It was the crucial day of the India vs Pakistan World T20 match that Tapash and I embarked on our long journey to High Ultra for a preview of their special Thai Food Festival menu, interestingly called THIGH! Loving the play on words, and being very partial to the Asian food, this was obviously still a very tough choice. One that I hoped to evade by finishing the tasting early to watch the match. The venue is as lovely as ever. Chef Myo, Executive Chef at HIGH Ultra was all set to feature a smorgasbord of handcrafted delicacies that is prepared with various delectable Thai flavours.

Starting with the hors d’oeuvre, we first tasted the rice paper rolls with a mix of pickled and fresh vegetables and som tam dressing. Although Vietnamese, this is a popular dish in pan Asia, and always a refreshing start to a meal. The green papaya salad is one of my favorites, again a perfectly blended crunchy and tasty mix. In a spirit of fusion, the chef also whipped up a tomato salad with spices and tamarind dressing. So far, I was loving the blend of tangy and saucy in the food. The Sea food Tom Yum soup was a contrast to all of this, and a welcome change to the palate. Though I usually prefer creamy soups over clear, the Tom Kha Kai (sea food Tom Kha) was ‘clear’ly overshadowed. The coconut soup was also well made, a tad too spicy. The chicken satay was a too dense, and the sauce not strong enough to make this a light appetizer that it was meant to be. Overall the starters were good, some interesting flavors, and others were classics with a twist.

We took a break before the mains, obviously! So far, I really liked the fact that none of the dishes were weighing us down. But rarely can one say that about a Thai main course. Well, any Asian main for that matter. Rice is a staple all around this region. So the restaurant chef very considerately gave us each a bowl of fresh steamed rice. And then came the flurry of mains – Chicken Rendang Curry, Chilli Kai Phad Ka Prao, Thai Steamed Fish with Chef’s special sauce, Phad Phrak – phew! The Rendang was amazing, unparalleled in the meal and a must try. Flavors of spices and coconut milk in this hot, spiced curry was a perfect and bold dish. I confess I gorged on it, it was SO delicious. The Phad Ka Prao wasn’t as mind-blowing after the Rendang, but perhaps I am not being fair! This simple dish of basil chicken was quite nice and authentically made. I am not a purist, so I didn’t mind the hint of soy sauce in this dish, actually made it richer. The Thai Fish was such a winner. Presented beautifully, and so delicately steamed with a balance of spices. It was soft and sensuous on the palate, pardon the innuendo!

The menu is worth trying, well as is the standard menu at High. The cocktails were fantastic, some really refreshing ones with lemon grass and rum and more concoctions of Guru, the man himself! The starters are priced between 250 and 300, while the mains range between 350 and 500. This festival is on until 31^st March, and I would recommend reservation.

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