laocook

I have just returned from a short break in London to catch up with King & Laurene. This time, Laocook waitress Jopi and her Boyfriend (Greg) joined us for our long weekend.

Pre dinner drinks.

If you ever venture out to Upton Park in East London, Thai-Thai is a great small restaurant to visit. The welcoming staff always have a smile and the food is prepared in their semi-open kitchen by Isaan Cooks from Khon Kean.

Ready to eat, from left to right: Jopi, Greg, Rose, Laurene, King and our Mother.

Their menu features Thai and Isaan favorites as well as a large vegetarian section. Extra chillies were provided for us! ;)

The restaurant is uncluttered and simple, yet you can see the effort that has gone in to the preperation of the food.

With more and more Thai restaurants popping up over London, its good to know that Thai-Thai is focusing on authentic foods, prepared simply and well.

Sanya joins the Laocook Team for a Summer Internship. He will be spending a few weeks in Service before moving in to the kitchens.

Sanya is Lao French, from Paris. If he looks familiar, thats because he is Junior´s brother. :)

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In our previous post we talked about Cherry Tomatoes, we like to make lots of them at a time and use them in dishes to add colour. Above the Cherry Tomato is used as a garnish for our Fish with Lemongrass and Tamarind Sauce.

Cherry Tomatoes also come in Yellow, and in the next few weeks, we´ll be using them too.

:)

A few friendly Lobsters arrived, destined to be enjoyed

For the past few days, we have had 3 special Lobster dishes on offer.

Lobster Salad with Yuzu Vinaigrette and Coriander Oil with Flying Fish Roe.

We love the texture of the Flying Fish Roe, it adds a crunchiness and freshness to the Coriander Oil. Summer Lettuce and Herbs get a a tangy Yuzu dressing, and the Avocado (under the Lobster) adds creaminess.

This is truly a Laotian inspired dish. Lobster with Tomato Chutney (Jéow Mak Lhen). The aromatic chutney sits on top of Butter fried Spinach, the Lobster is “just” cooked so that it keeps its “freshness and natural sweetness”. Cold Skinned Blanched Cherry Tomatoes not only add colour, but also a refreshing bite.

To make the Cherry Tomatoes, simply cut an X in the bottom before plunging in to boiling water for a few seconds, followed by an Ice Bath, the skin then peels away easily. Store in the fridge until needed, or slow dry in an Oven for a few hours, allow to cool and store in a jar covered with Olive Oil. Slow Drying concentrates the lovely flavours.

Cherry Tomato also features in our last dish. Lobster Green Curry with Young Vegetables.

Baby Sweetcorn and Asparagus give this dish its crunchiness. The Green Curry sauce in this instance is lighter and less oily than conventional Curries, and is served cold, almost like a summer soup.

The first of three Laocook Interns has arrived and settled in.

Surinya is Lao French and hails from Paris.

This is his first post in a hotel kitchen.

One of his tasks is preparing our Amuse Bouche, later he will move from section to section within the team.

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Meanwhile, away from the kitchens…

A happy client gave us this Jeroboam (equivalent to 4 normal sized bottles) of wine, which we gladly opened and enjoyed.

;)

I love driving through the countryside, and the views are fantastic, especially the fields of Sunflowers, they look like an Army marching…