Chef Siji C. K, Executive Chef of Arabella Multi- Cuisine Restaurant, introduces us to Thai cuisine and a whole lot of flavors of the East.

Just when you are looking for a game of tongue twisters, I can confidently tell you that Chef Siji has them lined up in his extensive menu. It started with a soup that had a handful of ingredients, and of course names too (Kuay TeowTom Yum).I had a laugh, for the words strung in the soup’s name were longer than the noodles in the soup. Tossing aside the humour, the red soup looked fiery. But I wasn’t intimidated by its color, especially because the color meant prosperity. I knew I was bound to taste something rich, and there it was, the striking taste of freshly cut lemongrass. Chef Saji said, “Spicy Thai dishes are often balanced with the tart flavors of such ingredients as lemongrass, ginger, lemons, and limes.”

As we were preparing for the shot, Chef Siji served warm and crisp shrimp Dim Sums. Though the photo looks effortless, my rendezvous with the Kappa Pappadam Pidi chopstick was certainly not. Definitely not like those Chinese Kung Fu movies where the fighters pick up their rice faster than a preying mantises’ feet. This shoot stirred associations about many countries, it made me think, what makes Thai food genuinely Thai? Until 1939, Thailand was known to be as Siam. Thailand’s cuisine warmed up to some of their neighbor’s love and few recipes travelled across borders. For the Thai (pronounced as TIE) people migrated to their present homeland from Southern China about 2000 years ago.

But Thailand is one of the only Asian countries that has never been colonized by the West, which definitely gave them an upper hand in maintaining their cuisine. Unlike shallots being diced in the Pla Phad Nam Prik Pao, it was refreshing to have them in whole with the sliced fish. The fried rice is a staple in every Asian cuisine, but Chef added a tad bit of Golden Mountain Sauce and placed an egg, just like how Sri Lanka does in their hoppers. I could taste a pinch of India too. A familiar set of spices and yes ingredients too. Here’s a little surprise, just like Kerala is the land of coconuts, so is Thailand. With our myriad interpretations of coconut in food, I loved their take. Especially the GaengKiew Wan Gai – the green chicken curry soused in coconut milk and, of course, the Sankaya- a traditional coconut custard. Thai food had its own mélange of seasoning that made me enjoy my trip on the Oriental Express. Just like we collect postcards in our journey, the food’s flavor evoked memories of all the seasonings and ingredients in Asia. In Thailand,chai means yes in Thai, I say,” Say chai to some Thai.”

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