Look Sin Taohoo Kab Sen
Oodles of Noodles, Baan Thai, The Oberoi Grand Hotel, Kolkata
There is something about a bowl of hot noodles that is just soothing…plain simple soul food! Picture this…it is pouring outside with the whole shebang and you are chilled to the bone, not only physically but also mentally, coz at times all the emotions that this kind of weather tends to stir up just overwhelms you. Enter a warm bowl of noodles with a spicy accompaniment, which is my case is either chilly panner or tofu, and it feels like a soothing balm has been applied on all your hurts. Warmed from the toes to tips to troubles…now isn’t that a winning combination? When I was invited to sample the Oodles of Noodles festival at Baan Thai, Oberoi Grand Kolkata, I went down on my knees (albeit mentally) and thanked the great noodle god. Yes! Such is my devotion to this divine morsel…don’t ask 😀
The table is graced with these beautiful red flowers
Vodka Shikanji
Sharabi Lassi
The menu is broken down into 3 segments aka Appetizer, Soup and Noodles. In the vegetarian selection you can get Look Sin Taohoo Kab Sen (stir fired tofu dumplings with Thai chilies on crispy noodles), Kaeng Senmee Phak Ruam Jee (noodle soup with vegetables) and Phad Woonsen Shriracha Phak (stir fired glass noodles with vegetables in chili garlic sauce). It has to be one of the best tofu dishes have I tried so far! There was something about the texture which seemed paneer like and if you are someone who prefers the latter over the former, like me, then you know how difficult it can be at times to find a tofu based dish to your liking. There is just something about its texture and taste that doesn’t sit right with you. But this dish was amazing! Personally for me it was the highlight of the meal. The soup was just wholesome…everything I wanted it to be. There was that light and soothing quality that I look for plus it had enough flavor which kept me hooked to it till the end.
Kaeng Senmee Phak Ruam Jee
The Southern Somras
Phad Woonsen Shriracha Phak
The main course was a glass noodles based dish and I will admit that I don’t like glass noodles to begin with so I’m biased in my opinion here. But the other diners were quite happy with it too. Personally I would have loved to dig into the soba noodles but at that time only the non-veg version of it was available so I ended up missing out on it. Indie Spirits had come up with some neat cocktails for this event with a touch of “desi” flavors added to the mix. Everyone’s favorite was The Southern Somras which is a blend of dark rum, apple juice, tamarind and jaggery. Trust me you need this in your life! A close second for me was the Vodka Shikanji followed by the Herbal Way which was a blend of gin, coriander and ginger.
The Herbal Way
Chaitini
Mojito Banaraswala
Though I have been to the Oberoi Grand may times over my lifetime for different functions and events, this was my first time actually sitting down there for a meal. Baan Thai is such a beautiful place…you can spot intricate carvings gracing the door arches and embellished tapestries in frames along the walls. It is this kind of attention to detail which not just the highlight of the restaurant but of the hotel as a whole. I highly recommend that you try out the tofu dish and the somras cocktail. Do let me know if you intend to check out the festival or how your experience was if you have already visited it. I will see you soon Bellas…Ciao!
One of the decor elements at Baan Thai
PS – The author was invited by the PR to attend the event. Views expressed are genuine and the author’s own.
