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Amalie Kvame Holm and Esther Williams continue their restaurant tour
Jasmine rice and glass noodles
In Bangkok, even at 2 a.m. you can sample freshly cooked Chicken Satè with a peanut dip or the famous Tom Yam Kum soup at every street corner. But if you're hankering for a taste of Thai in Colombo, you need to head to Cey-Nor Sawasdee Seafood Restaurant on D.R. Wijewardene Mw. Fort or Siam House on Abdul Gaffoor Mw. Colombo 3.

Thai food is one of the most popular world cuisines because of its rich blend of herbs and spices that make the food tasty but not too spicy.

Sawasdee
Chief chef of Sawasdee, Pithaya Khieokaen takes pride in providing Colombo diners a taste of Thai food. "Garlic, chillie, fish sauce, sugar, vegetable oil, oyster sauce and basil leaves are the basics in every dish we prepare," she says. Sauces such as hot and sour, pepper and garlic, basil leaves and chillies, oyster and soya sauce, lemon sauce, etc. accompany the seafood or other meat dishes. The red and green curries made with onion, garlic and different kinds of chillies are on every Thai menu as also the Pad Thai noodles stir fried with different meats.

A Thai meal could offer you a variety of soups, salads, main dishes with noodles or jasmine rice. Among other famous dishes are the Tom Yam Kum Soup made of mushroom, ginger, chillie, lemon grass with either shrimp and fish or chicken and grated green/raw papaya that is made into a spicy salad with peanuts, tomatoes, onion and dried shrimp. Also worth trying are the glass noodle salad and the chillie crab.

Overlooking the Beira Lake, the Sawasdee restaurant is decorated with orchids and pictures of Thai temples, goddesses and dancers creating an inviting atmosphere. From a central point on the ceiling, garlands of flowers cascade downwards and parasols with a dragon print are attractively arranged at various points.

Indoor and outdoor dining is offered with a choice of almost 150 items. We tried the house speciality, crab curry powder (a crab preparation sans shell tempered with celery, egg, capsicum, onion and coriander) and can recommend this dish.

"Our specialities are the crab curry powder, King Crab and Chicken Satè," smiles Pithaya who has another chef and two assistants to share responsibilities in the kitchen. Dressed in her chef's garb she greets visitors with an 'Ayubowan' Thai style, explains what the items are and how they are made.

Siam House
Siam House in Kollupitiya was opened in 1993 by Lionel P. Fernando and his Thai partner and offers several authentic Thai dishes, whole fish, fried or steamed with a choice of sauces being a favourite.

"The Thai government wants to promote their food industry and their target is to open 8000 outlets in various countries," states Fernando. He adds that people in Sri Lanka love Thai food and know what to ask for. "It suits the Sri Lankan palate just right."

"We hope to open another Thai restaurant somewhere in Colombo and are also looking for a suitable location in Kandy," adds Fernando. It is natural for people who haven't tasted it to assume that Thai food is similar to Chinese food. "It is quite different and you should taste it to know the difference!" Mr. Fernando goes on to explain that their Thai jasmine rice is imported as are most of their ingredients.

Quite popular among their clientele are the one-plate dishes - an entire main dish served on a bed of rice. Thais use coconut milk in their curries as do Sri Lankans. For dessert, one can choose from canned Longans, lychees or the saku with sweet corn. Their packed lunch, which is made to order, can make a very satisfying meal.

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