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By Marie Moon
Gazing out the window of my 23rd floor suite at the Shangri-La
Hotel, I marvel at sheets of heavy tropical rain rippling through
the sky. River traffic has taken an intermission and the Taksin
Bridge is at a complete standstill, such is life in Bangkok when
it rains, there is no going anywhere in a hurry. I usually love
the rain, especially from the sanctuary of a beautiful hotel room,
but I have been looking forward to this evening for weeks. A couple
of friends and I are having something of a reunion and now I fear
our arrangements may be delayed. Bitterly disappointed I put a call
through to the Salathip Thai Restaurant and move our reservation
back to 8:00p.m.
Predictably, my friends arrive over an hour late. They are wet,
cold and hungry but the night air is clean and fresh and the occasion
itself sees everyone in high spirits regardless of the rocky prelude
to the evening. After a quick aperitif from the mini-bar, we head
down to the restaurant.
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Salathip Thai restaurant, an outlet of the Shangri-La, resides
in a commanding riverside position adjacent to the swimming pool.
Hundreds of thousands of fairy lights cascade from mature frangipani
trees surrounding the pool, forming a starry portal to the restaurant.
The faint cry of the ching (Thai cymbals) gradually increases in
volume and tempo as a classical Thai flute, a phee, launches into
lyrical song. The restaurant is composed of a collection of ornate
teak pavillions built in the Ayutthaya architectural style. Each
pavillion houses a small number of tables, which adds to the intimacy
of this venue. Alternatively, outdoor, riverside dining can be made
extremely romantic with candlelight, the exotica of the Orient and
the serenade of the phee for ambience.
I had reserved a riverside table but the storm has dowsed enough
rain on the city to ensure no outdoor dining this evening. We take
a nice corner table in Pavillion A; the view from inside is just
as good and the intimate ambience promotes quiet conversation. In
our case, the conversation centres around what we will eat. The
menu has an impressive array of Royal Thai cuisine and illustrated
recipes of the signature dishes are published in the menu, so diners
can be sure exactly what they are ordering.
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We opt for some pork satay and a plate of mixed appetizers. The
pork satay, with its creamy, slightly spicy sauce is the perfect
compliment to the other nibbles. The tender grilled pork peels off
the skewer with a flick of the wrist and the peanut sauce is not
as sweet as I have often encountered. Among the mixed appetizers
we have a choice of goong sarong, prawns wrapped in deep fried noodles;
toong thong, deep fried minced chicken and shrimp in a Chinese pancake;
chor muang, purple flower shaped dumplings filled with minced chicken;
and ban sip, steamed dim sum filled with minced shrimp. Amazingly,
despite some of these treats being deep-fried, there is not a hint
of oil to be found.
After our appetizers we leisurely sip cold glasses of Chardonnay
and continue the idle but animated chatter of friends. The music
takes on a new dramatic tone and to the drumming of the thaporn,
the entertainment begins. The dancers glide into the restaurant
dressed in the most elaborate of costumes, adorned with head pieces
made of sparkling gold and coloured stones. They move slowly and
obediently to the rhythm of the music played by the phee, the ching
and the ranat, an instrument similar to a xylophone. The dancers
are holding candles and though they are lit and melting; the ladies
are well trained in how not to get burned.
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This dance is called the Lum Fonteeun, or candlelight dance and
originated in Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, centuries ago. The
dancers flow from one pavillion to the next without skipping a beat,
circling around the tables with their dainty steps, coy smiles and
concentrated eyes. The intermitted performances exhibit dances from
all over the Kingdom; tonight we will also see the choreography
of the Sukhothai period in the Lum Fonleb; a dance featuring those
mesmerizing long curved finger attachments.
The music and dance provided an interesting interlude between courses
and now steaming dishes of Thai food approach the table atop a burdened
waitress. The presentation is lovely, the aroma, tempting. After
the waitress spooned hot white rice onto our plates, we eagerly
commence. There are few foods that smell as delicious as a good
red curry; the kaffir lime leaves infuse a flavour that seems to
scent the air, making each mouthful an aromatic delight. The gaeng
pet ped yang served tonight smelled and tasted wonderful; a creamy
curry sauce clings to tender duck pieces, moistening the rice to
make each bite a velvety treat. We all like our Thai food hot and
spicy and on this front, the curry was a little disappointing despite
our request for a real Thai serving. The nua yang thai derm, barbecued
beef however, is a spicy delectation; generously sized strips of
marinated beef are well seared and sealed, protecting the natural
juices within and a very spicy dipping sauce coats the beef with
the zest of lime and the fresh scent of coriander. The haw mok boo
crab cakes are quite tasty; however we voted the regular fish haw
mok the better choice; presented quite creatively in small crab
shells. The crab has a chewiness that lacks the soft, fluffy texture
that avid haw mok connoisseurs enjoy. The gai hor bai toey, marinated
chicken in pandanus leaves is delightful, as is the pan-fried river
fish in a hot curry sauce, or choo chee pla nua oon.
With full stomachs, we sit back to watch another dance performance
and contemplate the idea of dessert. The waitress suggests a few
treats and although both sounded exciting, none of us are capable
of eating any more. We settle the bill, finish our drinks out on
the terrace and fall back into enthusiastic conversation. Despite
the rain, the delays and the wet clothes we have had a marvellous
evening within the beauty of the Shangri-La and the familiarity
of friendship. Salathip Thai Restaurant is a venue suitable for
special occasions and intimate interludes with professional courteous
staff, engaging entertainment and great food. Reservations are highly
recommended, Tel: +66 (0)2 236 7777.
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