmine rice,again from his property. The sizeableprawn was garnished with salad andlively with the tang from the rind of abitter orange.

Next was Poo Ja, deep-fried, herbedcrabmeat and minced chicken. Thedish usually features pork rather thanchicken, but the chef is Muslim. In thiscase the religious stricture proved ablessing. I thoroughly enjoyed the mix

of cilantro root, garlic and pepperinfused in the crab and chicken alongwith eggs, coconut milk and fish sauce.

Vichit reckoned it was time for sor-bet to prepare the palate for thedelights still to come. He whipped upWan Yen Tom Yum, with a taste akin toreal tom yum that left our mouthswatering.

The next course was Ped Ob TakraiGrob Gub Bamee – roast duck withcrispy lemongrass and garlic egg noo-dles. It was slightly sweet and garlickybut set off by the tang of tamarindjuice. Your’re supposed to chew a littledried chilli with the duck.

Then there was Tom Yum Pla –spicy grouper soup with lemongrass

and kaffir lime leaves – the most aro-matic dish of the night thanks to theherbs. The white fish flesh was firmand the soup quite spicy. In terms ofThai flavours, it was the epitome ofwhat soup should taste like.

Next was Goong Nueng Prig ManaoNom Sod, which is steamed blue riverprawn with a spicy sauce and white egg.Three ingredients did the trick here: limejuice, egg white and fresh chilli. I could-n’t get enough of the salty-sour juice onmy plate and wished there had beenbread to dip in it.

The heaviest course of the night wasKae Yaang Gub Saranae Rae Makham– grilled lamb with Thai mint andsweet-and-salty tamarind sauce.Where else on earth could you havelamb with tamarind and edible flow-ers?

Served with brown rice, with itscharacteristic natural fragrance ofpandanus leaves, the dish tasted greatwith the tamarind sauce. You eat theyellow blossoms of dok sanoh (sesba-nia) and you’re astounded at how wellflowers pair with lamb.

There was yet more rice fromVichit’s farm in the next course, PlaHima Nom Khao Khing Grob – friedsnowfish with green rice and crispyginger. In this case the rice was fivemonths old, still soft and milky. Heboils it in stock and adds the fish andginger. The result looks like yourmorning porridge, but it was a gentlefinale for our evening culinary journey.

Dessert was red-jasmine-rice icecream served with the Thai dessertknown as “yellow bean pocket”, withshredded coconut meat and sugaredsesame seeds. This is ice cream thatwill make you forget about traditionalThai coconut ice cream forever. I neverknew brown rice could be so versatile.

We did indeed learn a lot about riceand cooking in general. “With theChef ’s Table,” Vichit said, “I want toshow that Thai food can really beappreciated here at home, and not justoverseas.”

nationmultimedia.com xp Saturday, February 25, 2012 11B

XTRAVAGANCE

An evening with the SpadonesMichelin-star chef MarcelloSpadone is whipping upwonderful Italian dishesthis evening at Jojo, theItalian restaurant at the StRegis Bangkok, starting at6pm.

The six-course dinnercreated by Spadone and hiswife Bruna, is paired with selected vintages fromTalamonti from 2006-2010 and costs Bt3,200-plusper person.

Advance booking is recommended at (02) 2077777 or by e-mail at fb.bangkok@stregis.com.

Hair of the dogThe Bar at the Novotel Bang Na isserving the newest cocktail, a “SaltyChihuahua”, made with tequila,grapefruit juice and orange-flavouredliqueur in a salt-rimmed glass.Explore the new cocktail and lots ofother drinks with some great savourysnacks. Prices start at Bt199 a shot.There’s a happy hour promotion

between 4 and 8pm on weekdays and from 4 to9pm for weekends.

Find out more at (02) 366 0505 extension 1440.

Jiving with some javaChill out with a coffee in the LobbyLounge of the Grand PacificSovereign Resort and Spa on Cha-Am Beach in Phetchaburiprovince. Cappuccino, espresso,mocha, latte and Americanoserved hot or iced goes for justBt80 a cup.

Call them up at (032) 709 899.

Making friends with FritzThe Sheraton GrandeSukhumvit launches TheFritz, a contemporary inter-pretation of a sour fizz cock-tail with a Swiss twist. Ablend of bourbon, absinthe,Nocello walnut liqueur, agavesyrup, lemon juice and eggwhites with a garnish oforange peel, the sophisticat-ed cocktail delivers notes ofburnt toffee and citrus inperfect harmony with thespirits.

Cocktail lovers can also discover the pleasures ofthe Thai-inspired Vada Gimlet, an evocative meet-ing of east and west that breathes new life into aclassic cocktail. The citrus notes of gin are lifted byThai chilli and lemongrass-infused agave, freshlime juice and a garnish of basil.

Check it out at (02) 649 8641.

Amazing abaloneThe Garden Court at theChaophya Park Hotel, Bangkok,invites diners explore its classicCantonese dishes usingabalone as the main ingredient.Until Wednesday, you can sam-ple braised abalone with oystersauce, baked abalone with gar-lic and stir fried abalone fun-gus.

Reserve a table at (02) 2900125.

A question of ‘Taste’Chef Joachim Kreisel of Tasteat the Westin GrandeSukhumvit offers specialevening buffet on Fridays andSaturdays. The menu includechilli and garlic prawnsserved at the table, freshlyshucked oysters, king crablegs and king prawns, lobsterand fennel bisque, risotto,ravioli and grilled snow fish.

Wood fired pizzas, variouspastas and spicy Thai saladsare among the highlightsserved from Sunday to

Thursday at Bt1,413 net. The Friday to Saturdaybuffet cost Bt1,890 net. Add Bt590 for free flowwine, beer and soft drinks.

For reservation, call (02) 207 8000 or e-mailfb.bangkok@westin.com.

TO DINE FOR

A new cookbook will have youserving up everything fromnasi goreng to masakan jawa

E-mail todinefor@nationgroup.com

The spice of Indonesian life

Traditional tastes meet modern presentation in the intimateChef’s Table banquets at Sala Rim Naam

Fresh spring rolls

Coconut noodle soup

IndonesianCooking: Satay,Sambals and MoreBy Dina YuenPublished by TuttlePublishingAvailable at AsiaBooks and otherleading bookstores

A TRUE FEAST<< The six-course Chef's Table din-ner costs Bt2,900-plus and theeight-course version Bt3,900. << Seating is limited to just four toseven people. Reserve your place at(02) 659 9000, extension 7330, ormobkk-restaurants@mogh.com.

THAI CUISINEFOR A NEW AGE

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WITH THE CHEF'S TABLE, chef Vichit Mukura sets out to transform our cuisine.

Deep-fried herbed crabmeat and minced chicken Steamed blue river prawn with spicy sauce

Grilled lamb Roast duck with lemongrass and garlic eggnoodles>>

Spicy grouper soup

THAI CUISINEFOR A NEW AGE