Sometimes we ask someone's opinion because we suspect they'll think the same as we do, and just want our own opinion verified. It's just nice to have some agreement and do that smug nodding.
Such was my attitude towards this year's Taste of London festival. I wanted to go along and confirm my opinion of certain restaurants. I checked the list of restaurants attending beforehand, read their menus and made a list of what I wanted to eat. Then I'd be able to go, "yes, just as I thought - Busaba Eathai does serve great chicken satay. Boy, do I know resrtaurants!"
Fortunately I left my list at home. Also some of the queues were a bit too long to handle and some dishes didn't look as nice as they had sounded. So I wandered blindly, checking the menu at each stall as I went and tasting a variety of different things from places I didn't know very well. In other words, got the best from the festival.
My highlights were sizzling wagyu beef on hot rocks from Cocoon, tunapica from Asia de Cuba, lemon tart with strawberries from Rhodes 24 and prawn pomelo with peanut from Busaba Eathai (ok, so a couple of old favourites sneaked in, and I was right ...).
The highlight of the festival overall, though, wasn't food-based. Cocoon restaurant also offered a sake tasting. We were led through six or seven types of sake by a very friendly and knowledgeable sommelier. Unfortunately it was over-popular, cramped and noisy (just in front of the food counter); it definitely merits its own stand or masterclass next year.
Showing posts with label thai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thai. Show all posts
Sunday, 5 July 2009
Saturday, 6 December 2008
Thai-ing up loose ends
Non-authentic pad Thai
Ah, go on then! I've left you dangling long enough and I've even bought a wok in the meantime!
So, this is how I make pad Thai, based on eating it in restaurants and hastily reading a serving suggestion on the back of a noodle packet.
First heat a little bit of groundnut oil in a wok and fry chicken pieces until they start to brown. Shred them up into smaller pieces with a spatula as they're cooking. Add some beansprouts, a tiny bit of red onion and a little bit of shredded cabbage. You could also add some prawns at this stage, if everyone to be involved in the eating process likes fish.
Add some of those ready to wok noodles at this point - preferably the allegedly authentic ribbon ones. Toss them with the other ingredients and drizzle some lime juice, a pinch of brown sugar and a dash of soy sauce in as you're mixing. Fish sauce would be a traditional addition here (again, some people don't like fish!) but it's fine without.
Next, make a well in the centre of the wok and crack two eggs inside. It's a good idea to turn the heat up significantly so that the eggs start to cook immediately. Once they're showing the first signs of solidifying you need to jush them around a bit and mix them into the noodles.
The final topping for this dish is to serve it piled high in noodle bowls with crushed peanuts on top and a lime quarter on one side for extra squeezing!
Ah, go on then! I've left you dangling long enough and I've even bought a wok in the meantime!
So, this is how I make pad Thai, based on eating it in restaurants and hastily reading a serving suggestion on the back of a noodle packet.
First heat a little bit of groundnut oil in a wok and fry chicken pieces until they start to brown. Shred them up into smaller pieces with a spatula as they're cooking. Add some beansprouts, a tiny bit of red onion and a little bit of shredded cabbage. You could also add some prawns at this stage, if everyone to be involved in the eating process likes fish.
Add some of those ready to wok noodles at this point - preferably the allegedly authentic ribbon ones. Toss them with the other ingredients and drizzle some lime juice, a pinch of brown sugar and a dash of soy sauce in as you're mixing. Fish sauce would be a traditional addition here (again, some people don't like fish!) but it's fine without.
Next, make a well in the centre of the wok and crack two eggs inside. It's a good idea to turn the heat up significantly so that the eggs start to cook immediately. Once they're showing the first signs of solidifying you need to jush them around a bit and mix them into the noodles.
The final topping for this dish is to serve it piled high in noodle bowls with crushed peanuts on top and a lime quarter on one side for extra squeezing!
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