Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Southern Thai Food Festival at Benjarong, Bengaluru!




A few days back I visited Benjarong, Bengaluru for their ongoing Southern Thai Food Festival (till Oct 8th, 2017) and was surprised with my experience thinking why on the earth I haven’t been here before? Benjarong means 'five colors’ used in the unique Thai Porcelain. The intricate and fine detail used in this porcelain makes this different from other pottery creations and a favorite piece of art for royal and commercial use. My experience at Benjarong was also so unique in terms of food and service they offered.



When I finally decided to visit this restaurant, I had the confidence that they won’t disappoint me. Why because, till now I haven’t heard a bad experience about this restaurant. My friend and I undoubtedly love Pan Asian cuisine; especially ‘Thai’ and we were so happy to dine at Benjarong where you will find only authentic flavors on your table.


We started our lunch with ‘Miam Khum’ which is a traditional welcome platter in Thailand. The Thai version of ‘Amuse Bouche’ I would say. The platter consisted of lettuce leaves, roasted peanuts, fried coconut silvers, lime, galangal, onion, chilies, and jaggery- coconut sauce. All you have to do is, pick a small portion of each item on a leaf, wrap it and just enjoy. First time I tried something like this and the crazy combo just created a burst of flavors in my mouth!


Southern Thailand is famous for its fresh seafood and spicy take on food. Unlike Indian or Chinese cuisines, Thai cuisine uses more of fresh herbs and ingredients than dry spices or sauces. I always felt Thai and Kerala cuisines have many similarities because of the usage of fresh coconut, ginger, bird’s eye chili etc. What we tried at Benjarong was an amalgamation of (Umami) taste – sweet, salty spicy, sour, and tangy.

Salad



Yum Pla Dook Foo – Steamed, minced and deep-fried catfish topped with raw mango salad and cashew nuts. Trust me! The best raw mango salad I have tried till date. The generous sprinkle of deep fried catfish crumbles on this salad will give you extra oomph factor.

Soup


Gaeng Som Cha-Om Talay  a traditional spicy seafood soup with Cha Om (Spinach leaves) omelette. I could live my entire life with this soup and the raw mango salad :)

Appetizers


Goong Tod Gai – Beautifully made minced Chicken dumpling with Prawns stuffing. The deep fried dish went well with the spicy dip.


Gai hor baitaey- The succulent morsels of chicken delicately marinated, wrapped in pandan leaves and deep fried. A signature dish of Benjarong served from more than a decade.


Gai Kolae – Spicy red Chili marinated chicken satay (skewers), a typical Southern Thai delight which tasted good.

Main course


Khao Pahd Sri Racha – Spicy fried rice with choice of meat or veggies wrapped in lotus leaf, steamed and served hot. I tried this Khua Kling neau and the combo was heavenly. The spicy flavors from Bird’s eye chili and green peppercorn can literally put your a** on fire :P If you don’t prefer beef, you can either try Chicken or Tofu in this curry.



Pad See Ew (Kanna- Broccoli) – Spicy flat noodles tossed with green vegetables was a standalone dish which can be taken without any accompaniments.


Khua Kling (Neau – beef) – minced beef curry with lots of kaffir lime leaves, bird’s eye chilies and tender peppercorns

Dessert


Tub Tim Krob – water chestnut rubies served with sweetened and chilled coconut milk.


Kluay buat chee – Bananas cooked in palm sugar syrup and topped with sweetened coconut cream and served with vanilla ice cream

The taste lingers in my mouth while writing this review and if you haven’t tried this fest, then head to Benjarong. I had an extraordinary experience of Thai cuisine at Benjarong, something which I haven’t experienced before. The key ingredients are all imported and hence provide their patrons the best and authentic Thai experience. Yeah… Some restaurants do magic and I left this place with a completely satisfied feeling. South Thai Food Festival will be on till 8th Oct 2017 and available for lunch and dinner (a la carte). A meal for two would be 1500 (approximately. Do check out and share your feedback with me :) #Yougottatryit
Address:
Benjarong
#12/1, Above Ente Keralam
Ulsoor Road, Bangalore
For reservations, contact - +91 9902410269 

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For any queries or feedback, call +91-9886771173 or send a mail to afoodiestrail@gmail.com

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