It’s been years since I’ve been to Bangkok and I miss my friends Jimmy and Joey, Greyhound Café and all those underground stores they usually take me to.
Friends know it’s not that easy to get me to eat out for no special reason, especially during Lent when I’ve given up meat from Monday-Saturday.
So when Charisse Chuidian, Director of Communications at Mandarin Oriental, Manila invited me to the Thai food festival at Paseo Uno, I just had to go and bring Jeroen.
We arrived just in time for the ribbon cutting with Mr. & Mrs. Sern Chupikulchai, GM of Thai Airways International; Guest of Honor Dra. Elenita Binay; Mark Bradford, GM of Mandarin Oriental, Manila; and Dave De Jesus, Tourism Authority of Thailand.
Paseo Uno was with bustling with hungry and excited guests. Prior to lunch, I was wondering what I could eat with my no-meat diet, I can tell you now—it’s a lot. I just had one of the best meals 2012, the other one being Chuck Hughes’ Jerk Dungeness crab with chili and chives.
I sat in a nice secluded table with Jeroen and my cousin Candy Dizon. It was nice to have our own table so we could gossip and pig out to our hearts’ content = the best combination!
I had the best spicy soft-shell crab with jasmine rice and I do apologize for this crappy photo.
Jeroen says I don’t know how to plate food. #truth
It was difficult to photograph the soft-shell crab at the buffet table because it was always empty.
I can’t tell you how good it was—from the crunch crab morsels to the slivers of caramelized onions.
The golden crispy prawn rolls were delicious and easier to photograph.
Deep-fried chicken wings marinated in fish sauce are my favorite, but I am not allowed to eat this now
Candy loved the pomelo salad with chicken and prawns
and the Spicy mango salad with soft-shell crab (I have to try this next time)
Jeroen had the Spicy market mushrooms and prawn salad
and the Stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts
He also had a nice plate of grilled roast beef with red wine reduction, a staple at Paseo Uno.
Jeroen enjoyed the Coconut rice pudding cooked in front of you
Others worth mentioning: Thick and creamy red beef curry with peanut and lychees
Fried fish with red chilli sauce, green pepper corn and vegetables
Candy and I died when we saw the mango with coconut sticky rice
Unfortunately it was too late when I found it. I only had space for two
and no space for cotton candy.
It was a sad moment when my stomach informed me there was no more space available.
Next time I’m going straight to crabs, crispy prawn rolls and mango and sticky rice.
Right behind us, we saw the Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok’s Thai Executive Sous Chef and Consultant Sumet Sumpachanyanont cooking up a storm.
He is the special guest chef at Paseo Uno only from March 12-21, 2012, along with three other Thai chefs flown in by Thai Airways.
The 41-year old Executive Sous Chef and culinary ambassador of Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok’s famed Thai restaurant Sala Rim Naam has traveled to Australia, Hawaii, England, Japan Macau, France, Malaysia and Hong Kong to lead various Thai food promotions and trainings. He now teaches at Mandarin Oriental’s Professional Thai Chef Programme and is the host of a popular TV cooking show in Bangkok.
Paseo Uno’s lunch and dinner buffet are priced at PHP 1,880+ while the Luxury buffet, available for dinner on Fridays and Saturdays and lunch on Sundays, is priced at PHP 2,380+.
View the menu cycles HERE.
As an added treat, diners availing of the Thai buffet get a chance to win a holiday trip for two to Bangkok inclusive of four-days/three-nights’ accommodations at the world-acclaimed Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, courtesy of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
Those who want to learn some of Chef Sumet’s secrets can attend a cooking class on March 17, 2012 at 9 AM, and learn how to prepare authentic Yaam Mamuan Poo Nim (Spicy Mango Salad with Soft Shell Crab), Phad Thai Goong (Stir-fried Thai style Noodles with Prawns, Bean sprouts and Chives), and Gluay Chueam (Caramelized Banana with Coconut Cream).
The class fee is PHP 3,500 nett inclusive of a three-course lunch and a light breakfast preceding the class.
For reservations and more information on Tastes of Thailand, call Paseo Uno at 750-8888 ext 2411 or email momnl-paseouno@mohg.com.
Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.