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A TASTE OF THE FAR EAST
BY SARAH BROBERG
The elegant, comfortable ambiance of Rachawadee provides a tasty
introduction to the exotic flavors of the Orient. Rich colors, dark
woods and traditional decor reflect the culture of the Far East,
while the food takes you a step closer to getting there.
Rachawadee’s menu, in Thai with English descriptions, highlights
the finest Asian cuisine with an emphasis on Thai specialty dishes.
The restaurant’s three skilled chefs – two of whom are
Thai – prepare dishes using fresh ingredients served in a cozy
and intimate setting. Despite the Wedgewood flatware, fine china
and elegant tapestries, there is no dress code and families and
business executives can dine at ease.
We began with a sampling of some traditional Chinese appetizers:
wonton soup (£E 20), shrimp spring rolls (£E 20) and
dim sum (£E 30). The aromatic wonton soup was chock-full of
green onion, celery, cabbage, shreds of spinach, and fresh ginger,
as well as several large wontons filled with minced chicken. And
as with any good wonton soup, the wontons showed no sign of sogginess
in the steaming broth.
The spring rolls, meanwhile, were light and flakey, masterfully
fried until golden brown. Each of the four was tightly packed with
finely chopped green onions, cabbage, carrot and flavorful bits
of marinated shrimp. The standard soy dipping sauce was on offer,
but we particularly liked the accompanying sweet and sour sauce,
which was a delicious puree of brown sugar, vinegar and grated ginger.
The dim sum comprised two steamed dumplings and four steamed chicken
wantons served in the traditional three-piece stacked bamboo bowls.
Brushed with a dash of sesame oil, the tender dumpling dough proved
a nice contrast to the delectable filling of minced beef, finely
chopped green onion, minced ginger and a dash of soy sauce. The
star-shaped wontons, meanwhile, were packed with a fragrant filling
of minced chicken, garlic, shallots, green onion, shredded carrot
and a dash of sesame oil.
While the menu included dozens of tempting meat, seafood and vegetarian
entrées, our waiter tipped us off to a house specialty not
on the menu – yum taley, a spicy grilled shrimp and calamari
dish (£E 75). The sizzling hot platter of seafood and stir-fried
vegetables announced its arrival from across the room, filling the
air with the spicy aroma of peppers and onions. The generous portion
of thick, tender calamari, cut into large triangles and lightly
grilled with a dash of red pepper, and plentiful, succulent grilled
shrimp, were nestled amidst a host of fresh vegetables, including
sliced onions, green and red peppers, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower,
celery, corn and hot peppers. Prepared in a light soy sauce, the
crisp vegetables and expertly grilled seafood were moist enough
that the dash of soy on the top was unnecessary.
The pad pak ruem, beef with shrimp and vegetables (£E 40),
was a savory combination of carrots, onions, broccoli, and green
peppers mixed with large, juicy bits of beef and smaller, but equally
juicy, fully-shelled shrimp. The hearty entrée was stir-fried
in a tangy sauce comprised of ginger, garlic and soy – which
helped bring out the contrasting flavors of the beef and shrimp
while complementing the fresh veggies.
Stir-fry just isn’t complete with out a bed of rice to put
it on, so we ordered the khao pad, fried rice, with chicken (£E25)
and with shrimp (£E 20). Each was prepared the traditional
Thai way using peas, carrots and egg whites to create a moist and
tasty accompaniment to the entrées. The chicken fried rice
had several large pieces of chicken, but the shrimp fried rice was
a bit lean, with only one shrimp, albeit a large scrumptious one.
The dessert menu included fresh fruit salad, ice cream and traditional
kluay tod, deep-fried bananas in a batter of flour, coconut milk,
shredded coconut and sugar. We were too full to try them, but we
plan to the next time we want to experience a bit of Thai culture
without springing for the airfare.
Rachawadee
Le Meridien Heliopolis
51 Orouba Street
Heliopolis
Tel: 290-5055 – Fax: 291-8591
Open from 1pm to 11pm |
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