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By Kit C. Cauw
Your oysters arrive not on a fragile plate but embedded in ice,
in a bowl large enough to double as a beach cooler. The Thai condiments
command their own platter: crisp-fried shallots, fresh garlic, spicy
Thai cocktail sauce, lime. Dressed not in a full-cover cloth but
two colourful tapestry swatches, the table is oversized hardwood,
a four-top that could accommodate eight. In the still evening, the
sounds of surf and chirping garden insects mingle with the music
of a three-piece traditional Thai band. Hidden discretely at the
roots of casuarinas and in the underbrush of the smaller beach trees,
soft incandescent lights create silhouettes, cast shadows, illuminating
their hosts' gnarled branches. Before you even bite into that first
juicy, firm, succulent oyster, you are sold on Sala Rim Talay, J.W.
Marriott Phuket's al fresco seafood restaurant.
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To arrive at Sala Rim Talay, you walk beside the central reflecting
pool, downstairs, past the lotus pond, then along the sandstone
borders of the Angkorian-style swimming pool, lit from below, shimmering
aquamarine. The natural radiance of oil-burning lamps outshines
the glow of the electrical lights. This is not the same resort that
you enjoyed during the day; it has taken on a far more exotic tone,
both sophisticated and primeval. Oysters seem especially suited
to the setting, for what food could be more elemental yet urbane?
The word "Sala" is Thai for an open-air roofed structure
often found within a traditional estate, set by the river, fountain,
or pool, perfect for relaxing and taking in breezes off the water.
Additionally, salas are often public meeting places and shelters
from the harsh elements in the countryside. "Rim Talay"
means the edge of the sea. Sala Rim Talay is both bustling and romantic,
embracing the qualities of breezy sanctuary and community gathering
point. You enter at its marketplace centre, the apex of activity,
and are led into the shadows of candle-lit intimacy and your table,
set with a small blackboard, a chalk welcome addressed directly
to you. Suspended above, lights are muted by traditional Thai fishing
weirs sculpted of copper wicker, shimmering in vibrant shades of
oxidation. The cathedral ceiling looks like the inside of a ship,
upside down, the beams like ribs.
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Your server takes the drinks order, then the manager pays your
table a visit. After introductions and pleasantries, he says, "I
would like to invite you to our market," and leads you back
to the entrance. He ushers you around the open bags of dried spices-cardamom,
star anise, cinnamon, chilies, cumin, peppercorns-to the ice tubs
brimming with three sizes of prawn, Phuket lobster and rock lobster,
blue "horse" crabs and burly black crabs and over five
varieties of fresh, local fish including grouper and snapper. Leafy
vegetables and mushrooms enjoy prominent display, as does the extensive
assortment of wines. Above the doors to the kitchen, a large chalkboard
outlines various cooking options of both Thai and international
persuasion: green curry sauce, white wine, chili paste sauce, thermidor,
mushroom cream sauce, meunier, cashew nut sauce. In all, there are
twenty-one ways to have your fish prepared, although some methods
are better suited to particular species. When you say you would
love to try that Phuket lobster, preferably with something a bit
spicy, your host recommends just the thing, a "dry" dome
yam sauce, a curry paste made with chilies, galangal, kaffir lime,
lemongrass and other traditional ingredients.
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Grilled cuttlefish with zesty dipping sauce, steamed whole grouper
and shitake mushrooms in soy-ginger sauce, morning glory flash-fried
with chilies and the stir-fried Phuket lobster complete the main
course. All are excellent; the latter dish particularly memorable
for the punch of its thick sauce contrasted with its sweet, firm
flesh. Fresh mojitos, the Cuban epiphany of lime, mint and rum,
provide poignant refreshment. You savour your food and the evening,
eating slowly, taking time to relax as you look out past the eerie
silhouettes and shadows of gnarled trees, appreciative that the
resort has made use of native vegetation rather than imposing its
own. Beyond, on the black sea, the dots of running lights on fishing
boats prick the horizon.
A wonder of Thai food is that it usually leaves one feeling contentedly
full without the burden of sluggishness. After the main course,
you lean back sated and pleased, soaking in the rich sea air. Then
a timely lemongrass-scented cold towel imbues you with the vigour
to undertake dessert. Bananas in coconut milk, a Thai market classic,
arrive garnished with carved banana leaves set in a star about the
bowl. The bittersweet chocolate cake, brainchild of J.W. Marriott's
renowned German pastry chef, comes in two pieces, like miniature
hockey pucks, topped with homemade vanilla ice cream and raspberry
syrup. Innocent though it may look, it is denser than uranium yellowcake,
the perfect point of decadence upon which to close the evening.
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This high season, says executive chef David Bedinghaus, Sala Rim
Talay has expanded its lunch service as well, to make it more fun
and international. Meals will feature the combination of hot and
cold, salads with grilled fish and warm vinaigrette. Colourful,
light lunchtime items will be available for people to enjoy, including
a wide variety of local pickles as accompaniment. Whether you arrive
under the cover of darkness or seeking shady refuge from the noonday
sun, the seaside atmosphere, the fun of the fresh market and the
excellent flavours are sure to delight your every sense.
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