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Author Archive
The Multi Layered….Royal Thai Salad – ‘Yam Tha-Wai’
On our last Chef’s trip to Thailand we where able to source the knowledge to be able to craft the revered ‘Yum Tha-Wai’ Salad and add it to our latest menu. This particular Ancient, Royal Salad comes from the aristocratic households of days past in Thailand, where thoughts of quotas, time and profit margins where [...]
Royal Thai Coconut Milk Based Curries
Curries of the modern day bear little resemblance to those of days past, due to the fast food type being so much easier to master . They are often watery, thin and over seasoned. The intensity of heat is always there but with no balance. Due to heat being the easiest flavor to work with. [...]
Lemon and Galangal, Crystal Bay – Nth Queensland Prawn, Salad
New to the menu at Classical Thai: This is my all time favourite Salad. Its spicy, sour, salty and palm sugar sweet. But the main ingredient ‘galangal’ is what lifts it above other salads. Pulverised galangal gives it an added earthy, citrusy, slightly woody-cider flavour. Tossed with lime leaf, mint leaves, saw tooth coriander, basil leaves and lemongrass, its a highly flavoured herb [...]
Ancient Khmer Thai Spicy Salad – Yum Khmer
Ingredients: 200 gram of blanched pork neck, sliced 200 gram of cooked prawns, peeled and devained 1 cup of coconut cream 2 cups of coconut milk 1 cup of beansprout, tailed off 6 sneak beans, cut into about 1 inch long pieces 1/2 banana flower, finely sliced 1/2 cup of lemon basil leaves Salad Dressing: [...]
Twiced Cooked Pork Hock in a Caramel Sauce ‘w’ Lime & Chilli topped ‘w’ Pickled Mustard Green
Making its way over from Southern China & becoming a favourite amongst the Thai.It is first slow cooked in master stock then flash fried & drizzled with the caramel sauce. New to the menu
Pork Belly & Shitake Mushroom Dumplings
Steamed dumplings with chilli oil & black vinegar that has been aged for 10 yrs. Topped with fresh ginger & cracked black pepper. New to the menu
Northern Thai – Egg Noodle Laksa:
Kao Soi, Soft textured egg noodles in a mildly spiced but rich flavoured – fresh curry based broth served ‘w’ lime & pickled cabbage. “From the mid 19th century this dish took firm roots in Northern Thailand to the modern day. Originating from the Yunnanese, Muslim – Chinese caravan traders.” new to the menu [...]
What is a “Lon”????….At the heart of Thai Cuisine…..
Lon’s shoot straight past: Stir-frys, Curries, Salads, Grilled and Fried Foods and arrive directly at the heart of Thai cuisine. In a way picture curry than refine it and make it more delicate and elegant. You then will be getting the picture. They are usually salty, sour and tremendously aromatic. You gently simmer fresh coconut [...]
Ancient Dried Chili and Grilled River Prawn Dip – Num Prik Haeng Thai Bo Lan
Ingredients: 1/4 cup of Dried Long Red Chilli, deseeded and soaked 2 tbsp of Garlic cloves 1 tbsp of Roasted Shrimp paste (Gapi) 3 tbsp of Tamarind pulp, Finely diced. 1/4 cup Coarsely Chopped, fresh – high quality – grilled Prawn or Scampi (fresh water if possible). 2 tsp of Palm sugar 1 tbsp [...]
Ancient Style: Clear Beef Spicy Soup ‘w’ Hot Basil – Kaeng Tom Jew
Ingredients: 2 cups of beef stock 80 gram of stewed Gravy Beef (Can put more if desired to make it a singular meal but adjust the other measurements in accordance) 100 gram of sweet potato, cut into 2 cm neat cubes 3 tsp of Tamarind juice 3-4 Asian small red onion, sliced 5 Bird eyes [...]
On Our Recent Food Tasting Trip in Bangkok:
We lived on the streets of Bangkok and ventured just out of town to try this dry lizard curry from a particular riverside restaurant that was highly recommended to us. The freshly made curry paste was perfectly balanced and there had been alot of thinking in creating the paste exclusively for the Lizard. A true [...]
