I was quite excited at the prospect of reviewing Isaan, the new Thai restaurant at the Grand Hyatt. I am huge Thai food fan and so is the friend that I took along to help me in such an arduous task! We had high expectations of our surroundings and the food and indeed we were not disappointed.

 

As you enter you notice the bright and spacious feel of the restaurant and yet there seems an intimacy in the way the tables are situated. The floor is parquet and furnished with plush rugs that add to the feeling of opulence. The seating is open plan and surrounds a kitchen area from which exudes the most wonderful smell of fresh herbs and spices.   We are seated near the window which overlooks the beach area and I notice there is also outside seating which in cooler times would allow al fresco dining at its best.

 

Our waiter is called Pansak and explains the history of the name ‘Isaan’ which is the name of a region where all the food is still today farmed by hand in the old traditional way without any machinery and cooked using recipes passed down through generations. He says that the occupants live long lives and that the concept the restaurant is aiming to convey is ‘family style’ and ‘sharing’ and therefore he concludes that all the dishes are served to share.

 

The menu is a Friday brunch menu with a difference. The price is set and you can choose a ‘with alcohol’ option for QR 390, or ‘without alcohol’ option for QR 250. However instead of the traditional ‘help yourself buffet style’ you order dishes from the menu and they are cooked fresh and brought to your table. There is no limit to the amount of dishes you can order; you could really just carry on until you literally cannot fit in anymore, and of course that’s what we proceeded to do!

 

All the dishes are cooked in authentic spices and the menu is divided into Wok, Salads, Noodles, Steamer, Clay Pots and Grill and Fried. We are unsure exactly what to start with so Pansak offers to bring a selection. If you go for the ‘with alcohol’ option there is a great selection of wines to choose from including Baron Philippe de Rothschild 2007 red and white and a sparkling chardonnay as well as beer. For the non-alcohol option there is an impressive list of Thai herbal teas including lemon grass, saffron and Rosella. We go for lemon grass tea and the refreshing taste is just delicious.

 

We watch the chefs at work whilst we wait in anticipation and are impressed as the wok fires up, however do they do that, I daren’t try as I am sure I would singe my eyebrows, best leave it to the experts! The food arrives quickly considering it is all cooked freshly.  Jasmine rice is served in a traditional way, spooned out of a wicker basket and is sticky and moist all at once. The first dishes we try are a green curry with prawns and shrimp toast with sesame seeds. The curry is spicy but very tasty with large succulent prawns and even though I feel my tongue tingle with the various spices I can’t help but dish up more! The toasts are the best that I have ever tasted, crisp yet moist and much thicker than expected. They are served with a sweet cucumber dipping sauce that perfectly complements the crisp toasts and we munch through all four and order more as they are so moorish!

 

The next dishes that are brought over are Pla Yang Bai Tong (fish in banana leaf with herbs and scallions) and Plamuek Pad Cha (spicy baby squid with ginger and basil). The fish is served with four different sauces of varying textures and levels of spiciness and as I taste a piece it just flakes away as it has been cooked until it’s moist yet still flavorsome. I try it with each sauce and it’s amazing how the taste varies so much with each one. A truly delicious way to tantalise the taste buds! Onto the squid which is served with green peppercorns which when I crunch down on them they create a taste explosion of fresh pepper, complementing the ginger and basil flavors accompanying the squid, which is perfectly cooked.

 

We are both beginning to feel quite full at this point but the dishes keep on coming! Next is Shu Shi Pla Gao (fish in red curry sauce) and Guev Tiew Gai (chicken noodles). We agree that fish dish is by far our favourite so far, the sauce is thick with a coconut flavour and the pieces of fish large and meaty, we argue over the last piece of fish (I win!) then move onto the noodles. The noodles are in a clear soup and served with large chunks of chicken and taste divine. The soup is so full of flavor and I want to just dip my spoon in and drink it all! However I need to save some room as I see the waiter approaching once more..

 

Next are the tiger prawns, there are only two so we think we can just about manage one each! They are both hot and spicy as we bite into them but are in a garlic, lemongrass and coriander dressing so the tastes all combine in your mouth amounting to the most delectable prawns I have ever tasted.  We stare at the remaining dish and then each other, is there any room? They are Hor Mok Goong (shrimp soufflés) and resting in tiny handmade banana leaf cases, they look so appetizing that neither of us can resist. We bite into them and they are just what our palate needed, an unexpected light and creamy taste. They contain large shrimp pieces that release the coconut flavor as you consume them, and you can’t help but lick the sauce from your fingers!

 

That’s it now I really think I cannot eat another thing but my friend is insistent that we have to try dessert. I tell her that’s she’s on her own there but she orders Itim Kati (coconut ice cream) and Kao Niew Mamuang (sticky rice with mango and coconut cream). We are informed on ordering that the mango has been flown in fresh from Thailand.  The desserts arrive and of course look so tempting I take a spoonful of ice cream. The taste is refreshing and I am somewhat surprised at the chewy texture. It is then that I realise the ice cream is speckled with pieces of sweet corn but don’t let that put you off as it really is delicious and I encourage you to try it as the flavors and textures complement each other perfectly! I really cannot manage the rice but am informed that it’s both sticky and buttery and combined with the coconut cream and mango melt in the mouth (which is probably good as I am sure my friend could not really digest anything more either!!).

 

You really must visit Isaan and taste some of their delicious dishes and I challenge even those with huge appetites not to come away satiated. It truly is the most wonderful experience, the atmosphere is relaxing and it’s refreshing not to have to fight for the last prawn on the buffet at brunch!

 

Isaan served brunch in Friday from 12.30 – 15.00 and dinner daily from 19.00 to 23.30.

For reservations call 4481234

 

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