Dining Out: Sala Rim Taley - a real sleeper by the sea

by Miss Terry Diner

An acquaintance introduced me to Peter, the manager of the Sala Rim Taley Restaurant in front of Natural Park Resort at Jomtien, and the Dining Out Team followed up the proffered invitation.

The restaurant is quite some distance down Jomtien Beach Road, approximately 0.7 kilometres past the well known Nang Nual Restaurant, but look for the Natural Park Resort sign. The restaurant is housed in a large open sala adjoining the road, with the resort’s pool behind it. There are also tables not under cover if you really want the open air sea breezes, and on our night we chose a table closest to the beach and it did indeed get the soft wind from the sea.

The atmosphere is very Thai, with the wooden sala, wooden chairs and large tables covered in Thai prints and woven bamboo and traditional weave placemats and napkin holders. The cutlery is also the traditional bronze Thai style. On the night we were there a TV crew was also filming an episode of “Had Hansa” (Happy Beach - a very popular Thai serial), so the staff were very busy.

The menu commences with appetizers priced between 40-100 baht and one of the first items to confuse slightly is that the English translations for the various dishes are actually in “German English” - Peter is German, while his Thai wife Kanya is the chef. This sometimes will mean that the spelling of the words is unusual, but once you get used to the phonetic handling of the English language there is no problem.

There are 4 soups (B. 60-120) with the classics, tom yum goong and tom kha gai and a maa-maa neua. Six salads are up next (B. 50-100), followed by 6 rice and noodle dishes, with various forms of kow pad (fried rice) in evidence. Six Thai favourites are next (B. 70-90) with gai pad khing (stir fried chicken with ginger) and a pad saparot gai (chicken with pineapple) on offer.

The next section has 6 curries (B. 70-90) including an interesting beef and pumpkin in yellow curry as well as the more usual gaeng keo waan. Seafood is next (B. 80-280) with sweet and sour or with garlic and pepper being just two of the different ways. That section is followed by Steak and Grills (B. 160-230) with 3 fish and 3 steak dishes including pepper steak and steak mit knoblauch. There is also an interesting B. 220 per person set menu with a starter of satays and spring rolls, followed by a tom yum goong and then five different ‘mini’ courses, which change daily. It is also an “all you can eat” deal.

There is no wine list per se, but Peter does have a selection covering Spanish, German, French and Australian. The wine prices range between B. 370-950. We chose a bottle of Bauer 1997 Riesling, but I believe it was the last in stock, before you go asking for it! By the way, the glasses were also good quality.

Madame had ordered the pla kapong thod gratiem prik Thai (garlic and pepper) while I ordered the panang gai curry. While we were waiting, cold towels came to the table, a nice touch. When the food arrived, the first impression was the simply amazing presentation. The rice surrounded by decorative vegetables and the fish a golden brown with fried garlic sprinkled over it. My panang came in a large coconut complete with special serving spoon.

Madame’s fish was cooked to perfection, with the skin lightly crisped but the flesh still moist, and there was nothing left at the end! The panang was authentic, packed with chicken and very flavoursome and enjoyable.

Sala Rim Taley has a fabulous ambience, great food and is inexpensive. It has only been going for a few months and most have not heard of it. However, you have now. Try this Thai restaurant, you will not be disappointed.

Sala Rim Taley, in front of Natural Park Resort, 412 Moo 12, Soi 17, Jomtien Beach Road, telephone 038 231 561-4 or 01 295 5030, email [email protected]

Accident waiting to happen: I’ve mentioned this before, but a recent letter to the Pattaya Mailbag prompts me to raise the issue of speeding motorbikes in Soi’s 7 and 8 again. The combination of copious quantities of booze and powerful, growling motorbikes steered by testosterone-inflated morons hoping to impress the local bar girls means that it will only be a matter of time before someone is either killed or seriously injured in either Soi 7 or Soi 8.

