Simply Asia

in May 2011 - Cape Kos

Things that make winter worthwhile – snuggling up in blankets, hot chocolate and of course the flavours of hot, spicy dishes to keep the blues and cold at bay. Situated in Lake Side Center – Simply Asia’s chic oriental look made our journey worthwhile.

Upon arrival our enthusiastic waitress, Jo, welcomed us with a smile, led us to our table and handed us our menus, leaving us with the difficult task of making our choice from the wide selection of soups, noodles, Thai, vegetarian or seafood meals and the newly added duck section to the menu.

The idea of authentic Thai cuisine seemed a bit daunting, after all the traditional dishes are famed for their fiery tastes. Luckily at Simply Asia we were given the option of selecting our own ‘hotness level’ – a taste that would leave us ‘blinking’, something ‘brilliant’, or the daring ‘shooting stars’. But for those who felt that the risk was a great one to take, the option allowed them to back out and order something with no chilli; this said we were ready to try something new.

The first dish to arrive was Khanom Jean Nam Ya Pla (R58), Line fish, carrot and cabbage prepared in a curry sauce and served on rice spaghetti. Milder than expected, the dish was still thoroughly enjoyed by its recipient. Next was the Preow Wan-Gai (R55), a combination of chicken, spring onion, pineapple, cucumber and tomato stir-fried in a sweet and sour sauce. The colourful representation impressed as much as the unique taste. Heating things up a bit; chicken stir-fried in a mix of peppers, with the aromatic flavour of roasted chilli paste – Gai Pad Med Prik-Phao (R51) was served. The addition of cashew nuts to this Thai dish added an unusual, yet delectable flavour to lunch. And what would Thai cuisine be without the well-known duck? Khao Na Ped (R76) roasted and sliced duck flavoured with soya sauce and served with broccoli, carrots and a flower-shaped serving of Jasmine rice. It satisfied the curiosity of the ‘lunchtimer’ that had never tried duck before and was added to the list of favourites, to be enjoyed again.

Happy, warmed up and pleasantly surprised at the generous portions and affordable prices, we decided to indulge a little more and try the sweeter side of Thai cuisine.

Placing an unusual spin on having fruit for dessert, the Thai dessert (R28) consisting of deep fried bananas served with a generous portion of vanilla ice cream, drizzled with honey cured the sweet tooth of its curious recipient. While a large portion of Chocolate Spring Rolls (R32) accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a decadent chocolate sauce gave the remainder of us something to nibble on. The six rolls, crisp at first bite gave way to melted hot chocolate, a treat thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.

At the end of our eastern lunch; the taste of spices, chillies and chocolate left a lasting reminder of our simply Asian experience as we headed back to the office to catch up on last minute deadline work.