CUISINE FOCUS: All Thai'd up

Lemongrass' Papaya Salad, one of the more familiar Thai dishes yet a firm favourite among local customers.

With an increase of 4% in the number of Middle East residents visiting Thailand last year, it is clear that the country is popular among the region. So how are F&B outlets catering for the Thai demand?

The last four years has seen an increase of 35% in the number of Middle East residents visiting Thailand.

In 2011 alone, the Tourism Authority of Thailand reported that the total number of visitors from the Middle East to Thailand reached a record 471,818 representing an annual increase of 4.09% compared to the number of visitors recorded in 2010. The UAE remains the single largest market in the region from which Thailand receives visitors.

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This has inevitably impacted on the region’s Thai F&B scene, with restaurants like Lemongrass meeting up to 260 covers per day and Dubai’s Dusit Thani Benjarong Royal Thai doing 50 on an average evening.

“The demand for Thai cuisine is great, and with the amount of Thai restaurants in Dubai, the competition is getting better,” says Chef Paul Kennedy, Mango Tree Souk al Bahar, Dubai. “It keeps us on our toes to strive to improve all the time,” he adds.

Thai Demand
Improved knowledge of Thai cuisine among local residents has forced outlets to offer authentic Thai food. But just how Thai do you go? Lemongrass Restaurant was voted #1 Thai Restaurant in the Middle East by Lonely Planet magazine. General manager Stephane Jacques says it is important to get the flavour of Thailand across, without over-doing it.

“We [offer a] Thai ambience with the artefacts but also by mainly ensuring we have Thai people behind the counters and woks. It is Thai food, cooked by Thai, served by Thai which we felt is very important...It is very much an important element of adding to the idea that this is a Thai restaurant.”

Similarly, Dusit Thani’s Benjarong kitchen is 100% Thai.

“Our Thai chefs have all been trained in traditional Thai cooking methods and our waiting staff have also grown up with Thai food and so are better placed to inform and advise our guests on our menu,” explains chef Naruemol, Benjarong Royal Thai Restaurant. “It creates a truly authentic experience for our guests.”

While Mango Tree’s chef Kennedy is not of Thai origin, he spent some time in Mango Tree Bangkok, something he felt was crucial in helping him understand the culture.

“Thai food for me was something new; something different. The fact that I have Thai chefs in the kitchen; they help me to understand balances; flavours – what works together well whereas I teach them how to run a kitchen, how to ensure the food is plated to the correct standards.”

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