Last night I caught up with some girlfriends (who are also food enthusiasts like myself) and we had a wonderful time at a surprising little restaurant called Rambutan. We had to order their signature dishes, highly recommended by both my friend and the waitress. I was delighted with the explosion of tastes. These were my favourites of the evening.
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| betel leaf with tea-smoked trout and chilli eggplant relish |
Amazing and addictive, this dish definitely had to have kapi (กะปิ) in it. I would be very surprised if it didn't. I absolutely loved it for the saltiness, and pungent aroma. Personally, I would add shredded fresh pineapple as well (although my friend disagrees).
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| fried soft shell crab in coconut served with a spicy dipping sauce |
OMG! How do I recreate this dipping sauce? The soft shell crab was crispy, moist and light. Although the coconut batter made me think of it more as a sweet dish rather than savoury, I absolutely loved the dipping sauce which I was happy to have on it's own. Just give me a bowl of steamed rice with this sauce any day. That would be a meal right there.
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| crispy duck w sweet rambutan, eschallot, garlic and tamarind sauce |
I was expecting the crispy duck to come out differently. I would have preferred duck breast or thigh rather than drumsticks. There was very little meat however the sauce was very different and balanced our meal well. The sauce had a smokey flavour which meshed well with the tangy tamarind and sweet rambutan. There was another flavour that I couldn't quite make out, something reminiscent of Chinese 5-spice powder, possibly star anise or cloves. I'd like to try this dish at home with pork belly.
It was about six months ago that we dined at this restaurant (a girlfriend and I) and I have been wanting to go back again but haven't quite found the right occasion for it. It's a noisy restaurant (so not really suitable for a romantic evening out with hubby, not on the weekends anyway, maybe on a quieter night perhaps?). Also, another time when I went in a large group with my family, I remember waiting ages for my meal. And it's not cheap either. I think we ended up paying something like $45 each. So, why do I want to go back? Because it's yummy! First of all, it's salty (the worst is eating bland tapas). Yes, I like places that don't skimp on the spices! Just the right amount of herbs and lemon. Although a bit expensive for two, I guess it's like going to yum cha so definitely worth your while if you can share with a couple of friends (possibly a table of 3 or 4 would be ideal). And no young children (unless they aren't eating or can still stay in their prams). They don't have high chairs and the meals are not very toddler friendly. It's the kind of place you want to enjoy with a few friends when you need a night off from the kids. And have a designated driver for the group (preferably not yourself). 
