Flavors of Thailand at Marriott Hotel Manila

FOR some reason, I often find myself associated with many things Thai. Back in the 90’s when Thai restaurants were all the rage, I wrote about two popular fine dining joints, Sawasdee and Ayutthaya on two separate occasions for The Manila Times.

Later that decade, I got the chance to cover a Microsoft event in Phuket, my very first trip outside the country and last year, I finally got the chance to visit Bangkok for an Intel event coverage and made quite a few friends in the process, too.Based on my two brief visits, I'd have to be of the opinion that there are plenty of good reasons why this wonderful country is called Amazing Thailand.

This year, I also wrote about a Michael and Jenny Cocuaco, the Zamboanga-based Pinoy couple who placed second in the recently concluded Ultimate Thailand Explorers reality competition, both for this blog (twice!) and in the July issue of H & L (Health & Lifestyle) magazine.

Chef Krobsuay

So it was hard to say no when I got a recent invite from Marriott Hotel Manila to sample authentic Thai cuisine in the ongoing Flavors of Thailand food festival at the Marriott Café.

In partnership with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Embassy of Thailand and Thai Airways, the food fest aims to celebrate rich and unique flavors of Thailand with a delicious showcase of authentic Thai dishes prepared by Thai chef Thanathorn Krobsuay, flown directly from the JW Marriott Bangkok.

Even though I’m not gifted with many would call a spicy tongue, I always found Thai food to be very intriguing. And there was a lot to like from Chef Krobsuay adventurous cuisine that started with a piping hot serving of the sweet and spicy Tom Yam Goong, a spicy prawn soup with lemongrass and galangal.

Following this act is Som Tum, a spicy salad starter made of shredded green papaya, beans, and dried shrimp. Then there were the classic main dishes like the Thod Mun Pla, a marinated fried fish cake with green beans and herbs swathed in sweet and sour sauce and served with pickled cucumber,

There’s the Larb Gai, minced chicken salad with mint and ground rice enhanced with the natural flavors of lime juice and fish sauce, popular favorite Pad Thai considered a national dish consists of stir fried noodles, eggs, been sprouts, shrimp, chicken, and tofu combined with oriental ingredients such as tamarind juice, hot chili, and fish sauce that produces a nutty, pungent taste.

Pad Thai

Chef Krobsuay ends his literally hot Thai feast with the refreshing kanom thai ruam, selections of Thai royal desserts that offer a sweet and salty balance of taste. Usually made of coconut milk based or sweet sticky rice, Krobsuay says all desserts feature piquant Asian ingredients and recipes.

The Flavors of Thailand is available during lunch and dinner for the entire month of August at P1,350 net for adults and P675 net for children during weekdays and Sunday Brunch at PHP 1,650 net. Children below 12 get in for half the price and children below 6 get in for free.

To further sweeten the deal, diners who avail of the Flavors of Thailand buffet also get a chance to win a pair of roundtrip tickets to Thailand courtesy of the Thai Airways and Tourism Authority of Thailand. The prize trip includes a three-night stay with breakfast at the Rennaisance Koh Samui Resort and Spa Thailand.

Sawasdee!

For more information, visit www.marriott.com.