There are certain cultures where hospitality is an art and Thai culture is one of them particularly as far as Arun Thai is concerned. I’m meeting my fabulous travelling companion Alison with whom I recently travelled to Austria with and we’re having lunch at Arun Thai. The location is no coincidence. She and her photographer husband have just completed a cookbook called “Kham’s Sai Mae Nam” with Kham, the effusive and generous owner of Arun Thai. I have always enjoyed dining here as one of my oldest friends lives literally doors away and we have many happy memories of meals here but it has been a while between visits. This is not cheap, casual Thai food. It is a little more at the upper end but the room reflects it.
Young Coconut drink
Click here to read the full story
|
January 24, 2010
by Not Quite Nigella
Or I could subtitle this story as “Mr NQN’s favourite restaurant meal” such was his adoration for the food served to us this day.
” Look, he’s actually cooking here!” I grab Mr NQN’s arm when I see the familiar curly grey flecked hair of New Zealand export to London Peter Gordon. I mean I knew this was one of his lunches but he was well and truly cooking in the kitchen and not just here in name only. I had seen Peter speak at the World Chef Showcase only the day before and he had told us of his upbringing involving plastic corks and a pet lamb which they ate. It was a very much Hunter Gatherer lifestyle typical of NZ at the time. He recalls the first time he had an avocado and the pleasure they had eating it.
Martin Boetz from Longrain
Peter Gordon
I have a quick chat to Peter before he gets started and he talks about the restaurant scene in London. I ask if the GFC has hit his restaurants, The Providores and Tapa Room and he says that it hasn’t much at all, they’re open for breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 days a week and on the ground floor there’s the Tapa Room (named after the large traditional Rarotongan Tapa cloth made from block printed and hand beaten paper mulberry bark on the wall) and on the 1st floor there’s The Providores restaurant. Even since the GFC, in a city as badly hit as London, they’re busier than usual. And this is the man who owned The Sugar Club who Calvin Klein said was his favourite restaurant yet he had never visited and who made headlines when they turned Madonna away.
Click here to read the full story
|
December 12, 2009
by Not Quite Nigella
A job perk such as a corporate lunch is one of those treats that you always look forward to. And when it’s lunch with nice people, where you don’t need to thrash out any deals, all the better for it. Today Voldemort and I are being taken out to lunch by Y, K and Pete to Longrain.
I have lots of good, but misty memories of Longrain. Misty and blurred since they were so long ago. I recall waiting at the bar for almost an hour for a table (they have a no bookings policy at dinner) but that was no hardship, it was one of those gloriously posey bars where perching on a banquette or lounge is the policy.
Today, in the light of day, I see that little has changed. The interior looks the same as always and the long shared table in the main dining room is full of suited diners. We’re led to the semi private room around the corner where smaller tables sit without having to share the enormous communal tables. It’s a good thing as it’s warmer and slightly quieter there (although by no means is it quiet).
Eggnet with pork, prawns, peanut, bean sprouts and sweet vinegar $28.50
Our selections are made to share and are a mix of textures and flavours. The first to arrive is the Eggnet with pork, prawns, peanut, bean sprouts and sweet vinegar. A spidery fishing net of egg omelette embraces an enormous mound of bean sprouts, prawns and pork, like a catch of the day bounty. The peanut and ginger flavour is strong and tangy.
Crisp duck with banana blossom pomelo and sweet fish sauce $42
Click here to read the full story
|
October 24, 2008
by Not Quite Nigella
Have you ever known one of those permanent University students? One that drifts from course to course collecting degrees and PhD’s like trophies. I know some but I could never be one. I was always itching to get out and ready to do the job rather than theorise about it. I can understand the appeal of the safety of a university but to me, studying for exams is something nightmares are made out of. As soon as I got my degree, I was gone in a flash.
University food is pretty dismal at the best of times – as I was a vegetarian at the time I seem to recall melted cheese on everything, but if you’re a student at UNSW there is one place where you can find solace, in a spicy bowl of Laksa, noodle soup or Beef Rendang. I am such a fan of their Beef Rendang that I compare it against all other and inevitably others fail.
It’s 11.45am and there is already a queue which comes in waves, sometimes it is empty, other times it stretches beyond the shopfront. They’re either queuing for bain marie’d dishes or at the noodle station for some noodle soup or Laksa. The Laksa is always a good bet here and today is the Penang Laksa so we order this.
We also order a chicken green curry and some soy sauce chicken and a satay stick.
Click here to read the full story
|
August 31, 2008
by Not Quite Nigella
It’s not often that my husband suggests that we visit a place to eat. I know, deep down, he hopes that I will give up the food reviewing portion of my blog and just do cooking. Not that he is a killjoy or trying to kitchen enslave me, rather he was brought up not going to restaurants. Apparently the one time that his family went, as they were raw food vegans it ended up causing such a kerfuffle it gave him Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. However this day, he was so fascinated by the enormous queues spilling out of Satang Thai that he actually suggested that we go.
The reason why there are such queues? The price apparently and it’s prime location right near UTS University. The food must also be good as there are a huge number of eateries to choose from. It’s 9.15pm on a Wednesday night when we arrive and still there are crowds outside, mostly students waiting for takeaway. We take a table right at the front and decide on our order. There are dishes starting at $5 for a thai soup with chicken to $6.50 for BBQ pork and noodles. There’s only one dish that breaks the $9.80 price barrier at $13.50. I order and pay up front and we take our seat and wait. There are only enough seats for 20 people to eat in and for most of the students around us, it’s probably easier to eat at home.
We’re waiting for between 5-10 minutes for our meal and once it arrives it looks and smells good. There is a slightly creepy sensation as if we are being watched. I turn around as I feel all eyes upon us. Indeed the large crowd on the footpath awaiting their takeaway are hungry and are feasting upon our food with their eyes. They’re fairly close and it feels like there are 20 other people seated at our table but not eating. Slightly creepy. Next time we’ll get a table inside if we can.
I try the Drunky Chicken noodles ($8.50). I’m not certain what makes it Drunky but it’s quite delicious. It’s heady in garlic and that fragrant licoricey Thai basil. The chicken pieces are clumped together and there are other vegetables and egg in it as well as thick rice noodles evenly coated with the garlicky, sweet scented sauce.
Click here to read the full story
|
April 19, 2008
by Not Quite Nigella
What is NQN up to now?
NQN on Facebook
RSS
