Oodles of noodles – Baan Thai

Baan Thai is a cult place for best Thai food in Kolkata- period. There are certain places in Kolkata, which, over a period of time, have achieved the cult status and has gained a certain follower base of their own. In fact, the follower base is such strong that, if a certain dish is presented in a new way, the management is flooded with complaints. One such place is Baan Thai in The Oberoi Grand. Recently, I was invited to taste their Indian Spirits Cocktail and Oodles Of Noodles Festival, and the following is my experience.

Statutory warning: The Oberoi has got a certain aura of classiness surrounding the whole property and they prefer to maintain it that way. So, if you’re looking to indulge in royal treatment and are ready to pay THE price for it, welcome, else, just enjoy the review here.

As I said, these guys understood service. So, instead of serving us the full set of cocktails and getting us drunk on a weekday afternoon, they provided us with one full cocktail for experiencing the looks and shooting, and for testing purposes, we were given shots of each. But, we were assured, if we needed, full cocktails can also be provided. The cocktails were a blend of stunning finishing (looks-wise) and some strange recipes. The taste of each of them was awesome, to say the least. But among all of them, my winner was Southern Samaras- which I’ll try again in the near future. P.S: The cocktails are priced at 975/-+ Tax each portion

Next came the food and it was widespread. Frankly, this was my first visit to Baan Thai and I was mightily impressed. For me, a great restaurant consists of not only great food but great service- and this was THE place. The prompt service, knowledge of servers was commendable and the best part was, I could find my water tumbler full at all times (those who follow my blog, know that I’m quite finicky about this aspect, at least in a fine dining outlet).

Now, Thai food for me is something where there is a riot of flavors, yet, none overpowering others. It’s basically a flow of different flavors making love with one another and becoming something else. This balance is what I find in all the Thai joints and here, the journey was seamless. We were served a full meal and the following are the items.

My personal verdict

Among all the items, my favorite was the soup firstly. The subtle flavor of the stock was out of the world. Among starters, though I am not much of a prawn lover, the deep-fried prawn was out of the world, and in the main course section, though a little spicy, the seafood soba noodles was brilliant. The dessert was a surprise but ended the meal perfectly.

Overall the experience was brilliant. Earlier I used to think why this place was so much praised, but now I can understand. So, if you’re looking for a classy evening with Thai food, here’s the place. Portion sizes are huge and can easily be shared. Pocket pinch: for a couple should be around 5000/-.

Bon Appetit!!!

Comments and critics welcome.

I can be reached at 9903528225 / indrajit.lahiri@ymail.com