MENU: MY THAI

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My Thai

By Margaux Salcedo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:55:00 05/18/2008

MANILA, Philippines - I once was very fond of elephants. This is the influence of Dumbo who, for some reason, I remember as a cute little blue flying elephant from the picture books I read as a kid. Back then I believed in Dumbo―or at least in what he stood for. I believed in conquering your fears and making your dreams come true. My mother convinced me that like Dumbo, I could fly. (Like Dumbo,too, I have floppy ears.) Of course soon enough I realized that gravity, along with other things like failures and heartbreak, can easily weigh you down, no matter how big your ears are.

Reality notwithstanding, I do once in a while allow myself to be whisked away to worlds reminiscent of Dumbo―places of escape where nothing but good fortune is in store for you. Sometimes I find this world in a book. Sometimes on vacation in an island somewhere. And sometimes, on a lucky day, I find this in a restaurant.

I was having a horrible time in the shopper’s paradise that is Bangkok because... well, I’m not a shopper. Mostly, I visit malls not to shop but to eat! Ditto for bazaars. However, determined to flap my ears and have a grand time in this charming little city―and knowing that the way to my heart is through my stomach―I consulted the Food Police, who immediately pointed me in the direction of The Blue Elephant on South Sathorn Road.

South Sathorn Road is a long stretch of a road. But there, right by the MRT stop, is an elegant, old white house, sitting with a steady gaze that beckons you to approach. The doorman will open your car door for you and the receptionist is an English-speaking breath of fresh air. If the dining area is full, as it was on the night I dined there with my friends (we arrived without warning), you will be led to the second floor reception area, where you may first enjoy some apperitifs, cocktails or other drinks.

Very much looking forward to getting loopy after a long day, my friends began the evening with the traditional mai thai, which is simply fruit juice with vodka (with blue curacao to make it a “blue” mai thai). Meanwhile, I was curious to try their iced tea, which at this place was no virgin drink, with mixes of gin, rum, and vodka. (That’s what I call weaving in flavors!)

Once a table frees up, you will be led to the dining area, where the magic of Bangkok cuisine will win over your heart. The Thais are amazing. They don’t just layer flavors and textures, they weave these in together. And they mix in so many details that to ask for plain suka (vinegar) or toyo (soy sauce) would seem uncultured! You will dip your viand not in soy sauce alone, or soy sauce with vinegar, as they do in Bacolod, or soy sauce with calamansi, as we do in Manila. One dipping sauce I tried consisted of soy sauce, vinegar, “sarsa” or what very much looked like bagoong to me, red hot chili pepper bits, and onions. Then of course, the world renowned Thai dipping sauce has vinegar, sugar, salt, cucumber, shallots, chili, and even coriander leaves! The Thai taste is definitely beyond elementary.

At Blue Elephant, the specialty is―you guessed it―Thai cuisine. But they have also developed some fusion flavors. I began my dinner, in true fine dining fashion, with foie gras. But theirs is not your ordinary pan seared foie. Here, it takes a Bangkok detour by the addition of tamarind sauce. The tamarind sauce is sweet, not sour, and contrasts well with the gentle saltiness of the foie gras. It’s a graceful pairing that is very Asian.

Neither is their sea bass served as we are accustomed to. Here, it lies in a bamboo case and, as called for by Thai tradition, accessorized with herbs. It also comes with two sauces―one spicy and another sweet―that miraculously don’t overpower the Asian flavors brought out by the herbs.

Other main courses are more direct to the Thai point. The Beef Yod Mapraow, marinated slices of “Kho Khun” beef, is given character by the accompanying palm hearts. The Phad Yod Boub, a vegetable plate, uses Boub stems from “the Virgin Hill tribe.” Meanwhile the dessert I had, although still true to Thai, reminded me of home. It was really just a rice cake, similar to our bibingkang malagkit (minus the sugar on top) or suman. But here, it is topped with coconut, and then served alongside a slice of mango. It was sweet in a very tender way. (Ours is more brazenly sweet.)

I learned later on that the Blue Elephant is now found in different parts of the world and seeks to be an “ambassador” of Thai flavors. I must say it does a beautiful job. And the service is excellent. After a day of converting your r’s to l’s and speaking using only key English words, possibly getting exasperated with your cab driver or exhausted after bargaining in the stores, the staff at this restaurant are a real relief―cordial, accommodating, efficient. Those who visit the world of the Blue Elephant, which really looks like an old mansion converted into a restaurant, experience a real escape. And if I find myself re-visiting Bangkok, I would escape to this world again and again―and again! •

Blue Elephant Bangkok. Blue Elephant Building, 233 South Sathorn Road, Kwaeng Yannawa, Khet Sathorn, Bangkok 10120, Thailand. Tel: +66 (2) 673 9353, +66 (2) 6739354, +66 (2) 6739356. Fax: +66 (2) 673 9355