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Dai dishes joins Thai cuisine on city menus
By Xu Wenwen and Wu Huixin |
May 30, 2013, Thursday
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POPULAR around the world, Thai food creates a symphony of taste on the tongue -- a tantalizing balance of sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami.
However, while Thai food has found global renown, its "sister" Dai cuisine languishes in the shadows.
Dai people, who today mainly live in southern Yunnan Province in southern China, are one of the 55 ethnic minorities of the country, closely related to the Lao and Thai people.
Originally, the Dai all lived in modern Yunnan Province until political chaos and war more than 1,000 years ago prompted some to move further south into modern Laos, then Thailand.
So it is no wonder that Thai and Dai cuisine share many things in common - such as the sweet, sour and spicy taste, the choice of herbs and a fondness for curries and adding fruit to many dishes.
And while very different from mild Hangzhou cuisine, these spicy styles are finding increasing favor with locals, with more Thai and Dai restaurants appearing in the city.
Today, Shanghai Daily visits one Dai and two Thai restaurants that recently opened in Hangzhou.
Yu Thai
Hidden down an avenue in the shade of lofty trees, Yu Thai is determined to bring authentic Thai food to the city, say its owners.
It employs four Thai chefs, and executive chef Jeremy Lim, a Singaporean based in Thailand, has twice won the HRH Princess Sirindhorn Cup.
The restaurant, a two-floor building with a garden, has a comprehensive menu. Many Thai food fans say a good way of testing a Thai restaurant is by ordering a bowl of tom yam gong - a pungent soup containing shrimps, lemon leaves and lemongrass.
Yu Thai doesn't disappoint. The balance of spicy, sour and salty flavors is just right -- pleasing rather than irritating the nose and tongue.
The restaurant's signature dishes are its mild and aromatic curries.
The yellow crab curry is recommended for the harmonious combination of sweet fresh crab meat and smooth, aromatic curry.
Green beef curry is also a popular choice with diners, the meat soaking up the rich juices to perfection.
Address: 16 Lingyin Rd (on a path 200 meters northeast of the Jiulisong Tunnel exit)
Tel: (0571) 8778-0577
Yunnan Pot
Dai cuisine can be something of a mystery. Like Thai food, it's sour and spicy, but not overwhelmingly so. It also uses a wide range of vegetables, fruit and seasonings - including curry and chili - and incorporates a variety of cooking traditions.
Dai cooks also make use of seeds, mosses and fungi in their dishes - mushrooms are especially popular and diners here can sample a wild mushroom hotpot - and even insects are served as a delicacy.
The chefs here have brought these traditional dishes with them to Hangzhou, and Yunnan Pot offers several hotpots and other authentic Dai cuisine - including the insects!
Hotpots feature Yunnan classics like pig feet in sour lemon soup and preserved ribs pot, made from Yunnan pork.
Yunnan Pot also offers tom yam gong, but it tastes different from the Thai style - more sour, with less curry, and more yellow than orange.
Pineapple rice is also a dish shared by Thai and Dai cuisines. In Thai cuisine the rice is fried first and then steamed in a pineapple, but at Yunnan Pot the rice is steamed with the pineapple.
The chefs use purple rice together with Thai rice - the contrasting yellow and purple creating a very bright look. This, together with the sweet and sour aroma from the steamed pineapple, makes for a rather appetizing dish.
And, if you're feeling brave, try the insect dishes: fried honey bee pupae and fried bamboo worms. They're hard and crisp after being fried and frankly, don't taste of anything much. But they are packed with protein.
Address: No. 32 Donghexia, Xiaohezhi Street
Tel: (0571) 8518-6003
Royal Elephant
The elephant in the name suggests this restaurant offers traditional Thai cuisine, as it is considered a sacred animal by Thai people.
Dishes served feature typical sour and spicy tastes, with ingredients like curry and tropical fruit.
Its tom yam gong features an array of seasonings, including lemon, pod pepper and fish sauce to create the original flavor of authentic Thai soup. It's a big draw, bringing the faraway delicacy to Hangzhou foodies.
Curried shrimp, another classic Thai dish, is also popular with diners here. The curry flavor soaks into the crustaceans and, combined with fragrant coconut milk, provides a tasty option.
Unlike Chinese spring rolls which contain fillings like bean paste, the Thai spring rolls always have fresh meat, fish, green pepper and carrot inside. Dipping them in some yummy chutney is recommended.
