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There aren’t many restaurants that serve
authentic Pan Asian cuisine in Bangalore .
One of the reasons for this might be the
number of existing sea-food restaurants
mushrooming all over and a whole batch
of under-experienced school of chefs who
settle in to expertise in other cuisines then waste time
learning or making an extra effort to present something
new. F&B on St. Mark’s road, with its peaceful ambience
and simple but elegant interiors is the proud home
to master chef Jayapalan and Radha Krishnan. They
belong to that rare breed of chefs who give importance
to creation, innovation and presentation over blind
business
So what is pan Asian food? It isn’t Thai, Vietnamese,
Indonesian, Pilipino or Malay. It’s a s erious amalgamation
of the idea of food and cuisine that existed in this
geographical location over centuries of political and
cultural heritage. While most of the food is sea food,
it’s the cooking and the process of it that fascinates a
true gourmand. While it is a European practice to have
a meal over courses, the trend is fairly new in eastern
cultures. Other then the regular tom yum soups and
miso soups its worth trying the Vietnamese Pho-Beef.
Succulent slices of beef souped with rice sticks and fresh
coriander and a few pods of star anise seeds give you
that delicate pungency when they pop in your mouth.
While the starters are many and abundant with equally |
| Tofu or Bean Curd is one of
the chief staple diets in these
geographical locations. |
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( Veejay Sai is a writer and a critic living
in Bangalore. He may be contacted at
vijaysai.vs@gmail.com )
(Photography by Celebrity Photographer
Gareth Hoover) |
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 confusing names some of those worth trying
are the Chicken Satay and Khao Pod Krateim
Prik Thai On. Its crisp baby corn seasoned
with garlic and pepper. You might think
the dish spells like a tongue twister; wait till
you have actually had it with a slight dash of
Wasabi. Graduating to the main course one
must not miss out the Mee Goreng which is
the traditional Indonesian chili noodles that
have been tossed with chicken or a meat of
your choice and fresh veggies. A dash of dry
shrimp powder keeps the taste and essence of
sea food alive. Have this dish with fried eggs
and taste the magic of an Indonesian meal.
Tofu or Bean Curd is one of the chief staple diets in these geographical locations. It’s not
only a high protein diet, but also acts as a substitute to many products like
milk and cheese which are not produced here often, due to the extreme
weather conditions in winter. Tohu Phad Priew Wahn is cooked with sweet
and sour sauce and goes excellently with sticky rice. Though there are many
variety of rice, sticky rice is the more staple constituent of a pan Asian meal.
The traditional Khao Keow Wahn Phad is made out of rice seasoned with
Thai green paste and basil leaves. The use of fresh spices and herbs along
with button-sized Thai Brinjals enhances the taste. Thai brinjals, the small
and pungent variety can be overpowering in their flavour, when they pop
in your mouth. In addition to the meats are the many sea foods. While none
of the recipes for these dishes are that elaborate, the use of fresh spices like
mother cardamom, star anise, fresh Galangal, Lemon grass, Soya bean and
the way the kitchens across these countries have mastered this art is worth
a second look.
The increasing popularity of
Pan Asian food has helped
in the establishing of many
specialty restaurants across
the country. But there are
barely a handful of good
chefs who do justice to it.
Pan Asian food is a cuisine
for all seasons, unlike many
of the European foods. One
of the only problems of it is
that it can get very addictive
if you are a true connoisseur
gourmand. So, set yourself
sailing on this gastronomic
journey across the seas and
hit the nearest restaurant that
serves Pan Asian food. |
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