Chef Chumpol
Khao by Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai hosted Chef Chumpo who introduced a carefully designed a menu. A menu constructed using the most traditional old-fashioned techniques and did not use any seasoning. No sugar, no msg instead natural ingredients such as fish and shrimp and vegetables were used to reproduce these flavors. The sweetness extracted from fruits and vegetables for the dishes, and the salty characters are from the shrimp paste. Every bite is a crafted from nature and the most traditional cooking culture. If you are curious about the traditional Thai meal, don’t miss the opportunity to catch up with the Thai cuisine at the four seasons.
Appetizer
The dinner began with an Amuse-Bouche that was promptly followed up promptly by appetizers. The plate pictured below is Saa Som O Samoon Prai which is a pomelo salad with aromatic herbs. The chef explained that this item is meant to be eaten in one bite for all the flavors to be enjoyed. So you would pick it up the leaf from the ends, fold it to be able to eat it in one bite. The two other items on this dish are Jord Man Pla Song Nahm, which is a deep-fried fish cake. Moreover, Mee Krob Choaw Wang which is a sweet, crispy noodle.
Soup
For our Soup, we were served Tom Yum Goon Boran, which is a spicy and sour soup with prawn. This one of my favorite dishes of the night. The prawn was plump and meaty while the soup was savory and well put together. If you are a fan of Tom Yum, you will love this dish.
Main Course
The main was made up of five different individual dishes. Listed on the menu: Gaeng Khua Poo a roasted red curry of blue crab. Pad Prik Keen Pla Cobia a wok-fried Phuket cobia fish with red chili. Mok Kaai Mod Daeng a steamed soufflé of Red Ant Eggs. Nahm Prik Moo Dum a dip of spicy chili and northern Thai black pig. Khao Doi Man Gai Capon is steamed mountain rice with capon chicken.
It was enlightening to have Chef Chumpol come out before every dish and explain what the meal. From the ingredients to technique to how to eat the meal, was a more than welcomed approach by the chef that was indeed appreciated by everyone in attendance. The Pad Prik Keen Pla Cobia had a beautiful color and textured. The meat was flaky and took on the flavors of red chili nicely. The other dish that had me wanting more was the Gaen Khua Poo. It was a deliciously spicy curry that pleased all the senses.
Dessert
Quite possibly the best dessert I had in a long time. While people were still taking photos, I practically inhaled this dish. There were a total of three different desserts on this plate. L Jim Mapraow Onn is a sherbert made from a young coconut. Kanon Piak Poon which is a rice and coconut charcoal pudding. Last but not least was Wisdom Mango and Sticky Rice which was a fusion approach of the classic mango sticky rice.
Chef Chumpol’s menu for the evening was not only a master class in Thai food but technique. He accomplished his goals of recreating Thai classics in using an almost lost art while still maintaining and enhancing some of the flavors we have come to expect of these foods.
The Schedule
2 & 3 March 2018 4-course dinner at Khao
2,400 baht per person or
3400 baht per person including wine-pairing
3 March 2018 Cooking Master Class at Rim Tai Kitchen
6500 baht per person
4 March 2018 Sunday Brunch with Chef Chumpol’s signature specialties;
starting at 1900 baht plus taxes per person at Rim Tai Kitchen
For more information: email fb.chiangmai@fourseasons.com or call 66 (0) 53 298 181
No Comments