Thai food moves further than curry, make a punchy comeback

Copyright © HT Digital Streams Limit all rights reserved. Thai Canele on Toa 66; (Right) Banng Mumbai. Summary flavor-grazing fans of Thai food question ‘Yum Yang’ and ‘Kai Tawt’, even though red curry and raw papaya salad has been favorites over the past eight months, has at least three restaurants specializing in Thai kitchen opened to 66 and Khao Man Gai in Mumbai and Bengaluruapart. FURN (RESTERA) and in Bengaluru apart of the country’s existence, and Banng (Delhi), institution of outposts in Mumbai. While Thai food, typically curries, has been part of menus at multi-kitchen restaurants since the 1990s, the new restaurants have introduced original flavors and ingredients, apart from the variety of regional specialties from the country. India took food to Thai for various reasons. “The scents hit at the same time, but there is balance. It doesn’t try to be subtle. It is expressive, and people respond to the kind of honesty. Thai food, just like Indian food, manages to make you feel and surprised, ‘explains Chef Garima Arora, co-founder of Banng and the two Michelin star, Gaa in Bangkok. The live flavor profile and preference for gravies and curries make it a winner in India. Both kitchens use ingredients such as tamarind, cilantro and lime, which make Thai food more known for Indian dinners. Thai Cuisine’s Journey in India is closely linked to chef Ananda Solomon, who started Thai Pavilion in Mumbai in the then Taj Cuffe parade in 1993 after spending time in Thailand, learned from cooks in the Thai royal palace as well as towns. Eventually, he returned to Mumbai with Thai chefs to start the restaurant. Solomon went to another Thai restaurant in Mumbai, Thai name in 2020. “There were three Thai chefs; One for the series, one for the curries and one for salads. He also hired three Thai fruits that would sit in the restaurant and do live carving, ‘says Chef Manish Mehrotra, who spent his forming years under Solomon’s Tuelage. He reminds that fresh Thai products were difficult to come, and that supplies would be delivered for two weeks until Taj erected a small farm in Marol, Mumbai, to improve access to ingredients. It was a high-risk decision with a high reward, because creating a Thai menu that would work for the Indian palate was difficult, especially when it comes to using ingredients such as fish sauce. Fresh ingredients such as lemon basil and pandan leaves still present a challenge for many Thai restaurants. Manav Khanna, executive chef at Banng Delhi and Mumbai, says: “Our curry paste is made in Bangkok and flew to India weekly.” They also have a provider of Thailand for vegetables. The biggest advantage Thai food has in India is that once the flavors click – sweet, salty, spicy and sour – truly click them. Thai Green Curry, Pad Thai and Papaya salad are on the pan-Asian menus. The dishes, just like all popular international cuisine, have been channeled to fit local palate and ingredients, and that’s what changes these new restaurant crops. “I saw green curry being made with spinach to add color, and Pad Thai who was too spicy compared to the traditional one in Thailand,” says Chef Seefah Ketchaiyo, co-founder of Mumbai’s Seefah and Khao Man Gai. The Thai chef came to India in 2011 to work at Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai, and made her home here. In 2018, she opened her eponymous restaurant with man and partner chef Karan Bane in Bandra. Thai dishes that have found fame, except for the usual suspects, include the stuffed Thai omelette and Miang Kham, a grapefruit and betel lettuce. Authentic Jungle, Massaan and Red Curries are also gaining popularity, says the new restaurants, which have tackled the matter to serve real Thai flavors. Ketchaiyo chooses dishes she knows that people will love without compromising the scents. “The southern Thai crab curry has become very popular in my restaurant, but I’m not going to change the taste for the Indian palate,” she says. The region is known for its spicy dishes with fat flavors. For Fireback, Goa and his new Mumbai outpost, restaurateur Rohit Khattar moved Chef David Thompson, known as Thai Food Global with his restaurant Nahm in London in 2001, to create the menu. “David is a sticker for traditional recipes. However, we also knew that we could not alienate or protest our guests by being strict about it,” says Khattar. For example, the Khmoy Green Curry in the Goa restaurant faced a little setback of Diners because they were used to another version. “Ours are not the green curry you ate. It is dark green and not watery. We use coconut cream and cook it slowly until the cream and the oil separates, making it richer and creamier. The dish had mixed reviews, but it was fascinating to see how guests see dishes, ‘he adds. Frederic Meyer, founder of Bangkok’s famous track Phad Thai, also opened an outpost in Bengaluru. The menu contains Bangkok Night Market favorites such as Yum Yang, a punchy Thai-Chinese hot and sour salad; Kai Tawt, a sickle and fried chicken wings with tamarind name Jim sauce. Indian diners also became more adventurous and tasteful, as they traveled to Thailand for more than a decade, making it the best holiday destination. While Bangkok is the Gateway City, Phuket, Pattaya, Koh Samui, Phi Phi Islands and Chiang Mai, it’s on the itinerary. According to Thailand’s tourism authority, 1.6 million Indians traveled to Thailand in 2023, and 2.1 million in 2024. Ishaa Shah, co-founder of Tóa 66, a vegetarian Thai-taste experience in Mumbai, explains that food is a large part of the experience for India. “Once they are back, the same audience is looking for spaces that they can take back to the moment of discovery and the authentic flavor profile,” she says. Her Kway Tiew packs Mao, or handmade rice sheets filled with chestnuts in the water and served with a herbaceous sauce, is a popular dish. The thoughtful adaptation of authentic scents, menu innovations and the emphasis on cultural respect ensures that Thai food is no longer strange, but welcomed and celebrated. Sayoni Bhaduri is a lifestyle journalist in Mumbai. Catch all the business news, market news, news reports and latest news updates on Live Mint. Download the Mint News app to get daily market updates. More Topics #Features Read Next Story