The sweet taste of summer

GAYSORN SHOPPING mall welcomes the hot season and the Songkran holidays with the launch of “Thai Summer Tastes”, a campaign featuring a variety of known and much-loved sweets and savouries created by some of the leading names in fine dining.

They include Khao Chae Chao Wang, the traditional summer meal of jasmine rice in fragrant iced water served with condiments. Prepared by the chefs at the Mandarin Oriental Shop to an old royal recipe, the rice is paired with seven delectable side dishes. These are deep-fried shrimp paste balls mixed with grilled catfish and Thai herbs; bite-sized, fried salted eggs coated with flour and egg white; stir-fried pickled radish; deep-fried shallots filled with snakehead and pounded pork; shredded sweet pork; and crispy egg-wrapped bell peppers stuffed with shrimp and mashed pork. Cucumber, turmeric, finger root and mango delicately carved into leaves and champaka flowers, decorate the plates. 

 “We’ve been serving Khao Chae Chao Wang every April for more than 30 years. It’s the perfect summer dish,” says Benjama Olarnsakul, director of public affairs of The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok.

“We used only the best ingredients. The salted egg is sourced in Surat Thani’s Chaiya district while the snakehead comes from Mae La district in Sing Buri. Diners can also enjoy the meal as part of our lunch buffets at Sala Rim Nam and Lord Jim outlets or as a takeaway set.”

That set comes in a rattan basket and in two sizes for two and four persons. They’re priced are Bt445 and Bt685 

 respectively and are available at the Emporium, Siam Paragon and Central Chidlom branches too.

The Mandarin Oriental Shop is also offering a range of summer macarons flavoured with cranberry, mango and sticky rice, royal jasmine and lychee and mangoesteen, as well as new lines golden vintage & champagne and royal orchid & cherry created to celebrate the hotel’ s 140th birthday. They cost Bt55 apiece. 

Cafe-style restaurant Provence joins the Summer campaign with Kanom Jeen Sao Nam (Bt160), an easy-to-digest dish of fresh rice vermicelli served with Sri Racha pineapple, powdered shrimp, gar

 lic, shredded ginger, lemon, chilli, coconut milk and home-made fish balls.

“We usually offer Thai favourites and seasonal dishes and this year we’ve opted for Kanom Jeen Sao Nam, one of Thailand oldest summer dishes,” explains manager Weena Thanomchuen. 

The bistro also has Khao Mun Som Tum (Bt185), jasmine rice blended with coconut milk, brown sugar and sea salt and served with shredded sweet pork and papaya salad and Ruam Mit Nam Daeng (Bt95), ice flakes topped with red syrup and condensed milk with sugar-cooked potato, pumpkin, palm fruit, kidney beans, bread and black jelly. 

Over at Morsel Nest where you feel as though you are sitting in a basket, the summer speciality is Yam Som O Salad (Bt180) a spicy blend of Norwegian salmon, zucchini, dried shrimp, dill, garlic and tamarind sauce. It’s best followed by Mango and Sticky Rice (Bt190), cleverly designed to resemble sushi, that’s topped with coconut juice caviar, jasmine tea foam, edible flowers, coconut sorbet and golden mung bean biscuit coated with honey. You can wash it all down with a healthy Pomelo Soda (Bt130). 

“We combine many popular dishes from around the world and serve them in a modern presentation. We use different modern techniques like sous-vide but we still focus on the original flavours. Our glutinous rice comes from Chiang Rai, our Khao Nam Phueng pomelo from Nakhon Pathom and the Nam Dok Mai mangoes from Ratchaburi,” says operation manager Nicolas Lam. 

For those who would prefer to sip a cool drink, 1823 Tea Lounge by Ronnefeldt is offering a choice of colourful tea-based mocktails and smoothies. Among the special drinks is the green Melon Splash, a mix of Pai 

 Mu Tan white tea, melon, lime and pineapple juice, vanilla syrup topped with home-made pear sorbet. Also worth trying is the Lost in Paradise, a refreshing blend of Vanille Black Ceylon tea, lime and grape juice, Sprite and topped with vanilla ice cream garnished with lemon zest and blueberries.

Mango Nojito features Mango Dream black tea with brown sugar, mint leaves and mango pulp while the Mango and Peppermint Slush smoothie is mixed with pureed mango, peppermint tea, lime juice and topped with mango sorbet. They are priced at Bt190 and available until May 31. 

“All drinks are made with seasonal fruits so they are healthy as well as fresh. Pai Mu Tan white tea from China is a good match for cantaloupe while the Lost in Paradise gets a mild kick from bourbon,” says PR manager Nawaporn Singhaputtanggul. “The Mango and Peppermint Slush smoothie is made from caffeine-free peppermint tea.” 

Ronnefeldt also had a range of maracons to eat in or take away. Flavours include black lemon tea, salted caramel, lavender, mango, rose, yuzu orange, earl grey, raspberry lychee yoghurt, vanilla rooibos and white truffle, and the sweet treats sell for Bt45 apiece.

 

COOL IN THE HEAT

Madarin Oriental Shop is on the ground floor and is serving Khao Chae Chao Wang through the end of April. 

1823 Tea Lounge by Ronnefeldt is on the first floor and offers its summer specials until May 31.

Morsel Nest is on the second floor. The Mango and Sticky Rice and Pomelo Soda are available until the end of the month. 

All three are open daily from 10am to 8pm.

Provence is on the third floor and offers Khanom Jeen Nam Sao Nam until May 31. It opens an hour later at 11am.

Find out more by calling (02) 656 1149.