An Odyssey of Thai flavours

Medium sized stir fried rice noodles with veggies, fish sauce and lime juice. A scrambled egg mixed into the noodles to seal the dish. Yes, Pad Thai noodles is what I am talking about. This along with Pla Tod Rad Phik or fried fish, lightly battered and sautéed with red curry paste, Tom Yum lemon prawn soup, were the typical Thai dishes I expected to see as part of the menu at Shiro, as they were celebrating Thai flavours. But alas! I was in for a surprise.

The Shiro collection of Thai flavours and their interpretation was unique and interesting. Basil, coconut, Kaffir lime, tamarind, bird’s eye chilli and lemongrass were the six ingredients abundantly used in Thai cuisine and the Shiro menu was crafted carefully based on these.

The concept struck me as fascinating. There was no attempt to serve typical Thai dishes, but instead the flavours of these six ingredients was in some way infused with Pan Asian dishes and the presentation too was given a twist. Now, that’s what I call real innovation.

The menu had ample vegetarian options too and some exciting cocktails like Beast of the east and Siamese storm as well. These too had cleverly made use of those six Thai elements.

Our steamed Chilean seabass arrived in the basket, normally used for dim sums. The subtle flavours of the bird’s eye chili had gently permeated the fish, giving it a spicy twist. Steamed fish with tamarind sauce came next. I was anticipating a strong tamarind flavour. But chef proved me wrong. The Vietnamese Basa had been marinated with kaffir lime, galangal and lemon grass and drizzled with tamarind sauce, thus being replete with the goodness of all these flavours. It truly was a confluence of Thai flavours at its best.

The Lemongrass chicken jolted my taste buds out of the fish stupor. It was well-marinated, succulent and boasted of the right amount of spice, teasing my taste buds.

The Thai spring rolls got my thumbs up instantly. Not merely, because of their flawless taste and texture, but also the presentation. It was served with iceberg lettuce and was meant to be eaten wrapped in that along with a basil leaf. Oh! The burst of flavours and textures in my mouth was unparalleled. And it helped to cut the fried aspect of a spring roll too.

I noticed that the spice element in most of the dishes was tempered — perhaps to suit the global palate. I could have done with some more though, given it was Thai food.

Vegetarian Thai pot stickers in a Thai meal I was puzzled. But that’s where the chef’s expertise came in. These dumplings with tofu and shitake mushrooms were given a Thai spin with the addition of Thai green curry, coconut milk and galangal. Steamed and then pan seared, these were easily the highlight of my meal.

After the medley of flavours that my taste buds had gotten treated to, I realised each dish was only getting better. The raw papaya salad, would be humdrum, I thought. But the surprises continued unabated. This tangy, tart, sweetish and crunchy salad was imbued with Thai flavours and the grilled prawns enhanced the taste owing to their smoky flavour.

The Jasmine rice and Thai green curry which were served last, unfortunately paled in comparison.

This was one meal, where I did not even crave for a dessert as I wanted these aromatic Thai flavours to linger longer on my taste buds. No aberration was in order tonight. With exemplary, unobtrusive service, inventive Thai food, I left Shiro, satiated. This Shiro collection of Thai flavours will tantalise the palate of gourmets everyday for lunch and dinner till March 31.

Mini Ribeiro is a food writer