Chef Tam and the art of Tom Yum happiness
Thai food absolutely tops the list of my favourite cuisines, very occasionally acceding the top rank to Vietnamese, but you get the drift. I just think its one of the most evolved cuisines, thanks to the use of all those healthy, aromatic herbs and its lovely, divine taste on the palate.
So when an invite to a Thai food promotion at Amara, the all-day dining at Trident Hyderabad landed, could I say no? All the more when Chef Naphaphak Prompaksa, (better known as Chef Tam, thankfully!) sous chef at Rim Naam, the signature Thai restaurant of Oberoi Bangalore was being flown down to Trident Hyderabad to pamper us Hyderabadis.
So, there I was, at a small bloggers’ table, sipping my divine lemongrass martini and waiting to savour Chef Tam’s famed repertoire with a pre-fixe four-course menu of soup, starter, main course and dessert. And her reputation proved to be as good as the promise delivered. The Tom Yum prawn soup was easily the best I have had ever, the prawns were fresh and cooked right, and the brew!! Heavenly aromas, just the right degree of hot and sour, a perfect amalgamation of the lemongrass, galangal and kaffirlime leaves.
Tom Yum Phak (prawn) was as good as it gets!
On the live counters on the buffet, I spotted some satays being grilled, so I got my fix of chicken and prawn satays, the peanut sauce with it was to die for! The Som Tam or raw papaya salad served at the table next was again perfect.
Som Tam (raw papaya salad)
In main courses, we are served Thai Red Veg Curry with jasmine rice and this is superlative stuff. Sensing our greed, the good chef decides to add a Thai green curry (as she has just prepared the “home-made” curry paste) so we get lucky again! Phad Thai noodles, a bit of Stir fried prawns in basil sauce and its salvation time for all of us!
Phad Thai Noodles…
Desserts and its time for a surprise, as along with the more common Tub Tim Krob (Red Rubies or water chestnuts in coconut milk and loads of ice), we are also served Rohm Mit, a close sibling. Using Carnation milk (unsweetened condensed milk brand) and assorted dry fruits, jellies and syrup this one is just drool-worthy delish! It was also distinct, in that the other Thai dishes served were from the usual names, nothing which was novel or had for the first time, even though all the dishes were just so perfect!
Thai Twins: On the left is the better-known Tub Tim Krob and on R is Rohm Mit, a close sibling
Chef Tam comes with impressive credentials
Chef Tam is obviously a perfectionist and there was no missing note in the entire spread and little wonder about her prowess. While talking with her post the splendid meal, I discover that she has worked earlier at The Grand Palace in Bangkok, and also with the Thai embassy in Delhi and a clutch of top notch hotels like Four Seasons in Doha.
My takeaway from the meal was an immense respect for chefs like Tam who worship their craft and believe in bettering themselves. Kudos to the Oberoi management for ensuring the best of tastes!
