ONE HUNDRED
YEARS OF THAI, CHINESE TRADITION
AT THE BLUE ELEPHANT
EXPERIENCE THAI CHIN FOR THE BEST FUSION OF ASIAN CUISINES
KUWAIT:
Thai Chin was built in Bangkok in 1903. The building, which is
located in an affluent area in the country, has undergone and
survived both world wars and was also the headquarters for Bangkok’s
Thai Chinese Chamber of Commerce. Thai Chin has been one of the
country‘s landmarks, providing rich cultural and heritage and a
splendid architectural structure that depicts the colonial era of
Bangkok. Today, Thai Chin houses the Blue Elephant culinary school
and restaurant that serves authentic Thai and Chinese cuisines, and
is a renowned establishment that produces world class chefs.
The Blue Elephant restaurant in Kuwait, which is located in the
Hilton Kuwait Resort in Mangaf, one of the country’s prime hotels,
is celebrating the 100 year anniversary of Thai Chin building in the
first celebration to ever be held outside Bangkok.
The Daily Star visited the restaurant for its weekly restaurant
review and was overwhelmed to find one of the best adorned Asian
restaurants in the country, serving mouth-watering authentic Thai
and Chinese dishes.
Let’s start with the décor. Thai and Chinese art were fused
together to create a striking impression as diners walk into the
restaurant.
Popular Thai umbrellas and handcrafted items add authenticity to the
place and attract diners to examine closely the intricacy of these
artefacts. There is an impressive vibrant red bridge that connects
the two parts of the main dining area and a wall with a built-in
waterfall, all making the dining experience truly unforgettable.
Now for the food… For the appetizers, Bouquet of Dimsum and Por Pia
Thod were served. The Bouquet of Dimsum is not only delicious, but
the presentation is very impressive. A variety of steamed dimsum and
siupao are placed in a traditional bamboo container used to steam
the dimsum. The dimsum is a combination of fish, shrimp, shrimp ball
and crab meat. Along with this, there is a combination of sweet soy
sauce, a light blend of spices, cucumber, chilli and onions
included, which complement the taste of the dimsum.
The siupao, or steamed dumpling, includes chicken cooked in basic
spices and encrusted inside homemade dough then steamed.
The Por Pia Thod, the Thai version of the spring roll, is served on
a fresh banana leaf laid in a lacquered plate. The spring roll
includes minced duck meat mixed with a shredded assortment of
vegetables and later rolled in a pastry wrap and deep fried till
golden brown. Sweet soy sauce with minced chilli is served on the
side. These sets of appetizers are not to be missed and are highly
recommended.
Tom Yam Shark Fin and Siam-Szechwan soups were served next. Most Tom
yam soups in the country served by Thai restaurants include chicken,
meat or seafood selections, but Blue Elephant presents a remarkable
set of ingredients that includes shark’s fin and crab meat cooked in
five Chinese spices and flavoured with lemon grass and ginger.
The Tom Yam Soup is delicious, where the strong aroma of spices will
entice everyone to give it a try. The Siam-Szechwan soup, one of
China’s diverse types of cuisines, is presented in a blue ceramic
pot. The soup is actually called Hot and Sour Soup. A variety of
seafood meats with egg, turkey ham, fish maw and tofu or soy bean
curd are cooked with spicy Thai herbs. The soup is thick due to the
flour and beaten egg, which make it the more rich and filling. Both
soups are just as delicious as the appetizers and a must for
everyone to try.
For the main course, Soho Beef Curry, Elegant Prawn, Ped Ron and
Hainanese Chicken were served. The Soho Beef Curry includes braised
beef shanks boiled to until tender and flavoured with curry paste,
along with sweet potatoes, water chestnuts and a cucumber sauce.
There was no after taste from the curry spices, proving that the
curry paste used is of excellent quality. The beef is very tender
and the potatoes just perfect.
Elegant Prawn is another good choice from the menu. Sizeable prawns
are shelved and deep fried then sautéed in sweet and sour sauce
garnished with pineapple slices and red and green capsicums. The
prawns are obviously fresh because of the aldente texture of the
meat.
The Crispy Duck, which is one the best choices on the menu, is
extraordinary. The preparation is rather lengthy but worth the wait.
The duck is marinated in Thai spices and then deep fried for about
10 to 15 minutes. The duck skin becomes crispy and the meat loses
its unpleasant scent. The spices in this dish are crucial, as they
add the perfect kick to the meat. Sweet soy sauce with slices of
chilli is served along side the dish.
Finally, the Hainanese Chicken was served.
Hainanese cuisine has been popular in China for centuries
because of the freshness of the food and simplicity of the
preparation. The Hainanese Chicken is
prepared simply by cutting the chicken into thin slices. Jasmine
rice with slices of cucumber is served on the side and chicken broth
soup completes the dish. The dish is simple yet appetizing.
The dessert list is very tempting. Try the fried banana with ice
cream prepared as it would be in any other restaurant; the banana is
sliced in half and deeply fried and ice cream is placed as a
topping… a perfect ending to a fantastic meal.
Thai Chin cuisine is one of the rarest and most delicious. It
combines Chinese cuisine, which focuses on stir frying and steaming
food, and Thai cuisine, which focuses on boiled foods and blended
aromatic spices.
Thai Chin at Blue Elephant restaurant is available daily: Saturdays
to Tuesdays from 2:00pm to midnight, and Wednesdays to Fridays from
noon to midnight.
For reservations please call 3716113.
BLUE ELEPHANT INTERNATIONAL PLC
4-6 Fulham Broadway, London SW6 1AA, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 20 7385 6595 Fax: +44 20 7386 7665
E-mail:
info@blueelephant.com
