southern (Thai) comforts
From fiery salads to classic coconut curries, the new Pak Tai Restaurant at Feast Village Starhill Gallery is taking Southern Thai cuisine to the next level. Located in the heart of Bukit Bintang, the sister restaurant to Pak Tai at The Ritz-Carlton Koh Samui is being helmed by Chef Jaturan Ounnahasuwan, fondly known as Chef Guk, who has now relocated to Kuala Lumpur. A much-loved cuisine in this part of the world, Chef Guk’s dishes are simple and elegant, using minimal ingredients to bring out a maximum burst of flavours.
Coconuts, limes and spices feature widely in his dishes, like in the classic Som Tum spicy papaya salad that’s shredded to crunchy perfection and tossed with lime, long beans, peanuts and dried prawns. “My dishes are created using only the freshest of ingredients in order to reflect authentic southern recipes,” says Chef Guk, a native of Ubon Ratchathani who has spent more than a decade in Koh Samui. “Thai cooking is intricate with strong aromatic elements of fresh herbs and spices, and that must be reflected in a dish’s flavour, texture and appearance.”
A personal favourite is the Tom Kha Gai, a creamy coconut soup of chicken, galangal and kaffir lime. But one can’t go wrong with a traditional Tom Yum Goong spicy prawn soup or a Gaeng Kiew Wan Gai green curry chicken with hearty eggplants and sweet basil. Pak Tai’s signature dish, however, is the Massaman Nua wagyu beef cheek, slow-cooked in cardamom-scented yellow curry and coconut. Seafood lovers should try the Goong Sauce Makham tiger prawns cooked in tamarind sauce and dried chillies or the Pla Kapong Dang Tod Kamin crispy red snapper with turmeric and herbs.
Alas, there’s no talking of Thai food without mentioning its desserts. Timeless favourites include Khao Niaw Mamuang mango sticky rice and Tub Tim Krob water chestnut with jackfruit. For something different, try the Kanom Jaak chargrilled rice pudding or a warm bowl of Bua Loy, which are colourful steamed rice dumplings in coconut milk akin to the Nyonya Bubur Cha Cha.
