There's a sudden rise in the popularity of Thai cuisine among Indians. The emergence of a myriad of restaurants in Delhi and NCR, offering Thai food validates it. Of course, the food available here is tweaked to fit the palate of Indian eaters. But, here's a great opportunity for Thai food lovers to experience the authentic flavours of the cuisine, right here in Gurugram. The Leela Ambience Hotel in Gurugram, is offering the diverse flavours of Thai cuisine at its in-house restaurant, Spectra. To proffer the real ardour of the celebrated Thai cuisine, the hotel has roped in Thai Chef Tarathip Nooriengsai, who recently joined the hotel and is recreating authentic delights and bringing out hidden flavours from her home country.
The hotel recreates the magic of busy Thailand streets, with regional delicacies and local decorations on display. With exotic fruits to savour, fresh seafood counter to devour and a food cart with delectable street side delights, this festival will teleport you to Thailand instantly. The waft of the exotic Thai cuisine travelled across the restaurant, the moment we entered, riveting us towards their buffet of Thai food spread.
Executive Chef Ashish Bhasin walked us through the large spread of the buffet, sharing the essence of each dish and later, letting us relish the popular regional delicacies of Thailand.
Mocktails -
We quenched our thirst with coconut-based drink - Leela's Tom Yummy and Ambient B &Tea. The refreshing drinks helped us beat the heat of the scorching summer afternoon and set the right tone for the impending delicious lunch.
The Leela Ambience: Leela's Tom Yummy
Appetisers -
The first thing to hit our plate was vegetarian appetiser - Thod Mun Khao Poad. It is a corn fritter flanked by the freshness of kaffir lime sauce. The fritter was cooked perfectly - crispy on the outside and soft inside. Another appetiser we tried was Sakuna Long Runk (bird-shaped shrimps in plum sauce). Being seafood lovers, we gorged on the dish. It satisfied our craving but the dish could have been juicier for a better experience.
The Leela Ambience: Thod Mun Khao Poad
Main Meals -
We started off with Som Tam Salad, an enticing medley of fresh food products with the right amount of tanginess. Next, we got Gai Phad Med Mamuang - stir-fried chicken, button mushroom, onion, spring onion, dry chilli, cashew nut in tamarind oyster sauce - a perfect combination of meats, veggies and nuts and sauce made with apt consistency.
The Leela Ambience: Som Tam Salad
Desserts -
After a fulfilling meal, we headed to the desserts counter to please our sweet tooth. Khao Niew Mamuang (mango with sticky rice coconut milk) had nothing exceptional about it but Tub Tim Grob (red ruby chestnut in coconut pudding) heightened our senses and filled our mouth and heart with the out-of-the-world taste.
(Also Read: Pasta Bowl Company's New Menu Is A Summery Surprise)
The Leela Ambience: Tub Tim Grob
A wholesome lunch at the Thai festival left us wanting for more. If you haven't visited it yet, head to The Leela Ambience Gurugram for the lunch or dinner buffet and experience the true spirit of Thailand cuisine. The festival is on till June 2, 2019. The event has been organised by Leela in association with Tourism Authority of Thailand and Nokscoot Airlines.
What: Thai Cuisine Festival
Where: Spectra, The Leela Ambience Gurugram
When: May 24 to June 2, 2019
12:30 PM to 3:00 PM l 6:30 PM to 11:30 PM
About Neha GroverLove for reading roused her writing instincts. Neha is guilty of having a deep-set fixation with anything caffeinated. When she is not pouring out her nest of thoughts onto the screen, you can see her reading while sipping on coffee.