Royal Thai Dining at Kiin

Kiin

I have always loved Thai food. It is one of my favourite cuisines, if not THE favourite. I will happily go for Thai food every week if I can. Hubby discovered and took me to Kiin, specializing in Royal Thai cuisine. 

We tried the 7-course Tasting Menu and it was divine. It was a nice break from the traditional spicy, punchy flavour of Thai cuisine. Royal Thai is more nuanced and balanced, without overwhelming the senses with one flavour in particular, and in a lavish presentation. All the dishes had a subtle Thai taste--a hint of tamarind, a drop of tom yum. And, it was so creatively presented that it seemed a crime to eat! Fit for royalty!

For amuse-bouche, we had the Khao Tung Na Tang (Crispy Rice Cracker). The ground pork on rice cracker was beautifully presented and wonderfully tasty, setting the tone for the rest of the meal. The rice cracker was airy and the subtle curry was not spicy.

Khao Tung Na Tang @Kiin

Then we had the Chut Arharn Wang (Snack Set), another dish we ate with our hands, which was a trio of 

Khanom Jeeb Nok (traditional Thai royal dumpling delicately-shaped as a peacock)--so pretty! The texture was delicate with the dumpling wrapper not being thick or chunky even if there were a lot of meticulously-crafted  "feathers" on the peacock. Again, the ground meat was flavourful and not overwhelming. Hints of tamarind pop up now and then.

Kung Sarong (deep fried prawns are wrapped in vermicelli noodles)--again, another pretty one! The vermicelli wrapping the prawn was in a braid and nicely deep fried.

Neua Yang Jim Jaew (marinated, grilled Wagyu)--our favourite among the three! The Wagyu was truly melt-in-your-mouth, with a smoky, grilled taste. The marinade was sweet and tangy. I could eat a full 6-7 ounces of this if I didn't know there were 5 other dishes coming!

Chut Arharn Wang @Kiin

The second appetizer was Yum Tua Plu Pla Muk (Octopus with Wing Bean Salad). The  server advised us to mix it all together instead of eating the octopus separately from the salad. The octopus was just grilled and I can see why it will lack flavour if you don't have it along with the wing beans. The salad was a wonderful balance of tart and spice. The chewy octupus along with the crunchy bits of the salad make the whole dish come alive with a mixture of textures!

Yum Tua Plu Pla Muk @Kiin

Hubby and I especially loved the soup, Tom Kha Pla (Hot & Sour Coconut Soup with Fish). The tangy coconut soup had spots of chili oil to give a bit of a kick. The fish was flaky and fresh, and so fun to eat with another mini-fish on top!

Tom Kha Pla @Kiin

The first main dish was Gaeng Massaman Ped (Massaman Curry with Duck Breast). We haven't had duck breast served this way before, like a rare-cooked steak. The Massaman curry gives the duck more flavour, but this was the dish which was just ok, in my opinion. The curry was on the sweet side and added to the duck, a bit too rich for me.

 Gaeng Massaman Ped @Kiin

We really enjoyed the second main dish, Gae Yang Nam Prik Ong (Grilled Lamb with Tomato-Chilli Chutney). The vegetables and chutney on the mini shoulder pole was too cute! The grilled lamb was as perfectly done as the wagyu. The delicious marinade brought out the flavours of the lamb chop. I alternated the bites with sticky rice and the chutney, getting a new taste with every mouthful. This dish was oh so good!

Gae Yang Nam Prik Ong @Kiin

Then, our palates were cleansed with the Lychee and Yuzu Sphere, a big popping boba explosion to set us up for dessert.

Lychee and Yuzu Sphere @Kiin

We ended with two desserts. The first was Khanom Sai Sai (Steamed Pandan Coconut Cream), which hubby really liked.  The glutinous flour with coconut cream was topped with a pandan sorbet, which was nicely subtle.

Khanom Sai Sai@Kiin

I preferred the second dessert, Khek Toffee Met Mamuang Himmaphan (Magrud Cashew Toffee Cake). This time, they engaged another sense as the infusion gave off such a wonderful aroma of warmth and earthiness. We got a whiff of good things to come with every bite! The crunch from the cashew toffee, chewiness of the cake, the beautiful plant-shaped crackers and the floral, fruity scent, rounded out a most delightful meal for all the senses! 

Khek Toffee Met Mamuang Himmaphan @Kiin

Kiin lived up to serving tradition with a contemporary twist. The meticulous and modern presentation was a delight! We enjoyed seeing, tasting, touching, and smelling the well thought-out dishes. Sawasdee ka.

Bacalhau your way: Culto Ao Bacalhau, Porto

Culto Ao Bacalhau, Porto

We had been quite fortunate to treat ourselves to a few nice meals in Porto and Arcade. Hubby and I went to Michelin-guide restaurants to savour local specialties.

In Porto, the first place we went to was Culto Ao Bacalhau at Mercado Bolhao.

We got an early seating for dinner and were greeted warmly by the host/server. It was quite a task to choose how we wanted our bacalhau, but we decided on dishes which we both enjoyed.

Bread basket with tapinades at Culto Ao Bacalhau

We started with Bolinho de Bacalhao com Salada de Feijao Frade (salted codfish fritters with black eyed peas salad). It set us up nicely for the other bacalhau dishes to come! We were encouraged to spoon the peas onto the fritters and the result was lovely. The black eyed peas tossed in vinaigrette paired very well, giving some heartiness and acidity to the crispy fritters. 

Bacalhau fritters with black eyed peas salad at Culto ao Bacalhau

I chose the Bacalhau à Zé do Pipo, which had the cod boiled in milk then oven-baked with onions, mashed potatoes, and mayonnaise. According to AI, this dish is named after its creator, known as Zé do Pipo, who owned a restaurant in Porto in the ‘60s and won a national cooking contest with this recipe. It was presented table-side and plated beautifully. And it was delicious, warming my belly like a fancy home-cooked meal. The cod was flaky and less salty, after being boiled in milk. The baked mashed potatoes had a slight crunch on the edges and the onions and olives balanced the flavours very well. If this recipe was true to Zé do Pipo’s original recipe, then it really was a winner!

Table-side service at Culto ao Bacalhau

Bacalhau Ze do Pipo at Culto ao Bacalhau

Hubby chose Filetes de Bacalhau com Arroz de Tomate e Coentros (now that was quite a mouthful!). They also served the dish table side with the rice in a cast iron pot. Of course, I had to try hubby’s dish too! The cod fillets were nicely cooked and matched perfectly with the tomatoes and coriander rice. 

Table-side service at Culto ao Bacalhau

Bacalhau fillet with Tomato and Coriander rice at Culto ao Bacalhau

Crunchy churros with cinnamon sugar, on the house, ended our meal 

We couldn’t have chosen a better place to try these traditional bacalhau dishes. Service and presentation were great and the food was just divine.