A Taste of Thai at Banyan Tree Macau
- brittanypanter
- 2015年9月11日
- 讀畢需時 3 分鐘
Located in Banyan Tree Hotel, Saffron offers high-end Thai cuisine in a stunning setting. Wood and other natural materials set the tone from the moment you enter, and Asian accents throughout lend an air of tranquility.
Offering breakfast, lunch and dinner, of particularly good value is the lunch set, which includes vegetarian options. There is also a selection of reasonably priced vegetarian offerings on the regular menu, including a couple of curries, stir-fried dishes and a rice dish.
Not being vegetarian ourselves, we delved into a feast of seafood and meat. Starting with a sort of amuse bouche of rice crackers and a trio of dips: a mellow coconut shrimp, a mildly spiced creamy chicken, and a very spicy chili eggplant.
Suitably teased, we were looking forward to Saffron’s signature appetizer - yum som-o nua poo, which to you and me is a pomelo salad with fried crab meat, ground peanuts and roasted chilli dressing (MOP188+). A perfect introduction to the meal, the sweet and slightly bitter pomelo was complimented by the fried crab and the crunchy peanuts.
Next was gai hor bai toey or fried, spiced chicken wrapped in pandan leaves served with ginger and sweet tamarind sauce (MOP138+). The chicken was deboned and had no skin or fat but it was juicy and tasty thanks to the amazing pandan leaves.
Photo: Tom yum goong mae nam
We simply couldn’t pass up one of our favourite Thai dishes - tom yum goong mae nam (MOP118+). Probably most widely associate with Thailand (although variations are served in Cambodia and elsewhere in the region), it is very popular, but if you’re a newcomer to Thai food, tom yum goong is a staple in Thailand. It’s tangy and spicy (although this can be adjusted) and is made with lemongrass, galangal, lime, and prawns (although in Thailand and other countries there are versions that use fish, chicken or pork). A good tom yum goong is pretty unbeatable, and the chefs at Saffron have it mastered.
Photo: Gaeng kiew wan gai
Gaeng kiew wan gai (MOP228+) is a green curry with braised chicken, apple, and aubergine. A generous portion of delicious but mild curry is served alongside a couple of small portions of plump rice noodles. We ordered rice to help soak-up the plentiful liquid. Goong munggorn phad himapan (MOP398+) is wok-fried lobster with cashew nuts, sweet chili paste and oyster sauce. We prefer lobster au natural but this was an interesting diversion. The delicate flavor of the lobster was somewhat masked, but the texture was good. The large dish is meant for sharing, which is good because the richness of the sauce would make it hard to eat an entire portion.
The stir-fried asparagus with shiitake mushrooms and garlic in a soya sauce, or normai farang phad hed (MOP118+), brought freshness to the meal and worked well with the more indulgent dishes. The generous serving of blanched asparagus was lightly dressed.
Rounding off the meal was a Thai dessert classic - sticky rice with mango and coconut ice cream (MOP88+). Despite being incredibly full we (as per usual) managed to polish off each and every tasty bite.
For those that would like to try a little bit of everything, consider heading to Saffron on Tuesday nights when they have a promotion that offers the chance to order as much as you can eat from the menu for only MOP328+. There is also the Saturday evening buffet that offers dozens of dishes and includes iced seafood (MOP428+). To see the buffet menu click here.
If you find yourself craving Thai food regularly, but can’t justify eating out every evening, consider one of Saffron’s Thai cooking classes. Spend an afternoon learning the tricks of the trade from Gina, the restaurant's Thai Chef de cuisine. You of course get to eat the fruits of your labors! For an extra MOP300 the cooking class begins with a trip to a local market to select ingredients. Classes are for 4-6 people, making it a great opportunity to get a group of friends together for a fun afternoon.
Open from 7am to 11pm
For reservations call (853) 8883 6061
