The Thai Pavilion, launched at the Taj President Mumbai almost two decades ago, by the legendary Chef Ananda Solomon, has set many standards of authenticity and quality over the years. The soft spoken Chef Ananda, also the name behind classic restaurants such as Konkan Café and Trattoria, was in Taj Vivanta Gurgaon, to host a tasting table to celebrate the first anniversary of the restaurant. Chef Prajyuab Shoosri Dam has been the immaculate interpreter of this vision for the last one year at the restaurant – he has spent many years at the beautiful Banyan Tree restaurant at the Taj Exotica, Goa. The menu included favourites from the summer menu and some new dishes, specially created for their forthcoming winter menu.
The refreshing lemon grass daiquiri and the amuse bouche, a delicate, translucent, steamed dumpling, redolent with the scents and flavours of lemon grass and galangal, served on a gold fluted plate, set the tone of the chef’s style and approach to the cuisine to follow – classic, flavourful and elegant.
The appetisers followed quickly – the Crab cakes and the Thai tofu wrapped in betel leaf and served with plum sauce were the clear winners here. The Thai herbs blended perfectly with the crab meat, enhancing the flavours, yet retaining the sweetness. The Thai tofu in betel leaf was an evolved version of the Thai street food Miang Kham, designed to be eaten in a single bite, each wrap containing sweet, salty, sour, spicy and crunchy flavours and textures – a must try for vegetarians seeking fresh flavours from the Thai kitchen. The marinated chicken morsels wrapped in pandanus leaves were flavourful, but a softer texture, with the juices of the meat retained, would make them more appetising. The potato spinach fritters and the raw mango salad with chestnut were low on the innovative flavours that the palate had now got used too !
In the main course, the vegetarian silky bean curd with black bean sauce was stellar – truly silken moon shapes, floating in an intensely flavoured black bean sauce. For vegetarians, there was also a fresh tasting red curry with crushed peanuts and Thai vegetables tossed in chilli and basil, which were crunchy and flavourful.
And now to the non-vegetarian manna from the menu – the steamed John Dory with lemon garlic sauce came with a light, delicately flavoured sauce, a delightful contrast to the robust, coconut based curries. The Classic Thai style roast duck on a bed of spinach had several repeat requests – the crisply sliced roast duck redolent with five spice flavours. The Massaman lamb curry was quite exceptional – hints of star anise, cardamom, nutmeg and bay leaves blending beautifully with the coconut milk and lamb to create delicate flavours amidst this traditionally robust ‘meat and potatoes’ curry. The yellow chicken curry could have been more imaginative and can perhaps be kept for another time.
The delicately scented Jasmine rice was the perfect accompaniment to this profusion of flavours, as were the flat rice noodles, the Pad Thai. The Bamee noodles got a bit lost in translation and can be skipped.
And finally, the desserts. The makroot flavoured soft centred chocolate dollop with tender coconut ice cream, was exceptional. Period. Even for someone like me, with not too evolved a sweet tooth, the bits of tender coconut wrapped in a home style churned ice cream, along with the silken chocolate dollop with kaffir lime flavours ensconced comfortably in its heart, created a near magical impact !
All in all, a very enjoyable meal with fresh flavours and innovative renditions. The Thai Pavilion is indeed a place one would go back to, for that special meal when you want the memories and flavours to linger.
Ratings (Out of 5)
Food: 4.0 | Ambience: 4.0 | Service: 4.0 | Overall: 4.0
Meal for two: Rs.2500 (Without alcohol) | Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes | Wheel chair friendly: Yes | Timings: 12.30 PM to 3PM, 7PM to 11.30PM
Disclaimer: This review was done on an invitation from the restaurant. Due judgment and care has been applied by the author to remain objective and unbiased in the review, but readers need to consider this review keeping this fact in mind.