Ancient Northern Chiangmai Curry ” Gaeng Hung Lay”
“Gaeng Hung Lay – แกงฮังเล” - Slow cooked melting beef with shallots, pickled garlic, and ginger, with dry spices. Then loaded with freshly made curry paste. Classical Thai Cravings.
Food In Thailand Links The Gentle Past With The Crazy Future. “Calm Down Chefs and Food Writers, It’s All OK”
There was an outcry when Australian Chef David Thompson opened Nahm in Bangkok, because he said that Thai cooking has less complexity and variation than it once did: This started Thai Chefs, Food Writers and Western Thai Cuisine Chefs making the most out of it. All in all they claimed to each have the birds [...]
Pork Braised with Dried Bamboo and Peanut – Kaeng Hong Nor Mai
Recipe 1 cup of dried bamboo shoots (Rinse and gently squeeze with fresh water and drain 3 times, then soak overnight) Available from Asian Grocery Stores. 1 cup of pork neck and or pork leg – deboned, Cut into 3/4 inch cubes 1/3 cup of roasted peanut. 1 star anise 1 tsp of white pepper [...]
Tips On Tom Yum Goong
Tom Yum Goong is often used as a measuring stick for Chefs of Royal Thai Cooking. So lets talk about how these guys do it differently to the average Cook of Thai Cuisine: Firstly you want large wild scampi if you can get them or some large wild prawn. Use the heads to make a [...]
One Of MY Favourite Places In Thailand Is The Most Ancient City Of Sukhothai
A lot of people have never heard of the city that first gave birth to Thai Culture. Sukhothai is nothing like its younger brother Ayutthaya. It is serene, gentle and peaceful. This is reflected not just in the people, ambiance and scenery of the place but also in the most beautiful Buddha image of [...]
Betel Leaf of King Crab ‘w’ a Micro Tropical Pomelo Salad & Galangal Relish
I Still remember 7 years ago when Bee firstly brought this Thai snack home called “Miang” whilst we were living in Bangkok. When I first put it in my mouth there was this wonderful array of flavors and textures combined together with the caramel galangal and shrimp based relish. I fell in love with them [...]
Ancient Clear Beef Curry ‘w’ Num Prick Gapi – Kaeng Run Juan
Recipe 2 cups chicken stock 1/2 cup of Num prik gapi 4 cloves of garlic 4 red onion cut in quarters 1 stalk of lemongrass, finely sliced Handful of Thai sweet basil 200 gram of Pork Neck, sliced but not to thin Method Bring 2 cups of chicken stock to a gentle simmer: Put whole [...]
Soft Shell Crab with Green Mango Salad & Red Nahm Jim
This dish has become extremely popular at Classical Thai. Soft Shell Crabs carry an earthy, bracken water taste but when combined with sour green mango and the invigorating: hot, sweet, sour and salty nahm jim. You get a wonderful balance of flavor. Classical Thai Cravings.
Classical Thai Cravings – The Restaurant and Food Concept
Far too often in Western Culture, Eastern Cuisine in its true form is diluted, altered and some what bastardised to suit the ‘Western’ palette. In October 2008 , international chef Jason Bailey set about to put a stop to this trend by launching his restaurant Classical Thai in Mittagong in the Southern Highlands of NSW. [...]
A Quick Summary OF Thai Cooking
I have often been asked to describe how Thai cooking is different from other cuisines and what is a quick overall view of the cuisine in a few words: The mortar and pestle to the Thai is what a knife is to a french chef. Stocks are not Thai but have been adapted over the [...]
Twice Cooked, Roasted – Crackling Pork Belly.
While I was on holidays over Christmas this dish came in my head as I was searching for a new dish in my mind. We have just finished the food shots and it will come on the menu soon. I’m excited to show the new food shot of it. Twice Cooked, Roasted – Crackling, Pork [...]
STEAMED SNOWFISH – Our new dish at Classical Thai Cravings
Gently Poached Snowfish Cutlet with Ginger, Soy & Shallot I Loved this dish from the first mouthful. I came across it by accident whilst waiting for a haircut in Bangkok. I wondered across the street into a restaurant and discovered it. I have changed the sauce a little to a Ginger and Soy Bouillon. Snow [...]