Thai High

The Thai Pavilion makes a triumphant debut in the city

The Taj Vivanta in Gurgaon with its dramatic interiors and open spaces is rather a striking hotel. With the addition of the first Thai Pavilion in north India as its primary food and beverage outlet,it strikes a whole new note. Located on the second floor of the hotel,facing the foyer,the restaurant is elegantly understated with well-spaced out seating among decorous carved teak walls. The service is,as befits a dining establishment of this magnitude,impeccable.

For appetisers,there is that indispensible papaya salad,Som Tam,Kai Haw Bai Toey (marinated chicken morsels wrapped in Pandanus leaves and fried) and Sakuna Chowsuan Sos Makam (tempura prawns with tamarind sauce). The som tam comprising shredded,pale green young papaya tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce,is crisp and sour,a winning combination for an appetiser and is accordingly put away rapidly. The prawn is a prawn and is also dispensed in record time. The fried chicken which comes wrapped in the aforementioned pandanus leaf is crackling from the outside,juicy from the inside,having imbibed the slightly nutty flavour of its cocoon.

For the main course,there is Pla Rad Prik Sos Hollapa (crispy fried fish),Yang Chi Pe (grilled lamb with a mint and cucumber sauce) and Phad Phak (stir fried vegetables),all served with Jasmine Rice. The fish is seafood star,John Dory,which has been enjoying a growing adulation on dining tables across the world. For its Thai role,it is cloaked in a crispy white batter with a sauce decorated with herbs giving it a splash of colour and tang. Meanwhile,the lamb,usually such a gamboling,youthful player,is surprisingly mature in flavour. Grilled,with the mint and cucumber sauce adding a whole new dimension of taste,this is our favourite course. Definitely a lamb for adults. And then there are the stir fried veggies. Usually,were as interested in herbivorous fare as a rock is in,well,anything. The vegetables here are the rule to that exception. Ridiculously fresh,they have seemingly been picked from a garden an hour prior to the meal. Logistically speaking,this is rather impressive as we are informed that about 70 per cent of the vegetables and herbs and all the meats,barring the local chicken,are procured from Thailand. In any case,the broccoli,asparagus,zucchini,flat beans and other edible flora gracing the dish are not so much stir fried as lovingly,gently pushed around in a pan,retaining their individual flavours.

Dessert is decadent as it is wont to be,consisting of a (forgive our triteness) a sinful hot chocolate soufflé,served in a crisp tart shell and accompanied by vanilla ice cream and a raspberry coulis.

Meal for two: Rs 3,500 (incl. taxes)

Address: Vivanta by Taj,

Sector-44,Gurgaon

Contact: 0124-6671234

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Gurgaon