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By Ingram Kant
I believe I have discovered the best hotel cooking school in Thailand.
Quite a claim, but its veracity is evident in the location, ambience,
d\'e9cor, equipment provided and the high quality and interest of
the tuition and presentation material and, of course, the end result.
Most hotel cooking schools do not have custom-built kitchens, a
dedicated building and preparation areas for students. Often we
may find ourselves vying for space in which to cut, peel and prepare,
to cook and clean; sometimes we are housed in a room not quite a
kitchen, not quite a classroom.
None of this attitude is to be found in the outstanding Four Seasons
Cooking School in Chiang Mai. Situated in its own grounds is a dedicated
culinary teaching establishment, far away from the bustle of a conventional
hotel kitchen. It is located amongst tall teak trees, surrounded
by fascinating foliage through which soothing streams flow into
a graceful waterfall. This ambience totally conducive to the learning
experience proffering a oneness with the fruits of nature.
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The free-standing facility for the gastronomic arts is rectangular
in shape with floor-to-ceiling glass door running the length of
the structure. The kitchen pavilion consists of a demonstration
area, eight individual cooking stations, each suitable for two people.
Hardwood floors enhance the feeling of an old-fashioned Thai setting,
yet it is equipped with modern silent air-conditioning for the comfort
of the aspirant cooks.
The kitchen is tastefully decorated with a colourful display of
bottled Thai sauces, dry food products and condiments. Each cooking
station has its complete set of modern, high quality, tools, pots
and pans, plates and everything the perfect chef demands. However,
novices as well as experienced cooks are welcomed alike to the discovery
of Thai cuisine and the culture that produced it.
The exciting curriculum includes fixed menus for six days of the
week, featuring northern specialities and popular dishes from other
parts of Thailand such as Thom Yam, spicy salads, traditional soups
and noodles, savoury rice, appetizers, tasty vegetarian and sweet
desserts. Optional daily activities include early morning market
tours and fruit and vegetable carving classes.
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On arrival at the school we are greeted with a cool glass of water
and a cold refreshing towel. Then we are presented with a stylish
cotton apron as a gift to retain after completion of the course.
We eagerly don our new gift and await the next instruction. We are
invited to begin our day with a visit to the school\rquote s spirit
house to bless our day\rquote s endeavors. A lovely touch.
Sitting at the feet of the master, - well, not quite literally,
our Chef detailed the programme for the day. Born and raised in
Nakornpanon province, Chef Pitak Srichan speaks four languages,
Thai, Malay, German and English and has practised his art as far
afield as The Middle East, Germany, Malaysia and The United States.
His calm assured manner imbues us with confidence, the desire to
enjoy and, hopefully, to succeed!
Our day was Spicy Salad day and Chef Pitak gave us a comprehensive
introduction to the condiments, tools and equipment we would be
using. We were about to employ both ancient and modern cooking techniques
in our preparation of the dishes. I learned more in the first ten
minutes instruction at this unique facility than I had learned in
a full morning at most of the other hotel cooking schools I had
attended.
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Chef Pitak, demonstrating the preparation of the first dish, spicy
beef salad, did so with such unassuming panache and meticulous consideration
for his students that we felt we were truly in the care of an exceptional
expert. Few teachers, unless they really expected their students
to become permanent members of staff, would go to the lengths he
did in ensuring we had a complete understanding and delight in techniques
of presentation. To the uninitiated, a truly daunting task that
once experienced at the hands of a master, became relatively straightforward.
A uniquely Four Seasons touch.
We were then encouraged to taste the dish, completely understanding
what we were now expected to re-create. Khun Pitak and his attentive
staff wandered purposefully amongst us, assisting our efforts as
we prepared our offerings. They were never hurried or critical,
always relaxed and encouraging, good-humoured, possessing excellent
English. A truly positive learning atmosphere. On completion we
sat and tasted our offerings for comparison with that created by
the master, - not too bad at all!
We then returned to the Chef\rquote s bench to follow the enjoyable
process once again as we began the process of discovering the delights
of Papaya salad and spring rolls. Whilst we were thus employed,
the Chef\rquote s assistant set our tables in the small restaurant
adjoining the school, conveying our preparations to our own tables
where we could enjoy our dishes in the company of the other trainees,
or, if we wished, with our own invited guests. A full offering of
wine or other drinks being readily available. Here we were in a
beautiful setting being served food we ourselves had prepared in
the company of an admiring spouse or partner, - wow!
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Then came the award ceremony,- intense pride as we wai\rquote ed
to Chef Pitak and collected our signed certicates of competence,
applauded by our fellow students and our guests..
A truly great morning! Quality, style, excellent equipment, a large
air-conditioned teaching facility, an outstanding chef and motivator,
a happy and encouraging staff. All this and a bit more establish
this hotel cooking school as The standard to be emulated in Thailand.
It doesn\rquote t get any better than this, - oh yes, it did! As
we were leaving our culinary classroom we were given a large pouch
in which was our quality mortar and pestle. Home now to wow our
friends!
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