DUBAI: In years gone past, the term Silk Route conjured up exotic images of merchants on a trade route from one city to another.
The Silk Route I visited early this week took me on an entirely different journey. Located on the first floor of the Arabian Courtyard Hotel, my first impression was of a long table of 40-odd Chinese men dining on what can best be described as an odyssey of aroma. Walking past them on my way to the restaurant's outdoor terrace area, I was in high spirits. It's been forever since I've tucked into a good Chinese meal, much less Thai cuisine. The bamboo mats and red lanterns around me did their trick. In a corner of my mind I was transported onto the streets of Beijing, taking in smells that were once all too familiar.
spring roll test
Still reminiscing, I ordered the deceptively simple vegetable spring rolls for starters. Probably one of the most popular Chinese starters, the spring roll is also one of the biggest tests the cuisine presents. If the crisp isn't just right, or the stuffing not shredded and stuffed to fine perfection, or a drop of oil becomes a drop too much on the surface, this masterpiece is ruined.
Unfortunately, due to the humidity in the air and the time it took to transfer from pan to plate, my starters didn't live up to the grandiosity of my imagination. Nonetheless, my partner's seafood dim sums saved the course. The marinated minced seafood was mixed in with hints of coriander, ginger, carrot and sesame oil, stuffed in the dim sum parcel and brought steaming hot in bamboo boxes straight to our table. As the flavours washed away the disappointment of my spring rolls, we settled further into our seats awaiting the arrival of the mains.
For my partner, the marine theme of the night continued with a serving of sweet and sour prawns, while I opted for a Thai favourite: Pha Namgn Kai, or chicken curry to the rest of us. Having heard of their gargantuan portions, we split the khow pad goong (stir-fried rice with prawns onions, tomato and egg) between us. If only we'd split the mains too. My chicken curry, while generous enough to feed a small family of three, gave me a kick I'll carry every time I get a whiff of Thai. The sliced chicken breast came swimming in panang curry paste-infused coconut milk and garnished with sweet basil leaves. The menu promised mild spicy. What it delivered was tear-inducing spices that set my tongue on fire. Again, the only respite in sight was my partner's sweet and sour prawns. Wok fried with bell peppers, pineapple, onion and tomato, the prawns came in a special sweet and sour sauce, much like the yin and yang of Asian flavours.
Topped over the khow pad goong, it was just what I needed to soothe those frayed nerves.
Having devoured most of my partner's starters and mains, I was determined to make the right choice on dessert: a jackfruit sago malaga. A steaming hot dessert glass of a pearl white sago cooked in coconut and sugar, with sliced jackfruit floating in its midst, this was the most exotic taste of the evening. And yet, once again, it was my partner's toffee banana that had my taste buds craving for more. These Chinese candied bananas come deep-fried in a crispy caramelised coating peppered with sesame seeds, and a side of vanilla ice-cream and chocolate sauce. The play between the hot banana and the cold ice-cream led to a magical little dance on my tongue.
But, just like every other dish on our table that night, the portion was larger than the average large. My one bit of advice to potential diners: Consider sharing some of the dishes. If you fall short, you can always add on.