Address: No. 15, Datong Lane
Tel: (0571) 8780-3356
However, while Thai food has found global renown, its "sister" Dai cuisine languishes in the shadows.
Dai people, who today mainly live in southern Yunnan Province in southern China, are one of the 55 ethnic minorities of the country, closely related to the Lao and Thai people.
Originally, the Dai all lived in modern Yunnan Province until political chaos and war more than 1,000 years ago prompted some to move further south into modern Laos, then Thailand.
So it is no wonder that Thai and Dai cuisine share many things in common - such as the sweet, sour and spicy taste, the choice of herbs and a fondness for curries and adding fruit to many dishes.
And while very different from mild Hangzhou cuisine, these spicy styles are finding increasing favor with locals, with more Thai and Dai restaurants appearing in the city.
Today, Shanghai Daily visits one Dai and two Thai restaurants that recently opened in Hangzhou.
Yu Thai
Hidden down an avenue in the shade of lofty trees, Yu Thai is determined to bring authentic Thai food to the city, say its owners.
It employs four Thai chefs, and executive chef Jeremy Lim, a Singaporean based in Thailand, has twice won the HRH Princess Sirindhorn Cup.
The restaurant, a two-floor building with a garden, has a comprehensive menu. Many Thai food fans say a good way of testing a Thai restaurant is by ordering a bowl of tom yam gong - a pungent soup containing shrimps, lemon leaves and lemongrass.
Yu Thai doesn't disappoint. The balance of spicy, sour and salty flavors is just right -- pleasing rather than irritating the nose and tongue.
The restaurant's signature dishes are its mild and aromatic curries.
The yellow crab curry is recommended for the harmonious combination of sweet fresh crab meat and smooth, aromatic curry.
Green beef curry is also a popular choice with diners, the meat soaking up the rich juices to perfection.
Address: 16 Lingyin Rd (on a path 200 meters northeast of the Jiulisong Tunnel exit)
Tel: (0571) 8778-0577
Yunnan Pot
Dai cuisine can be something of a mystery. Like Thai food, it's sour and spicy, but not overwhelmingly so. It also uses a wide range of vegetables, fruit and seasonings - including curry and chili - and incorporates a variety of cooking traditions.
Dai cooks also make use of seeds, mosses and fungi in their dishes - mushrooms are especially popular and diners here can sample a wild mushroom hotpot - and even insects are served as a delicacy.
The chefs here have brought these traditional dishes with them to Hangzhou, and Yunnan Pot offers several hotpots and other authentic Dai cuisine - including the insects!
Hotpots feature Yunnan classics like pig feet in sour lemon soup and preserved ribs pot, made from Yunnan pork.
Yunnan Pot also offers tom yam gong, but it tastes different from the Thai style - more sour, with less curry, and more yellow than orange.
Pineapple rice is also a dish shared by Thai and Dai cuisines. In Thai cuisine the rice is fried first and then steamed in a pineapple, but at Yunnan Pot the rice is steamed with the pineapple.
The chefs use purple rice together with Thai rice - the contrasting yellow and purple creating a very bright look. This, together with the sweet and sour aroma from the steamed pineapple, makes for a rather appetizing dish.
And, if you're feeling brave, try the insect dishes: fried honey bee pupae and fried bamboo worms. They're hard and crisp after being fried and frankly, don't taste of anything much. But they are packed with protein.
Address: No. 32 Donghexia, Xiaohezhi Street
Tel: (0571) 8518-6003
Royal Elephant
The elephant in the name suggests this restaurant offers traditional Thai cuisine, as it is considered a sacred animal by Thai people.
Dishes served feature typical sour and spicy tastes, with ingredients like curry and tropical fruit.
Its tom yam gong features an array of seasonings, including lemon, pod pepper and fish sauce to create the original flavor of authentic Thai soup. It's a big draw, bringing the faraway delicacy to Hangzhou foodies.
Curried shrimp, another classic Thai dish, is also popular with diners here. The curry flavor soaks into the crustaceans and, combined with fragrant coconut milk, provides a tasty option.
Unlike Chinese spring rolls which contain fillings like bean paste, the Thai spring rolls always have fresh meat, fish, green pepper and carrot inside. Dipping them in some yummy chutney is recommended.
Address: No. 15, Datong Lane
Tel: (0571) 8780-3356
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