Chapter 5: Recommendations and Conclusion
3.2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Thai or Siamese cuisine was virtually unknown outside of Thailand until the middle of this century. Like most other aspects of Thai culture, Thai cooking owes much to its friends and neighbours from China, India and even as far afield as Europe. Thailand has however still managed to retain/maintain the essential Thai-ness of native food and it should be stated that Thai cuisine is unique and not merely a regional adaptation of either Chinese or Indian cooking.
Traditional Thai cooking methods included stewing, baking or grilling. Chinese influences saw the introduction of frying, stir frying and deep-frying. Portuguese, Dutch, French and Japanese culinary influences from the 17th (seventeenth) century impacted on their cooking methods. The late 1600s saw Portuguese missionaries introduce Chillies to Thai cooking. They had acquired a taste for it whilst they served time in South America The Thai's became very adept at "siamese-ising" foreign cooking methods and substituting ingredients.
The basic characteristic taste of Thai food can be derived from the mixture of salt and pepper, and, garlic and coriander root that is pounded together. It is simply this combination of base spices that would turn fried chicken into Thai fried chicken and not American or African fried chicken. There actually is no single adjective that one can use to describe Thai cooking. A large number of herbs, spices, leaves, roots and even flowers are widely used in Thai cooking for the their aromatic qualities. Examples of these would include lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal and chillies to name but a few. Spicy- dishes are balanced by bland dishes to avoid any discomfort for the diner. An ideal Thai meal should be a harmonious blend of the spicy, the subtle, the sweet and the sour whilst still being equally appealing to the eyes, nose and palate.
Coconut milk or cream is another essential ingredient that is used in Thai cooking. This is blended together with other ingredients to give the Thai dishes their smooth, creamy base. Coconut oil and later coconut milk replaced the ghee (clarified butter) that is used in Indian cooking.
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It can be said that Thai cuisine is essentially a marriage of centuries old Eastern and Western influences harmoniously combined into something uniquely Thai. Thai cooking is reflected in the characteristics of a waterborne lifestyle and this was obvious as their major ingredients included aquatic animals, plants and herbs. Initially large chunks of meat were not used and subsequent influences saw the introduction of sizable chunks.
The Buddhist religion also played a part here and Thai's shunned the use of large animals in big chunks.
A typical Thai meal would consist of steamed fragrant rice, which is served with many different dishes. Itis important to note that authentic Thai cuisine does not have courses, so these dishes would be served simultaneously. Eating Thai food is a communal affair, in fact it is customary to share all the dishes amongst the whole party. The general rule in Thai dining is that the greater the number of diners, the greater the number of dishes that one orders. Generally speaking, two (2) diners order three (3) dishes in addition to their own plates of steamed rice, three (3) diners would order four (4) dishes and so on. Each person would take a spoonful of one dish with some rice and then a spoonful of another dish with some rice and enjoy the different tastes, textures and flavours of each dish. In this way, different dishes are enjoyed concurrently with other dishes and not independently.
Thai food is eaten with a fork and spoon. All ingredients are served in bite size chunks obviating the need for a knife. The spoon is used to convey food into the mouth.
Thai Land plans to be the leading gourmet Thai restaurant in Durban. Aims include having a rapidly developing consumer brand and growing customer base. Their signature line will centre around innovative, premium, value for money Thai dishes. These will include items such as Torn Yarn Kung (spicy prawn soup) Prieo Wan (sweet and sour prawns, chicken or beef) and Kaeng Khieo Wan Kai (green Thai curry). Thai Land will also serve distinct yet authentic salads, desserts, and beverages. The main rule of thumb would be that all dishes that are offered should be authentic and not compromised in any way by becoming a Westernised version of the real thing.
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The mam focus of the Thai Land Restaurant and Bar is Thai-centricity and the management hope to bring this over to the Durban area through the spices, nectar and sounds, thereby giving the patron a taste of what the other side of Thai is all about. Thai Land's mission is to give anyone that is curious a sense of the Bangkok atmosphere whilst being able to order authentic dishes that are freshly and exquisitely prepared by experienced Thai chefs. All these meals are inturnserved by a team of friendly, attentive and knowledgeable staff. Since meals are freshly prepared, they can be modified and cooked to suit an individual's requirements ensuring that the correct blend of exotic herbs and spices tantalise the patron's taste buds. This principle is reinforced by the management's goal as restaurateurs - meals are cooked individually as patrons are individuals and not just money sitting on seats.
Thai Land Restaurant and Bar will also be the only Thai or Asian restaurant to cater for true vegetarians. Most of these restaurants use meat stock, fish sauce, shrimp paste or even oyster sauce in what they may term a vegetarian dish. This restaurant will ensure that they do not compromise their standards and have found wonderful alternatives that do not distort the flavour of the original dish.
Thai Land Restaurant and Bar is the only truly authentic Thai food restaurant in Durban, that uses skilled chefs to create delightful flavours of classical Thai cooking with their extensive knowledge of tradition and an exotic palette of spices. It is truly an affordable luxury - a special treat for anyone that loves good living and wonderful food.
The restaurants logo would be Thai Land Restaurant and Bar - we're innovative, we've very Thai and We're here.
Thai Land plans to reinvent the Thai dining experience for individuals, families, and take out customers with discretionary income by selling high quality, innovative food and beverage products at reasonable prices. Long term plans are designed around having
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tasteful, convenient locations, whilst providing industry benchmark customer service levels and standards.