My e-mail address is: [email protected]

Wine tasting journey in Spain

by Ranjith Chandrasiri

Spain hasn’t always enjoyed a reputation for the out-and-out quality of its wines. Much of Spain’s production was of bulk wines: cheap and hearty reds with little finesse. The Rioja region was one exception, finding fame at the end of the 19th century when phylloxera devastated the Bordeaux region of France. Bordeaux merchants turned to Rioja, importing the wines and encouraging the bodegas to adopt classic Bordeaux techniques such as de-stemming of grapes and barrel ageing.

Other than that, the only wines of international quality were the fortified wines, particularly Sherry from the town of Jerez on the southern coast. Spanish wine making has been changing gradually through the latter half of the 20th century, particularly since the 1980s. Spain’s entry into the European Community brought new funding to many run-down wine-producing areas. Couple this with a burgeoning confidence in the post-Franco era and a willingness to experiment with new ideas and new technology, and Spain today from what I have experienced during my recent wine journey over there, is truly one of the most exciting “new” wine regions of the world.

Ranjith Chandrasiri (fourth from left) with grapes pickers in Milmanda vineyard during recent harvesting

Rioja remains at the forefront of quality wine in Spain. Sitting in the north of the country and straddling the River Ebro, Rioja is composed of 3 sub-regions: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Baja. Alta and Alavesa are to the west, where the climate is mild and temperate. Rioja Baja sits further east, where the temperature is hotter and the land more arid: consequently the wines from this region are generally considered inferior.

Rioja wines are associated with a lush, velvety appeal and the sweet scent of vanilla, largely the result of long ageing in American oak barrels. Tempranillo is the principal grape of red Rioja, though a handful of other grapes usually go into the blend.

One of the first Spanish regions to be regulated back in 1926, the words Reserva and Gran Reserva on Rioja labels have strict legal meaning: Reservas must be aged for at least 3 years before release, including a minimum of 1 year in oak. Gran Reservas can be released only after 5 years, including a minimum of 2 years in oak. Many traditional Riojas actually spend much more time than this. In recent years there has been a definite split in the Rioja camp, with many bodegas aiming for much more vividly fruity wines, where oak plays only a supporting role. Many more wines are appearing at Crianza level, with minimum oak and bottle age.

The “hottest” streak of the past decade or so has belonged to the Ribera del Duero. Lying southwest of Rioja, the region’s wines are also Tempranillo based and oak-aged. The biggest fish of the region is undoubtedly Vega Sicilia, whose wines are so highly prized as to be almost unobtainable. Blended with international grape varieties including Cabernet sauvignon and Merlot, Vega Sicilia is aged for a decade or more in oak.

The estate of Alejandro Fernandez produces “Pesquera”, an exceptionally fine wine that is much more reasonably priced and widely available. “Condado de Haza” is their second wine, also well worth trying.

Many other regions of Spain, such as Penedes where I was privileged to spend few days as a guest of the wine king of Spain, Miguel Torres, the CEO and owner of world famous Torres wines and Somontano in the far north and Valdepenas in the south, are producing excellent, fruit-driven wines in a modern style. Using a combination of indigenous and international grape varieties, producers employ the latest technology (stainless steel fermentation, refrigeration and cultured yeasts) to create wines of some style and value for money. Recently I had the unique opportunity of being part of several harvestings in well-known vineyards of this region, specifically in gorgeous Milmanda and Murralles of Don Miguel Torres.

Another undoubted revolution has taken place in the Spanish white wine scene. Ten years ago or so, white wines from Spain were best avoided: rough and oxidised bottles were all too common. New World techniques have been brought to bear here too and finally some top quality white wines have emerged.

White Rioja is being made in a fresher, more lemony style than rather oaky versions of old, and fine wines emanate from the Rueda region. Perhaps the most interesting white wines come from Galicia in the far northwest. In particular the wines of Ras Baixas, made from the delicate Albario grape, are well worth seeking out for their perfume, balance and refreshing acidity.

Ranjith Chandrasiri is the resident manager of Royal Cliff Grand, Royal Cliff Beach Resort, Pattaya, Thailand, email [email protected] or [email protected]