Restaurant Review: Royal Thai @ Cinnamon Lakeside | Sunday Observer

Restaurant Review: Royal Thai @ Cinnamon Lakeside

20 August, 2017

The beautiful mix of Thai spices has now become much desired in Colombo. Thankfully we don’t have to take a flight and travel almost 1,400 miles to Thailand to indulge in this cuisine. Right in the heart of the city is the Royal Thai restaurant. As one is about to enter the venue, you can catch a glimpse of the placid Beira Lake a few feet away with some pelicans hovering about. The moment you walk into Royal Thai the polished wood panels of the interior really exude with warmth and you feel that you’re in an oriental realm.

The smart wait staff recommends that I try a spicy mojito. Shortly the cocktail of white rum, lime, sugar and mint arrives in a crystal glass. A cute little red chili garnishes the crushed ice, and adds a dainty visual to this refreshing beverage.

The menu is presented in a lovely wood bound book (similar to an ancient horoscope). This is probably one of the best traditional menu presentations I have seen in Colombo, truly capturing the rich heritage of Thailand.

I was amazed to see a choice of 132 dishes, carefully indicating the level of spice with medium hot and chili hot.

The lunch menu is a set menu where you can make your choice from these 132 items. Royal Thai has an opulent interior, with hand crafted wood partitions that afford your privacy and comfort.

While my order was being prepared the lady Master Chef Bongkot Sabpong stopped by at the table. This amiable lady is very passionate about serving authentic Thai to us Sri Lankans. In a CNN food survey of 2011 of the world’s 50 delicious food dishes seven dishes came from Thailand which shows the popularity of Thai food globally. The appetizer arrives: Thod Mun Ga Praw Goong- hot basil prawn cake with cucumber pickle.

The prawn cakes were nice and not oily and went down well with the nam chim (dipping sauce). The spicy raw papaya salad was an interesting presentation with the green papaya finely sliced. The ethnic origins of this dish can be traded to Laos. The main course dishes arrived Phad Pak Ruam- stir fried mixed vegetables. The florets of broccoli could have yielded a softer texture.

Choo Chee Goon - chili paste prawns were juicy and succulent. The beef dish served in a green ceramic pot was resonating with so many flavours: Gaeng Kiew Waan Rue dang Nuea. The thick coconut cream in this gravy accentuated the dulcet spice and went well with the Kao Suay -steamed rice. It is nice that all Asian cuisine somehow connects with rice, and yet, there are so many preparations of rice from our region.

I was already feeling very full when Chef Sabpong insists that I try a simple yet famous dessert - sticky rice pudding with mango. The jasmine rice immersed in thick coconut cream and sugar is a lovely way to end this lunch.

Royal Thai is a serene venue with good service. The lady Chef has truly endeavored to showcase real Thai food supplementing the high standards maintained by Executive Chef Kapila Jayasinghe at Cinnamon Lakeside. The team is eagerly anticipating a Thai food festival in September. 

 

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