1 July 2012

NOW THAT'S THAI COOKING - NAHM IN BANGKOK

I have known and admired David Thompson for years. Eaten at Darley St Thai when it was in Bayswater Rd Sydney, eaten at Nahm in the Halkin hotel in London, attended several memorable cooking demos he's done in Auckland and Melbourne and even ambitiously cooked for him at a dinner at my house a few years back. So here we were at his Bangkok restaurant Nahm in the cutting edge Metropolitan Hotel and he was not there, sadly.

But his food was. And after all these years I think I finally understand just what Thai food is all about - not one iota like anything I have ever been served in Auckland or any other Thai restaurant that doesn't have David's stamp on it. His amazing staff mentioned David with revered tones as they explained our meal. We began with an array of tiny bites, every single one an intricate and delicate masterpiece. My favourites were airy open roll of airy, thin pastry not unlike a taco shell filled with shards of tender pork, and the soft young betel leaves to be rolled around a complex and fiery minced mixture of meat, nuts, and a thousand other tangy flavours.

But it was the main course, all served at once as Thai food should be, that really inspired me. Probably two large spoons of rice, to be eaten with tiny spoonfuls, one at a time, of a veritable and balanced banquet that was served neither hot nor cold. Very civilised and very, very mind-blowing.

And so I now know that every dish is there for a reason, to complement and contribute to the balance; a clear soup with roast duck, green coconut meat and redolent of Thai basil, the famous crab coconut curry with kalamansi lime, a delicate and ancient recipe of stir-fry of mild pork and yellow beans (not like any other stir-fry in the universe), some chunky marinated and fried grouper which was salty and deliberately bland to provide a little respite from the spices,a scallop salad which was amazingly complex with sweet and sour flavours, and a highly unusual dish of pork and prawn in freshly grated coconut milk that was accompanied by a bowl of fresh Thai greens and some deep fried fish layered with garlic and shallots to dip into. AMAZING!

A selection of desserts to follow included gorgeous stinky durian on sweet rice and a host of other treats. If you make it to Bangkok, it's a must. The restaurant itself is sophisticated and stylish, and is one of those places that you say, "Oh yes, I want to be here forever."

And by the way, in case you're thinking she raves too much, Nahm is in the Top 50 in the World San Pelligrino Restaurants.

Nahm at the Metropolitan, 27 South Sathorn Rd, T +66 2 625 3388

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