Although Dao offers authentic Thai delicacies, it has a certain twist of flavour perhaps to cater to the Indian palate. By Ankita Jain
With its low ambient lighting, wood-panelled tapestries, walls dotted with Chinese urns and intricate carvings, the décor at Dao throws light on Thailand’s traditional craftsmanship in wood. It uses the material to create an upscale yet unpretentious atmosphere to evoke the warmth of Thai hospitality. It is quite the tradition-meets-chic-meets class. The establishment covers two levels with the restaurant seating on the first and the lounge occupying the second floor. We were escorted to one of the corner window tables which provided a lovely view of the GK ‘N’ block park and the market. It seemed an inviting space and we couldn’t wait to test it out gastronomically.
First up, a platter of sushi immediately set the bar high enough for us to worry about the rest of the meal catching up. The salmon and tuna nigiri were perfectly formed, fresh and deliciously light. It was the vegetarian Philadelphia roll, though, which stole the show. Wrapped just right, lightly coated with crunchy tempura bits, it was a burst of textures and freshness.
Next lined up were the steamed beauties, dimsums. A well-made dumpling is apparent at the first bite. As promised the outer covering just melted away. But it tasted best when dipped into the red chilli and garlic sauce. For vegetarians, there is the steamed spinach dumpling that is stuffed with a blend of spinach and button mushrooms.
Moving towards the Thai delicacies, the prawn and lemon grass soup, for instance, was intense and spicy, with a thick and aromatic stock that gave it its taste and flavour. We thoroughly enjoyed the stir fried morning glory, which the chef had prepared with yellow bean sauce, garlic and chillies. And what was worth appreciating was the fact that the chef didn’t tone down the spices and kept it authentic. The food was cooked with dollops of chillies — but they enhanced the taste of the dish without overpowering it. The appetisers, again, were mouth-watering — the grilled chicken spicy salad was, well, spicy and the grilled pork neck was a dish where the meat had been cooked gently over a long period, ensuring that it was tender and the juices had sealed in. The fried shrimp with garlic and pepper was crunchy and sweet.
For the mains, the rice vermicelli was a surprise, with the string-hopper-like noodles tossed in soy sauce, assorted vegetables and shrimp. The well-balanced flavours and the crunchy vegetables make it an interesting eat. And a fusion of stir-fried flat rice noodles tossed with a tangy sauce, by itself, was yum. The bites of peanuts in the dish lent texture. For the dessert, the mango freak in me was delighted to come across a new dish — sticky rice with mango and coconut milk — an enjoyable dish of mashed rice flavoured with coconut milk and juicy pieces of mango on the side. The mango that the chef had used was our own langda.