The Thai Edit: A culinary journey through Thailand!

The Radisson Blu Plaza Delhi Airport recently opened its gates to a unique culinary experience all the way from Thailand.

The ‘Thai Edit’, curated by Chef Ittirit Panyim from Bangkok, at the Soy Neung Roi restaurant featured timeless Thai flavours and artistry, with the goal of providing an authentic journey through Thai cuisine.

Advertisement

Speaking to The Statesman, Chef Panyim, or Chef Duck, took us on a culinary journey filled with delicious dishes as well as interesting tales behind them.

“Thai food is known for its rich flavours and spices. It is one of those rare cuisines where you can taste spicy, sweet and sour in the same dish. Fish oil, lemongrass, basil leaves, shallots, and herbs are some of the most commonly used ingredients in Thai food,” Chef Duck said.

We were treated to popular Thai dishes of Kung Pao Chicken, pineapple crumble pie, Thai watermelon, Nam Takrai (lemongrass juice), and the ‘heavenly’ mango sticky rice served with coconut milk.

“The mango sticky rice is the current favourite Thai food among the people. We get many inquiries on this dish. In Thai, it is called ‘Khao niao mamuang’. It is a traditional Thai dessert that typically consists of sticky rice cooked with coconut milk and served with fresh sliced mangoes on top. There are also variations to the classic mango sticky rice such as substituting white sticky rice with black sticky rice, imparting a purple colour,” the chef explained.

So how is Thai food different from Chinese, Japanese and Korean food?

“The basic difference is the use of different kinds of sauces. Thai food is predominantly spicy, and as I mentioned above, one can find the sweet, sour and spicy tastes in one dish itself. The interplay of herbs, fish oil and other spices also makes the Thai food different from the other South Asian cuisines,” he added.

Simi Sood, Director, PR and Marketing, Radisson Blu Plaza Delhi Airport said the Soy Neung Roi restaurant is a hit among its guests for its Thai food, and that all ingredients for the dishes are flown in from Thailand to keep its authenticity.

With people now embracing varied food patterns, especially the growing global trend of vegetarianism, Thai cuisine is quickly catching up.

“Yes, we are designing many vegetarian options in Thai food. For instance, our papaya salad is a hit among non-meat eaters. There are other options like the sticky mango rice, Pad Thai with tofu, Pad Pak (stir-fried vegetables), and pineapple fried rice,” Chef Duck added.