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The center of Asian Mediterranean cuisine on Phuket
is at the Gallery Grill at Baan Kata and the man in charge of the
kitchen is Teeranate Rochanarat.
As a young boy, Teeranate worked in the kitchen at home with his
grandmother and every day accompanied his mother to the market to
buy the freshest ingredients. It was only natural that when he finished
school, he would attend a culinary college and he graduated from
the Hotel Training Institute in Cholburi Province.
"I'm a bit different for a Thai. I don't like spicy foods
so I have always experimented with tastes and flavors that are suit
my family," he comments. "I have always changed and experimented
with different recipes so as I learned more about international
cuisine, I began using these different cooking techniques and ingredients
with Thai foods."
Teeranate worked at the Landmark
Hotel in Bangkok and the Oriental Thai Restaurant in Wellington,
New Zealand and Singapore
before joining the Boathouse Wine and Grill as a saucier.
His talent and creativity in the kitchen was recognized and Sue
Farley, Director of the Gallery Grill, recruited him to use his
imagination at the Baan Kata bistro.
"When people look at our menu, they can see the whole world,"
explains Teeranate. "This menu item (pictured) is our Bombay
Chili Chicken with coriander dipping sauce, roasted sweet potato
and Indian flatbread and is a good sample of what we offer which
can be described as Western cuisine with Asian influences or Asian
cuisine with Western influences."
Excitement is a good word to describe the cuisine at the Gallery
Grill. Chef Teeranate is always experimenting with new food combinations
and new presentations. He uses less coconut milk and cream because
he wants menus that are healthy for his international clientele.
Sue Farley's Wine Recommendation
Sue Farley is the Director of Baan Kata Center. She has made a
successful career creating gorgeous food and pairing it with the
best wines. She established the Napa Valley Cooking School in California
and is the imagination behind the creative menus at the Gallery
Grill.
The Bombay chicken is so versatile that it tastes equally good with
red or white wine. If you prefer white, I would choose the Taltarni
Sauvignon Blanc 1998 from Australia. The herbaceous flavors in this
wine are well matched with the coriander dipping sauce and lemon
that accompany the chicken. Also, the charcoal grilling and smoky
spice in the marinade pair well to a medium-bodied red wine like
the Monterey Vineyard Pinot Noir from Central California. Happy
Dining!
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