Text Rick Tan | Photography Tan May Lee

“The name “Melting Pot” connotes variety” explains our host and indeed one would readily agree that it would aptly apply where we are sitting. The Melting Pot Café is Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur’s signature restaurant which has a seating capacity for 216 and briefly comprises an intimate dining area and bar lounge. There are also open “action stations” for those who enjoy watching their food being prepared.

The fact that it was a slightly rainy day in Kuala Lumpur meant that the crowd was rather subtle and one could unwind comfortably watching the rest of the world go by. Located slightly off the façade of the hotel, Melting Pot overlooks the hive of activity that is Jalan Sultan Ismail a walk away from the best of KL club scene.

But it isn’t that view that brought us here tonight. Rather, it is the two guest chefs specially flown over from Pattaya, Thailand. Chefs Boonsom Wongchareon and Nopparat Pianpisai are here to entice diners with an array of Thai cuisine from their years of experience in the industry.

Chef Boonsom, a widely travelled fellow, is makes his second appearance here at the Concorde Hotel. He is a salad and hot dish expert while Chef Nopparat oversees the dessert delegation. After a tour of the attractively laid out buffet spread, which affirms the Asian belief that food is as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the stomach, we then happily tucked right in.

This being a Thai cuisine promotion meant that it would be sacrilegious to begin without the ever famous Tom Yam Soup. Legend has it that the proof of a Thai chef worth is in his or her Tom Yam, so we’re only too happy to go along with it. If the legend is true, then I’m only too happy to say things are certainly looking up!

The broth is delightfully hearty, a well balanced fusion of herb and spices prepared with a generous amount of seafood. Perhaps it was not the fiery sort that I secretly hoped for though that isn’t a negative comment (I’m a red hot chilli person); I thoroughly enjoyed digging into the chunky seafood bits made up of prawn, squid and fish.

Those who need their salad will be happy to know that they are not forgotten with an array that runs from the usual Mango Salad (watch out for those little chillies), Spicy Seafood Salad, Chicken Salad, deep fried Catfish Salad and more. I was trying decide which salad to sample when my eye caught sight of one described by the little placard in front of it as “Crispy Morning Glory with Prawn.”

Being ignorant of Thai colloquialism, I had in mind an image of a certain purple flower deep fried, batter and all, but as I later found out that it is really a sort of spinach and it wasn’t purple either. It was delicious though, crispy on the outside and I guess the fact that it was a “vegetable” elevated some of the guilt indulging in all this crispy fried food. Speaking of which, I also sampled the catfish which looked a lot like what I would describe as a cake of fried beehoon which I felt was well done, but the fish however, must have been lost in the crispiness, if I may describe it as so.

Moving on to the main courses, nine of which are the specially prepared Thai dishes. There was “Nuer Phad Gai Lan” (stir fried beef with Chinese broccoli), “Poor Ja” (stuffed crab shell), “Hoe Mok Talay” (seafood soufflé), “Pha Na Prik” (deep fried fish with chilli), Thai Fish Cake, “Kaeng Phed Phad Yang” (red curry duck with fruits), “Goong Ou Klue” (prawns baked with salt and pepper), “Kaeng Khiew Wan Nuer (green curry beef) and “Phad Thai” (Thai stir fried noodles).

The steamed seafood soufflé were in soft, bite-sized helpings akin to our local otak-otak, cooked wrapped in a lotus leaf that someone points out is known for its detoxification properties. The “Goong Ou Klue” prawns were a succulent, juicy and generous sized affair and one needs to carefully apportion their fill because it is that big. I never noticed if duck is featured much on Thai menus, but the Red Curry Duck with Fruits is certainly an insight. Tender cuts of duck in a sweetish, fruity sauce might tempt people who normally forgo duck due to its gamy overtone. Quite excellent.

I should point out that if you’re worried that a Thai meal would be a fiery hot, sweat-inducing affair, don’t worry; the chefs have pared down the chilli to suit local tastes. If you like your food prepared before your eyes, the Teppanyaki Grill station and the Noodle station were not to be missed. Not being a fan of noodles, I made for the grill which, while mostly Japanese-oriented, have an assortment of Thai-inspired dishes, one of which is salted baked fish. It is simplicity in its finest: fresh fish with a hint of saltiness, each bite as subtly tempting as the next.

Chef Boonsom has been to as far as the USA on his journey of culinary experience. Asked what inspired him to be a chef, he talked about his childhood and how he came to be a kitchen helper in his home of Pattaya and working his way up and on being very passionate about what he does. His favourite dish? “The Tom Yam soup,” he quietly replied.

The Dessert station is personally overseen by Chef Nopparat and I did not hesitate to request for a personally prepared dish of Thailand’s famous Mango with Sticky Rice. Perhaps knowledgeable of the Malaysian palate for sweet things, the dish also comes with a side of sticky sweet black glutinous rice, a welcomed addition to the already delightful combination of fresh mangoes and cold, sticky rice drizzled generously with fresh coconut milk.

The “Authentic Siamese Cuisine” promotion was on the entire month of April at the Melting Pot Café on top of its usual offering of local and international cuisines. The café provides for a good dining experience for both groups and intimate settings. To end our dinner on a high note, the in-house “Batak” strollers were here on hand to serenade diners with a good mix of local and international songs.

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Calvin doesn’t fancy Tom Yam, hence I had all the Seafood Tom Yam (RM 13.80) to myself, except the prawns. Not too oily and brimming with oyster mushroom, squid, onion and large prawns, I just love the taste as soon as the spiciness started to kick in. I even drenched my bowl of rice with it.