Fresh herbs and spices are the hallmark of Thai cuisine; that and the balance of the five tastes that Thai food is known for.
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| Chef Joy |
Visiting Thai Chef Siriporn has brought the flavours of Thailand to Chap Chay, along with plenty of ingredients. Invited to review the festival, we learn she is also known as Chef Joy. Ever smiling, friendly and capable, we left the choice of menu to her. You could choose from her set menu or go à la carte.
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| Crudites, crackers and sliced mango with dips |
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| Tom khati kha min |
With the right ingredients, it's pretty simple to replicate Thai food at home. But good Thai food is not only about ingredients, it's also about balance and harmony between ingredients. The soup, Tom khati kha min looked just like the usual coconut milk soup with chicken and straw mushrooms. What was different was the addition of turmeric. At first, it was an odd flavour but as we drank it, became less obvious and actually pleasant. As for the broth made with thin coconut milk, it was a fabulous harmony of those five tastes and did not leave us feeling heavy.
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| Satay gai |
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| Po pia kee mow |
Starters were Satay gai, chicken satay with a light dip and Po pia kee mow, vegetarian spring rolls. Both were pleasant enough with no wow factor.
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| Yum tom orn tanatawan |
What impressed us was Yum tom orn tanatawan, a sprouted sunflower seed salad. The sprouts had been tossed in a lime, chilli and coconut milk-based dressing, with more sunflower seeds and crisp fried wantan skins for crunch. The dressing was deliciously tangy.
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| Gaeng phed ped yang |
If you like the Thai red curry, don't miss Gaeng phed ped yang which has tender roasted duck slices in red curry sauce. Creamy and spicy, the sauce also had lychees, pineapple, pea and green eggplants and cherry tomatoes and it was spectacular. Plain Jasmine rice is the best vehicle to carry all those flavours.
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| A selection of proteins, noodles & veg for stir fries |
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| Noodles with XO sauce |
Chap Chay is known for its Asian stir fry bowls where you choose from a variety of meat/ vegetables /noodles or a combination of all. You get to choose your sauce and the chef cooks it for you. Continuing with the Thai festival format, Chef Joy has a dozen Thai flavoured sauces. My friend chose the chilli garlic basil sauce, not very spicy but aromatic with herbs. Mine was the XO sauce and the flavour of shrimp paste was delish.
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| Bua loy sam see |
Glutinous flour is used extensively in Asian desserts. Chef Joy's recommendation was tiny balls of tri-coloured Bua loy sam see, flavoured and coloured with pumpkin puree, pandan and the third left plain. Along with shreds of tender coconut in a "soup" of pandan-flavoured warm coconut milk, it was a lovely end to a fabulous meal.
Catch Chef Joy at Chap Chay till July 15th. It's on for both lunch and dinner. A meal for 2 would be around 1800/++.
Chap Chay is at The Raintree, St. Mary's Road.
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