Flavors of Thailand & Italy at Edsa Shangri-La

MANILA, Philippines - This month, Edsa Shangri-La, Manila presents the Flavors of Thailand from Sept. 4 to 20 at Heat.

Thai chefs Tussanee Putkaew and Rotsarin Marjit of Shangri-La Bangkok’s famous Salathip restaurant will showcase their signature dishes.

Diners can feast on sumptuous Thai specialties from the soup all the way to dessert — paad Thai goong (stir-fried Thai noodle with shrimps), tom kha gai (chicken and galangal with coconut syrup), gai phad med mamung (fried chicken with cashew nut) and cold khow niew sanghaya (sweet sticky rice with Thai custard).

Most people think that Thai cuisine is hot and spicy.  This may be true to a certain extent but it is also known for its balance of fundamental flavors in each dish or the overall meal — hot, sour, sweet, salty, and at times, even bitter.  It is a blend between Chinese (rice and noodles) and Indian (curry) cooking. The Chinese and Indian influences are also evident in the spices —the use of soy sauce and abundance of chili.  Other staple Thai spices are coriander leaf, turmeric, ginger and lemon grass.

Savor this delectable cuisine when you dine at Heat and get a chance to win a vacation courtesy of Cebu Pacific Air and Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok.  Diners with a minimum food bill of P3,000 are entitled to join the raffle.  

Also this month, Paparazzi Restaurant features Campania cuisine, which is known for three items that everyone relates to Italy: Parmesan cheese (parmigiana), tomato sauce (pommarola) and pizza.

Most dishes in Campania have alla parmigiana or with Parmesan cheese.  Secondly, as Italians claim, Italian food would not be the same without Campania’s pommarola or tomato sauce. Campania is also said to be the birthplace of the modern pizza.

Seafood is also a mainstay of the Campania diet.  It goes so well in antipasto and pasta.

 A few dishes on the menu are fritto misto di mare (assorted crispy fried seafood with anchovy and garlic aoli), risotto con asparagi e taleggio (creamy asparagus risotto with taleggio cheese chunks), salmone arrostito con asparagi grigliati e salsa allo zafferano roasted king salmon fillet with grilled asparagus and saffron sauce), tagliata di manzo, polenta, olio tartufato (black Angus beef tenderloin with creamy soft polenta, truffle oil and rocket) and pannacotta campania (pannacotta with apricot confit).

For reservations, call Edsa Shangri-La, Manila at 633-8888.