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East Meets West in the kitchen of Executive Chef Arkhom Poliyem.
He has created a menu at Sala Bua, the signature beachfront restaurant
at the Phuket Cabana Resort, which creates sophisticated blends
of popular Western cuisine blended with Asian spice.
"I use French recipes with fresh ingredients combined with
local Thai herbs. The result is a cuisine that is traditional yet
uniquely Asian," explained Chef Arkhom,
"I am always looking for new menus that I can experiment with
by using Asian cooking techniques and spices."
Chef Arkhom was born in the Northeast of Thailand, far from the
international tourism industry but his talent with food was quickly
spotted when he worked in the kitchens at the Bangkok Hilton where
he spent five years learning his craft. "I love to use my senses
of smell and taste when working over a stove. When introduced to
Western foods, I immediately was interested in how these new tastes
and textures would mix with Thai herbs and spices," he continued.
His menu at Sala Bua includes fresh seafood caught daily just off
the shores of the Phuket Cabana Resort which he grills or steams
with local herbs.
He also offers baked Tasmanian salmon which he wraps in grilled
local cashew nuts and served with coconut beurre blanc and black
sticky rice.
For September, Sala Bua will offer a special promotion of Phuket
Lobster. Chef Arkhom has created four different large salads featuring
local lobster which includes his East Meets West Lobster Salad and
a Spicy Lobster Salad with Thai herbs and spices.
Also featured are four exciting lobster main course flambes which
he prepares at the table.
"I like cooking at the table and talking to guests about Thai
foods and the mixture of Western and Eastern ingredients. For example,
I've created a Tom Yam Lobster Flambe cooked in an oyster mushroom
sauce with coconut milk and exotic vegetables native to Thailand,"
he demonstrated.
For dinner at a beautiful restaurant set on Patong Beach with remarkable
food prepared by one of Phuket's most outstanding chefs, stop by
Sala Bua and let Chef Arkhom make a meal you will long remember.
Claude's Wine Recommendation
Claude Sauter is the Executive Assistant Manager at the Phuket Cabana.
He also works with Chef Arkhom to create menus that will excite
the tastes of their primarily Western guests.
"With Chef Arkhom's menu, I would not be too conservative or
strict about combining food with wine. We offer a Merlot "Domaine
Leclaud" 1996, a fruity red wine, which I think is perfect
for our East Meets West seafood menu. After all, while on holiday
to exotic Thailand, why not explore new flavors and taste combinations?"
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