The true essence of Thai cuisine is known to lie in the sheer dedication it extends to the customers’ tastes and the feeling of togetherness that it reinforces. It was this sense of communion that was present in the air on June 17, at Trapeze — Kitchen & Bar, at the dining experience for celebrity Chef Tukta’s Signature Thai Menu organised in collaboration with the Gourmet Design Company. The guests brought together by Young Leaders Forum found themselves in the ambiently lit dine den on Park Street, where they indulged in the masterfully concocted cocktails that were crafted especially for the event. Trapeze was decked from head to toe in twinkling lighting and exotic decor as it prepared itself for the evening dedicated to the pop-up event. The Telegraph gets you the action.
In conversation with The Telegraph about the uniqueness of Thai cuisine, Chef Tukta spoke at length about the importance of hygiene and food safety. “In Thailand, we start by cooking for our family, and we want to keep them safe before anything else. That’s why, with Thai cuisine, taste comes second and hygiene comes first.” Extracts from the chat...
What would you consider your area of expertise in Thai cuisine to be? How long have you been working with it?
I have basically been working for 30 years now, give or take. It was not as convenient as it is right now in the beginning, because we did not have the right kind of equipment to cook. But I would say my area of expertise with Thai cuisine would be Pan-Thai food, as that is what I have been working on for the most amount of time.
What is your favourite part of the cooking experience?
So in Thailand, most Thai people do not work with vegetarian options. But as my grandmother was a Hindu from Chennai, we eat vegetarian food. So whenever we cook, we have to cook for ourselves. I’d say this would be my favourite part of the cooking experience.
What is your favourite ingredient to work with?
Most of the time, we use traditional Thai ingredients. Whenever we go outside the country, we bring our ingredients with us. We also prefer cooking in our kitchens, as we Thais really value hygiene over anything else. We worry about the health of our patrons because without them, we wouldn’t be here.
So you mentioned Thai ingredients are your favourite to cook with...
I’ve always observed many places are unable to make authentic Thai cuisine mainly because they have to get their ingredients from the market. But in our catering, we grow theingredients ourselves. We’re especially particular about peanuts and chillies. We prefer to not keep any of our ingredients in stock, as all our food is made to order.
Would you say, then, that Thai cuisine is more about other people (the patrons) than about the person who’s cooking?
I think so. We view all of our customers and the people we feed as our own family, and it follows that we want to protect them and keep them safe. This is why we have such an intensive focus on the quality and freshness of ingredients. We’ve been to many places that can make amazing food, but they lack an eye for hygiene. For Thai food, the taste is always second, and cleanliness is always first.
Do you have your personal creative spins on some dishes that you’ve cooked?
See, in Thailand, we don’t really consider a dish to be a chef’s signature dish. Our main priority is to cook exactly what the customer wants, however they want it. In a way, all our food would thus be our signature dishes. We respect the guests the most, because they spend their time and their money on our culinary experience.
“We held a pop-up event with Chef Tukta in collaboration with Gourmet Design Company. Our attempt was to offer Calcutta the best authentic Thai cuisine and create a different atmosphere and vibe at Trapeze. Chef Tukta, a renowned Thai cuisine chef, has specialised in classical vegetarian Thai flavours. She has served celebrities in India and around the world. We have plans to host similar pop-ups in the future where we want people to experience different cultural flavours with world-class chefs,” said Sweta Tantia (left in picture), director at Trapeze. Understandably, the guests could not stop raving about the excellence of the dining experience. Founder and director at Gourmet Design Company, Dipti Modi (right in picture), spoke excitedly about the event and the future prospects for GDC. “Restaurant pop-ups are one of GDCs verticals. Our goal is to bring down the best of chefs/F&B brands/restaurants to India and take Indian culinary talents across the globe. Chef Tukta is one of the most revered Thai cuisine chefs in the world. She has served some of the most renowned families in India and other countries. She comes with her own specialised team of chefs and presents the food in a very unique manner, which resonates with Thai culture. We are very excited to bring the chef and her team to Calcutta so that the food lovers of the city can experience her spectacular and unique flavours. This experience has been curated with Trapeze as our operational partner. We have many more unique culinary pop-ups lined up for the coming months and we are sure that the discerning foodies of the city will be as excited as we are!”
The director of Vidit Group and chairman of ICC Young Leaders Forum, Mudit Beriwal, was enamoured by Chef Tukta’s magic. “Young Leaders Forum has over 200 members in Calcutta and has been creating events to give the best learning and different experiences to its members. We have done events from talk shows, concerts, and sports tournaments and this time we wanted them to have a fine-dining Thai experience. When we got to know about Chef Tukta coming to the city, we immediately planned and curated the entire experience for our members. I have experienced Chef Tukta’s culinary skills before and I feel she is by far the best Thai chef. From the entire dining journey — planning, preparation, and plating, she takes and gives a personal touch to all possible details. She creates an unforgettable experience,” said Mudit.
On the menu
The masterfully plated and served Butter Garlic Prawns were an absolute delight to those who preferred mild and juicy tastes. The tender meat of the prawns was complemented perfectly by the heaven-sent match of butter and garlic.
No party starts without a glass of Daiquiri in hand, and the one served at Trapeze that evening definitely did not disappoint. The taste was punchy and light, and the notes of citrus made the cocktail a favourite for all.
A fare filled generously to the brim with meat and veggies, the Tukta Noodle Soup was yet another culinary wonder dished out by Chef Tukta. The melting pot of textures made the bowl a wonderful experience to get through, while the soft and springy noodles at the bottom were heartily filling.
Putting a spin on an old, classic favourite, the Chicken Nuggets were served with a deliciously mellow dip and some crispy French fries. The deep-fried chicken nuggets had a delightfully crunchy layer of bread crumb on top, making each bite more rewarding than the last.
A truly divine experience that took the invitees on a journey to Thailand just through its taste, the Jasmine Rice and Pad Thai Noodles were as aromatic as they were delectable. As with all other dishes on the menu, these, too, were beautifully mellow in taste and offered a great range of flavours with every bite.
The Crispy Papaya Salad was a textural wonder, and the refreshing crunch along with the tangy sweetness of the papaya offered a delicious treat to the tastebuds. It was served along with Thai Salad, which was equally ranged in terms of its varying textures, with a flavourful smattering of peanuts, something that any Thai dish would be incomplete without.
Pictures: Rashbehari Das