MANILA – Craving for authentic Thai food? You’re in luck because this week, Marco Polo Ortigas Manila is holding a festival highlighting the flavors of this Southeast Asian country.
Expect to see the signature dishes of Thailand along with other international offerings at the buffet spread of Cucina, Marco Polo’s all-day dining restaurant until November 15.
For both lunch and dinner, Cucina’s live stations will feature familiar favorites such as Tom Yum Goong, Pad Thai, Goong Sarong and Som Tam, among others, as part of Marco Polo’s “Flavors of Thailand” promotion.
Prices start at P1,850 net per person.
“Thai cuisine is indeed a harmony in every detail. It places emphasis on simple dishes with strong and aromatic flavor accents which makes it unique from all other cuisines in the world,” said Mirko de Giorgi, the hotel’s food and beverage director.
Marco Polo has flown in two Thai guest chefs from Bangkok for the week-long culinary festival, a first for the hotel.
Chefs Sunisa Nualthongkaew and Watcharavee Rujechotiphat will hold cooking sessions on November 14 at Marco Polo’s Vu’s Sky Bar and Lounge at P3,000 net per person. The amount includes a cooking lesson, a Thai home cook beginner’s kit and a single buffet pass at Cucina.
While it is known for its high spice levels, Thai cuisine also features different kinds of refreshing salads, savory entrees and delectable desserts. A key principle here is balance – between heat and cold, sweet and spicy, sweet and sour, and salty and bitter.
Prior to Marco Polo’s Flavours of Thailand promotion, several other hotels in Metro Manila have held food festivals promoting the Southeast Asian country’s diverse cuisine.
To those who want to enjoy Thai food in the comfort of their own homes, Marco Polo provided a recipe for Pad Thai Goong, a stir-fried rice noodle dish.
Pad Thai Goong
Ingredients:
Rice noodles, 300 grams
Vegetable oil, 4 tablespoons
Medium fresh prawns (cleaned), 20 pieces
Firm tofu (cut into small pieces), 100 grams
Shallots (thinly sliced), 3 pieces
Dried shrimp (soaked in warm water), 50 grams
Sweet pickled radish/turnip (chopped), 50 grams
Dried ground red chili peppers, 2 teaspoons
Large eggs, 3 pieces
Bean sprouts, 150 grams
Garlic chives (cut into 1-inch lengths), 50 grams
Pad Thai sauce, 10 tablespoons
Peanuts (roasted and crushed), 4 tablespoons
Lime (cut into wedges), 4 pieces
Procedure:
1. Soak the rice noodles in cool or lukewarm water for at least 40 minutes, until the noodles are limp but still firm to touch. When the noodles have softened, drain and set aside.
2. Heat a large wok over high heat and add vegetable oil. Add prawns and cook until almost cooked through. Remove from wok and set aside.
3. Add vegetable oil to the wok, and let the wok heat up again. Add the tofu and stir-fry until golden brown. Add shallots, dried shrimp and sweetened radish. Mix well and stir until shallots are cooked.
4. Add the noodles and combine with other ingredients. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes until softened. Push up along one side of the wok. Add a teaspoon of oil and cook to set. Cut eggs into small chunks with a spatula and toss with the noodles.
5. Add the prepared Pad Thai sauce and stir well to coat noodles. If noodles are too firm for your liking, sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of water. Taste and adjust flavors as desired.
6. When the noodles are cooked to your liking, toss in the bean sprouts and garlic chives. Add the prawns and stir well. Transfer to serving plate.
7. Garnish with lime, bean sprouts, scallions, dried ground chilies and chopped peanuts.
Marco Polo’s Flavours of Thailand promotion is in partnership with Thai Airways.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
