I TOTALLY enjoy Thai food. I learned to love it after all those Amazing Taste of Thailand food trips to Thailand that I got invited to along with a few colleagues from the local food media by then Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Philippines marketing representative Dave de Jesus. But in a country like the Philippines, where Thai food is getting more and more popular, you’ve got options when you start craving for Thai food.
One new Thai restaurant that you can visit when you feel like having Thai food for lunch or dinner is the newly opened Celadon at the ground floor of Power Plant Mall in Rockwell Center, Makati. The restaurant is the first Thai restaurant in the mall, and the reception of the dining public to it has been tremendous primarily because the food is very good. I got to taste some of its delicious offerings last Tuesday (April 16, 2013), but prior to that, I already had a sampling of what the restaurant had to offer during its formal opening night, where Dra. Elenita Binay, wife of Vice President and former Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, did the honors of cutting the ceremonial ribbon.
Owned by restaurateur Ching Cruz along with business partners Maritess Lopez, Ivy and Cynthia Almario, Ditas Lerma, Glenda Barretto, Tanya Chua, Agnes Huibonhua and Cheryl Pineda, Celadon is a celebration of the senses as it puts its own modern takes on traditional Thai dishes. Yes, you will find Pad Thai (stir-fried flat noodles with beansprouts, shrimps and peanuts), Crispy Catfish Salad (deep-fried catfish salad), Tod Man Kung (prawn cakes), Mieng Kam (fresh mieng kam leaves rolled with stuffing), Tom Yum Kung (spicy seafood soup), Thai Green Chicken Curry, and Tom Khaa Gai (coconut chicken soup), plus classic desserts like Takoh Sako (coconut pudding with tapioca in pandan cups) and Mango Sticky Rice. But these present modern takes on classic favorites. The Pad Thai, for one, is served wrapped in an egg net. For the crispy catfish, Celadon has a Crispy Whole Catfish in Red Curry Sauce version, and for the chicken curry variations, it offers a unique Chicken Mangosteen Curry on the menu.
Other must-tries include Dungeness Crab, a specialty dish which can rarely be found elsewhere; Buffalo Wings Thai Style; Grilled Squid Pomelo Salad; Grilled Pork Pineapple Curry, where Chef Cheryl Pineda infuses fruits to create a new flavor in the curry dish; Chicken Satay; and Soft Shell Crab in Black Pepper Sauce.
All these lovely dishes are served on celadon plates, which are ceramic utensils made of authentic Thai celadon bought by Chef Cheryl all the way from Lampang, Thailand. Celadon is a kind of high-fired emerald ceramic famously handcrafted and baked following the old style of ceramic-making. The restaurant owners decided to use celadon because, in ancient times, having food served in celadon plates signified royalty and, in Thailand, celadon ware has long been given as a high-value token of friendship among noble people. Serving food on celadon plates is, in essence, treating Celadon diners like royalty.
When visiting Celadon, you must also make sure to order Lemongrass Juice instead of the usual sodas and end your meal with a dessert that allows you to enjoy coconut, durian and mango ice cream. Celadon makes its own ice cream in these traditional Thai flavors.
Dining at Celadon is like making a food trip to Thailand.
