IMBO Magazine Issue 32 | Page 127

Nom Nom Nom Fancy yourself a gourmet? Figure that a meal consisting of strawberry soda, fried squid and pad thai (Thailand’s quintessential dish made up of stir-fried rice noodles, eggs, shrimp & tofu) doesn't quite test your taste buds’ mettle? A Khantoke Dinner would be right up your alley. Traditionally a feast reserved for royal subjects on very special occasions such as festivals and holy days, this is a meal of epic proportions - Thailand’s “seven colours” if you will. Brace Yourself Three words: “come really hungry!”... As soon as you are ushered to your seat, you are bombarded with a variety of tasty Northern Thai dishes. First up is a bowl of clear lettuce soup served with sticky rice. Just as you begin to dig into your starters, a Khan Tok - meaning a low round table - is placed in front of you, laden with an overwhelming range of delicacies. Not confined to a figure of speech, this spread allows you to “feast your eyes”. This dinner would probably be best described as a personal buffet. Bowls filled with a wide range of dishes are quickly refilled as soon as your spoon scrapes the bottom. A bowl of minced pork cooked in tomatoes goes well with the famous Asian starch, steamed rice. It won’t be too long before you start eyeing the crispy deep fried chicken, of course. Surprisingly well cooked chicken is a popular dish in Asia. To balance things out, healthy servings of steamed, stir-fried and raw vegetables are provided. For those with an adventurous palate, bowls of crispy pork skin and sticky sweet rice noodles are also part of the mix. THREE WORDS “ C O M E R E A L LY