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Gourmet Visits DALAABAA

Almost a year ago, Gourmet had a thoroughly delightful evening at Dalaabaa, a fine dining restaurant opposite the British Council on Bumroongraj Road. Now, the best part of twelve months having passed, we felt a revisit to the same establishment was a must. My feeling is that unless you're fatally, irresistibly drawn back to the flame that burnt you before, you're dealing with a preference, rather than a passion. And with Dalaaba, this wasn't just any old weak attraction, it was a undeniable summons. I gave way to it.

It was some time after the usual office hours that we got onto the road. God bless mid-October, when not only is the cool season beginning, but the schools are out - and the roads - free for once from traffic jams. Bliss!

Even though the management had changed hands since last time, Dalaabaa still remained faithful to its original philosophy, which was to let the guests have a really good time and provide them with the very best food, perfectly cooked. The music too - not too loud, so that one was soothed by it, but not stopped from talking with one's companion.

So - we started with the Pink Dalaabaa, a dry cocktail with vodka making up about half of its content. A great kick-start for a very good night out, and believe me, the pink tint to the drink didn't mean it was one only for the ladies. Our choice for appetizer was the highly recommended deep fried crab springrolls with sweet plum sauce. Karin the photographer would be more than willing to throw his camera away just to be the first to have a bite on those crispy sticks. Then came the legendary Dalaabite, shrimp rolled in smoked salmon. I am normally not a salmon enthusiast but this dish just blew me away! Our heaviest dish that night was the beef curry in fresh chilli served with roti. Everything in this dish seemed to be scaled for the Thai palette. The meat was cut in cute cube shapes, the not-oily-at-all roti was so perfect. The fact that most items were bite-sized, meant you felt you could just go on eating the whole night, but the food is so rich that before you know it you've hit the wall. Great as it is, you can't get another mouthful down.

My verdict after this second try-out is that Dalaabaa is one of the best places to eat in town, if it’s good food in a very amiable ambiance you're looking for. I'm looking forward to a third visit in the not too distant future - certainly not a year away.

Text: Terry
Images: Karin