Bold and beautiful flavors at Thai Kitchen

It was chow time again, and Epicurus was all too eager to do penance for the previous steak splurge. The quandary didn't last long. Slowly, like the Trojan invasion, the vision crawled before my eyes. Ooh, the divine wonder of Thai Food! Galangal, lemongrass, coriander, a colorful potpourri of sultry spices and flavors.

But so many Thai restaurants and so little time -- what's a food critic to do? Let the fingers do the walking turned out to be the best solution.

The target for the week, Thai Kitchen, was chosen for its second word, which seemed to convey "from the kitchen out". Soon Epicurus and company were on their way to Pondok Indah Mall, South Jakarta, a focal point of good and diversified grub.

On first impression, Thai Kitchen looks like it just opened yesterday: solemn, squeaky-clean and all grown up, like a modern midtown shrine offering food you are guaranteed to bow down to. It is certainly spacious, sprawling like the lounge of an ocean liner against the huge glass window overlooking Pondok Indah's water park.

Its combination of white tablecloths, rattan chairs and lounge sofas make it a comfortable place to enjoy long and protracted meals.

We wasted no time in feeling comfortable. The restaurant was a sobering site from all the riffraff outside. Soon, we were drinking Thai iced teas and marveling at the lovely combination of chrysanthemum tea, honey and sweet condensed milk.

No time was lost in seizing the menu, either, as we started squealing our orders like catty old women in a spate of nostalgia. But then, less than 10 minutes later, the restaurant seized us. Everything we ordered came to our table all at once.

"Egad, it's the Trojans!" I just couldn't help it.

"Well", said my friend the diplomat, "looks like efficiency is not a problem here."

Truer words were never spoken. Alas, Epicurus is a stickler for rules. So I started pleading with the waiters to take some of the dishes away. But as the dishes looked so good, on second thoughts, I decided they might as well stay.

To placate my wounded sensibilities, everybody decided to start with the Yum Ma Muang, a salad of spiced shredded raw mangoes. Etiquette was quickly abandoned as this passionately spicy appetizer got our tongues stampeding into other directions.

Soon, six bliss parcels of chicken marinated in garlic, soy sauce and coriander, then grilled in pandan leaves disappeared from sight. "One of the best I've had for quite a while." was Epicurus' pious verdict.

There was a general nod, a symbol of assent.

The battle resumed. Rather guiltily, I went back to the Mango Salad, unable to resist its eclectic, spiky flavor. The texture reminded me of asinan Indonesian pickled vegetables, but it also tasted like rujak buah, raw fruits in a tangy sauce.

And yet there was this peanut-like taste. Suddenly, revelation hit me, piercing loudly through the silence: "I got it! It also tastes like gado-gado!"

However, the rest of the food was so fabulous that the asinan- rujak-gado-gado-tasting Mango Salad paled like a shriveling freshman in a sea of weather-beaten seniors. And, indeed, each dish that knocked Epicurus' palate was a total knockout.

First, the duck curry. Thick and succulent chunks of roast duck were cooked in a richly-perfumed stew, set alive with basil.

The usual red and green curry versions of lesser restaurants seemed tired in comparison.

One of Epicurus' discerning companions was so completely taken by it that he took to downing several leuncas, the bitter-tasting vegetables that resemble peas, like they were full of Evian.

Also standing tall was minced chicken with chilli and basil, all gussied up with extra garlic, mint and lemongrass. A condensed version of this highly recommended dish could be found in the restaurant's enticing list of Rp 6,500 lunch specials, which includes the likes of beef noodle soup and Pad Thai.

The combination fried rice, cooked simply in oil and garlic, was also a testament to the chef's unwillingness to appease the Westerner's palate by adding peas, carrots, peppers and other non-authentic ingredients.

Served just this side of burned, it was so popular that it even won feverish reviews from yours truly.

We also vouched for the delicious stir-fried vegetables, whose secret lay in a delicate balance of oyster sauce, fish sauce and a sprinkling of sugar.

Finally, we found ourselves sauntering to the special buffet table where an array of Thai desserts stared up at us rather pensively. If you are into coconut, tapioca, cassava and mung beans, then do not go past this section.

Service is slightly vague, but don't let that deter you. At a reasonable Rp 90,000 for three diners, Thai Kitchen is worthy of a pilgrimage and deserves to be better known.

-- Epicurus