laocook

Grissini are Italian breadsticks and can be found in many restaurants and are similar to the Spanish “Picos”. We make ours with Olive and Sesame Oil, which gives the sticks a nutty flavour.

“Why are the Laocooks serving Grissini?” I hear you ask…

We like to venture in to different cuisines, because we think that cuisine is an international language, and if respected, can be enhanced with new ideas and flavours. Hey, everyone is doing it nowadays…some recipes work, and some just don’t, but it is all about the “learning process”.

Continuing the Italian theme, we reworked our Tom Kha Cappuccino. This time we used a base of Ceps, and added more Coconut to the Tom Kha foam, the result was very good, especially with the addition of Truffle…

With more bravado, we managed to cook up an interesting dish using home smoked Mackerel and Mint Sorbet, sounds weird, but it has to be tasted to be appreciated.

The fish is smoked over Olive Wood Chips, which add an amazing aroma, and because the Mackerel is a fatty fish, it won’t dry out during the smoking process.

One of our most ordered Main Courses is “Spicy Beef”, which is cooked with Shallots and a Spicy Basil Sauce. We tend to keep the hotness down unless our diners ask for “the real thing ;)

For those who don’t like spicy foods (grrrr) we also have some dishes that are mild, such as our Chicken with Mushrooms.

We like to use Mushrooms that are in season for this dish, preferring fresh to dried or frozen. Mushrooms add natural flavour to the dish, and should never be washed (they will soak up so much water). We use a Mushroom brush to get rid of the dirt and cut off any parts that are tough. It is a lot of work, but the dish oozes with flavour.

For those with a Sweet Tooth, or Teeth, our love affair with Pannacotta continues.

Driven by the multi-coloured Laotian desserts that we so miss, our Pannacotta is flavoured with Watermelon, Coconut and Mango.

***

Our Intern Sak, from Lyon in France is tasked with making the staff dinner.

As with all our Interns, Sak is progressing well, learning more Lao, and learning to drink…. We’ll make a Laocook out of him one day… ;)

Kuchi and Kham are on holiday and back “home”, which means that we have less staff in the kitchens for the time being.

The restaurant has been full for weeks now (we must be doing something right! :) )

Not only are we short staffed, we also have our Interns to take care of, and we are in the process of updating our “Aharn Menu”. No rest for the wicked eh?

Our Cold Asparagus Soup, what you cant see is the Lobster Roe at the bottom of the glass. Summer time is a great time for Cold Soups, and it seems that everyone has them on their menu´s.

One of my personal favourites is Salmorejo. It is simular to a Gazpacho, but more thick, and IMHO more flavoured. We added an Asiatic twist…

Our Salmorejo is served with Sesame Prawn Toast “Croutons” and Coriander Oil. Its an ideal Amuse Bouche for the hot summer nights.

Our Interns have been moving around the various sections of the restaurant. Sanya is now in the kitchens after completing his stage in the Service. Saki is teaching him how to make Tempura and he will then move on to the Sushi section.

***

Everyone of us loves a “Tum”. A spicy salad, usually associated with Papaya. We got a delivery of some beautiful and crunchy Mange Tout, so we quickly added it to our menu.

The Mange Tout retain their natural crispiness, and Cherry Tomatoes also add to the freshness of the dish. We used Anchovies and made it less spicy (though after work, we made a “real Tum” with the left overs…. ;) )

To finish off dinner, we have been offering Champagne Sorbet.

We are now in the process of making the Sorbet with Pink Champagne with Diced Mango.

Whilst we are hot and sweaty in the kitchens, we hope that Kuchi and Kham are having a good time…

Our restaurant has three sections, the “a la carte” section, where you can order from the menu, the Teppanyaki Tables and the Sushi Bar.

The Sushi Bar Menu (yes, in Japanese). Each panel tells clients what fish the Sushi Cook has, once the fish is finished, he will remove the panel. That way, people walking in to the Sushi Bar would know what is on offer, quite like a Tapas Menu. Our Menu is used more for decoration.

Meanwhile, back in the kitchens…

Sen gets his Ducks ready for Air Drying. It is quite a funny sight to see, especially if you are visiting the kitchens.

Fillet of Bream with Spinach and lashings of Garlic Cilantro Oil (our version of the Spanish “Salsa Verde” that is served with fish)