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Gourmet Visits TOM TOM An evening’s enjoyment in addition to the dining.

If you are looking for a very special evening of dining and enjoyment let me recommend one of Chiang Mai’s latest additions, called the Tom Tom Restaurant.

It was my pleasure to visit there very soon after it opened in December 2003. As it nestles right up against the River Ping, you would already realise that it is set in pleasant and relaxing surrounds, and that is most important. I said an evening’s enjoyment in addition to the dining so let me explain. Though it is open from 10 am, and serves lunch, the entertainment begins at 7.00 o’clock with one hour of traditional Thai dancing, which is always a joy to watch, and that is followed by folk songs from 8.00 until 9.00. For the rest of the night you are able to listen to the nine-piece band playing for no less than five vocalists, and playing and singing top quality music.

However, as this is a gourmet column, let us move right along to the business part of the evening. The menu is one of unequalled variety and quality, and with many items I have rarely if ever seen before, and is a tribute to Executive Chef, Khun Thanonsak and his three chefs. For instance I must mention this one that I had not encountered before. Drunken chicken with chilli sauce; Shanghai style. It was explained to me that this is an old style Thai dish and gets its name from that fact that it is so spicy; one mouthful can have a great sobering effect. Well, maybe so! You could treat yourself to such dishes as German sausage with sauerkraut and mashed potato or grilled pork topped with lemon and chilli sauce. A rarity here is the whole white snapper with either soy or oyster sauce, and roast duck with curry and mixed fruit. All sounding wonderful.

With such a broad choice it was difficult to choose but I settled on a few I thought to be rather special. Baked rice mixed with pineapple, chicken, shrimp and cashew nuts, and served in a half pineapple which tasted as good as it sounds. As did the deep fried marinated pork spareribs, and the spicy, crispy, shrimp salad. Then came the ‘piece de resistance’ and chef’s special, chicken a la Tom Tom, and let me tell you, I have rarely had a more delicious meal placed before me, and I highly recommend it. There was a temptation to try the sweets course of chilled water chestnut dumplings in syrup and coconut milk but it was just a little too much for me. To add to the enjoyment there was a huge selection of cocktails, of which I tried one, and it was scrumptious, plus all the favourite beers on tap and icy-cold. What more could one ask for? As I left I thought to myself that, as a tom-tom is a kind of drum, it may be said, ‘it is easy to beat but hard to equal’. And that, I think, is a fair comment.

Graeme Monaghan