Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi’s signature Benjarong Thai restaurant serves authentic Royal Thai cuisine in a unique space that fuses contemporary style with traditional Thai design motifs. With recipes that have been passed down over generations, Benjarong brings the best flavors and tastes of Thailand to Abu Dhabi. The hotel has recently introduced this unique concept of Benjarong “Chef Tasting Menu.” We were cordially invited to sample the same; it’s been a great privilege as we dine at this regal Thai venue and were amongst the first ones to experience these Royal Thai dishes featuring Chef Yongyos Chimthep’s newest addition to restaurant’s menu.
We were been welcomed by traditional Thai greeting Wai and been asked for our wellbeing as Sawasdee (Pronounce as Sa-was-dee-ka (female) krub (female). First arrived at the table were welcome drinks. A refreshing ginger twist and lemon mint mojito. It was a very good combination to go with chefs tasting menu. However, there is a wide range of mocktails to choose from in case you would like to go for it.
Food Rundown:
First up were Thai Tapas. Kratong Tong & Por Pia Kung. I loved both, the first one has Minced Chicken in crispy cracker basket. It was bite-size very crunchy; minced filling was fresh and healthy with corns in it. The delicate cilantro dressing was commendable. Platters to serve were chosen very efficiently to enhance the presentation and the tri-effect of the starters. Placed over a bed of crispy thin noodles were delicate prawn spring rolls. They were placed at the 3 edges of the triangular platter and were lightly trickled in the sweet & Sour sauce. The texture of the crunchy crackers and soft prawns with the flavorful dips (we asked for seafood sauce) extremely compliments each other and left us wanting for more.
The salad has just one option Pla Salmon. Being a frequent guest at Benjarong Papaya salad is my uber favorite choice traditionally. Hence I was reluctant to try out this new salmon salad primarily. Chef was kind enough to put us at ease and send out both from the kitchen. But guess what; my priorities were literally been changed as soon as I tasted that Salmon salad with the spicy blend. It was tangy, refreshing and has an addictive combination of Thai herbs. This is by far the best Thai salad I ever had. Mint leaves and Thai chilies had a perfect balance on appetite and made this so pleasant.
We then expanded our craving for Mains to taste Chef Yongyos’s newest addition Pla Nung See Ew – Steamed Seabass fillet with ginger, spring onions, mushroom, and coriander. This main was quite unique and healthy, and at the same time, cooking techniques were the basic factor of success here. The quality of the fish and its presentation both were up to the mark. It was not dry at all, and the sauce at the bottom is just suffice not to annoy the texture of the sea bass itself. Perfect seasoning and right accompaniments made this dish an ideal for the menu.
Chu Chee Kung – Fried king prawns with dry curry sauce were served with Khao Suey i-e Steamed Jasmine rice. It was Ok-iesh in taste compare to seabass. I would rather prefer the same with more of curry to accommodate with rice instead of dry sauce. The quality of kind Prawn was good, though, and it actually came off its shell very easily.
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Dessert Bua Loy – Glutinous rice flour balls in coconut cream might be simple in presentation but is WOW in taste. This milky softening creamy concoction left us surprised. It has a very light, unique and lively feeling. We tasted our all-time favorite fried banana dessert too.
After encountering some Asian flavors, we felt full and spent some time in conversation with Chef de Cuisine, Yongyos Chimthep. We discovered the long run techniques and the thought process gone in designing this highly qualified and recommended menu with the Wok items, Tapas, and native desserts. We left the restaurant with a happy stomach and with their sweet Khob-Khun (Thankyou) gestures and do highly recommend this Chef’s Tasting Menu to Mahiblog Readers.
Essentials:
Phone number – 02 6988095
Cuisines – Thai, Asian
Opening hours – 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM, 7 PM to 11 PM
Address – Dusit Thani AD Hotel, Sultan Bin Zayed The First Street (Al Muroor Road), Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi
Social Media Pages: FB, Instagram
We were invited to dine at Benjarong. All views are our own, and all photographs are taken by us or provided by the client. Special Thanks to F&B Team, Chefs & Staff at Benjarong & Kier Pascual for being a great host.