Ours is an age of imitation and mass production.
The proud cooking traditions of entire regions, even countries, have become fodder for new lines of instant food products. The list of ingredients on a package of one of those ready-inminutes "exotic" meals in the frozen food aisle of your local supermarket reveals that it is often more economical for manufacturers to mimic the flavours of an ingredient using advanced chemical combinations than to actually include that ingredient in the product. The application of the term Tuscan to food products that bear no resemblance to the rustically simple, fresh and seasonal cuisine of that region is a commonly encountered example of this pervasive tendency towards culinary impersonation by big industry.
Perhaps the only national cuisine to rival Italian in widespread imitation is Thai. It seems like any dish that even mildly challenges the average consumer on the spicy heat scale is automatically qualified to bear the name Thai on the label.
Ordinarily I don't pay these products much mind; there is a market for everything and who am I to judge anyone for choosing fast and convenient over authentic every now and then? I've certainly been through the drive-through a few times myself.
However, as I am privileged to be exposed to authentic dishes from many culinary traditions, I am periodically reminded that top-quality ingredients and memorable flavours can still be fast and convenient.
A recent visit to Thai Chef on Queensbury Avenue in North Vancouver served to re-awaken my palate to the bold and complex interplay of flavours that constitute good quality Thai food.
Thai Chef is a small, unassuming restaurant with only 10 seats. Take-out is the focus here. From the narrow kitchen emanate scents and flavours that will transport you from the drab, soggy autumn of the North Shore to the faraway beaches of a fascinating place with a vibrant food scene.
My date DJ and I decided to try a dish from each of the categories listed on the menu: appetizers, soups, stir-fries, curries and noodles & rice. Our meal began with a traditional favourite, Som Tum, or green papaya salad. Green papaya is simply papaya that has not yet ripened into the more familiar orange, uniquely fragrant fruit commonly associated with exotic juices and cocktails. The green papaya is shredded into thin strips and tossed in a tangy lime vinaigrette. Thai Chef's version contained cherry tomatoes, green beans, peanuts and scallion. It was a delicious and light start to the meal, full of crunchy textures and bright flavours. DJ noted that the vinaigrette contained nam pla, a strongly flavoured fish sauce that is ubiquitous in Thai cooking. While the fish sauce added a bold and salty punch to the vinaigrette, it should be noted that it is not listed on the menu as an ingredient and may come as a surprise to those less familiar with Thai food.
Next up was a rich and colourful Tom Yum Soup, a hot and sour broth with mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, three plump, succulent prawns and a host of aromatic ingredients including galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves. These last three ingredients, along with palm sugar and Thai basil, are, in my opinion, truly what separate authentic Thai cuisine from the long list of impostors trying to recreate these flavours through shortcuts and simulation. There is simply no substitute for the heavily perfumed, almost breathtaking citrus notes of fresh kaffir lime leaf, or the spicy, spruce-like flavour of galangal, for which ginger is a poor, if frequent, substitute.
A generous portion of vegetarian Pad Thai followed. This staple dish of Thai take-out was well prepared with just the right amount of sauce to lightly coat the rice noodles, egg, scallions, tofu, and peanuts. Thai cuisine typically strives to strike a balance between salty, sweet, bitter and sour flavours.
For my taste, Thai Chef emphasizes the sweet component just a touch too heavily, as evidenced by both the Pad Thai and the next dish of my visit, a spicy green curry with chicken. The curry contained loads of tender chicken and Thai eggplant, another essential ingredient in authentic Thai cooking. The base of coconut milk was nicely balanced with moderate chili pepper heat, but a persistent sweetness seemed to downplay the complexity of the curry paste. A final dish of stir-fried green beans with tofu and Thai basil in a house-made chili paste was a true winner and a dish I will be seeking again soon. A hearty helping of remarkably fresh, still-crispy green beans provided a perfect textural counterpart to soft, chilisoaked cubes of tofu and wildly fragrant basil. Our meal of five dishes and rice came to $57 after taxes and gratuity. Thai Chef is located at 636 Queensbury Ave. Phone: 604-985-3136. thaichefthai.com
Chris Dagenais served as a manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. A self-described wine fanatic, he earned his sommelier diploma in 2001. Contact: hungryontheshore@gmail. com.
