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By Benjamin Malcolm
For those who are lucky enough to dine at Baan Dahlia, in the Anantara
Resort & Spa Golden Triangle, it is wise to choose the veranda
seating. For out there, under the canopy of twinkling stars in clear
northern skies, romance and fine cuisine truly come together.
As you savour the exquisite tastes of this restaurant's fine Italian
fare, you have the unobstructed view of the Golden Triangle area
and the accompanying sense of the uniqueness of your experience.
There is so much to sit back and see - the Laotian mountains looming
in the distance, the lights and sounds of a nearby Burmese casino,
the forests of Northern Thailand, which surround the resort and
the great divider of all, the flowing wide waters of the Mekong
River.
Tucked away in the northernmost corner of Thailand, in the town
of Chiang Saen, at Anantara Resort, Baan Dahlia offers some of the
best in Italian cuisine in a contemporary atmosphere for both guests
and passers-by. The Anantara underwent a full restoration in 2003
and reopened in October of last year. Overall, it offers a superlative
five-star alternative for those wishing to head out of Bangkok into
the far north.
My wife and I were lucky to choose one of the more romantic nights
of the year for our dinner at Baan Dahlia, the festival of Loy Krathong,
in which wishes are made and candles are sent off by either water
or wind.
As we perused our menus, we already began to soak in the lively
atmosphere of the evening, as well as the light chill of the November
night. Baan Dahlia offers a rotating selection of specialties and
we were faced with a list of about 20 dishes to choose from in all.
All pasta dishes come with the possible selections of capellini,
fettucine, linguine, penne, ravioli and egg, or squid ink spaghetti.
As it was, we chose two of the more labour-intensive dishes - an
Irish coffee and Caesar salad.
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I began the evening with the house red, an Australian Cabernet
Sauvignon, while my wife watched the process of the Irish coffee
diligently. Our waitress handled the implements deftly, slowly cooking
the glass over blue flame before adding coffee and liqueur. While
there are those who may argue about the timing of the coffee before
the meal, I could only appreciate both the warmth of the flame and
the juxtaposition of our little fire with the other Loy Krathong
candles gliding slowly into the night sky around us.
Our appetizers arrived just after this, affording yet another chance
to marvel at the waitress's skill at tableside preparation. While
my wife enjoyed her Gamberoni Cocktail, a cooked Tiger prawn on
bed of avocado and lettuce with tomato dressing, I waited for my
treat, surely one of the signature appetizers of the restaurant.
The roll call of ingredients was impressive and exhaustive. Laid
out before me were egg yolk, bacon, anchovy, parmesan cheese, lime
juice, mustard, garlic and cheese croutons. As the waitress again
prepared the feast, she pointed to each item, explaining and then
carefully selecting the order of combination.
While the outside is to be preferred, there is plenty to recommend
about the inside of the restaurant. It is a romantic, intimate location,
with indirect lighting and dark teakwood seating areas, perfect
for a couple to share a moment to themselves. My view of our surroundings
was beginning to diminish a little, but not because of any great
change about us. I was just that much more enthralled with the oncoming
dishes.
The main course required much less effort on the waitress's part
and came just at the right time, as we were finishing the last pieces
of salad and shrimp. First on the agenda was the Pesce de Salmon,
a grilled salmon fillet garnished with citrus and capers in olive
oil. The effect was terrific, combining perfectly with the last
sips of my wine. The final item arrived for my wife, the Vongole
with squid ink spaghetti, clams and chilli. The squid ink spaghetti
was resonant in its saltiness.
There was some thought of dessert, but in the end we opted for
a simple cup of coffee to cleanse our palate. We drank deeply of
these and of the remainder of the night, enjoying the stars, the
river, the mountains, and the easy flow of conversation, filled
with the food and surroundings of Baan Dahlia.
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