Patara - London, England

Two weeks before visiting Patara, I was lamenting over uninspiring Pad Thai. Apparently, my friend took note because she said we were going to visit a Thai restaurant in Soho for my last London meal. I was nervously excited. I don't normally pursue Pad Thai, but I crave it after eating at Denver's Linger. I crave curry, inspiring flavor combinations, and palate challenging meals. Would Patara be it?

My friend reminisced about Patara as we walked there. Patara used to be a weekly destination when she was kicking ass at a high paying job. She still kicks ass, whipping creative ideas into fruition, organizing unorganized swing dancers, et cetera for London Swing Patrol, but misses her former frequent visits here.

Can you judge a restaurant solely by its silverware and tableware? Mmmmmm, yes. Muted colors, dense silverware, wonderfully weaved napkins. And compliments to the descriptively thorough memo.

I started with the Tuna Tartare, thin slices of raw tuna in spicy lemongrass and mint vinaigrette. I delicately picked up these tiny morsels and savored their piquant flavor. The broth was tasty too. I may have cleaned everything off that plate.

While I was admiring the Tuna Tartare, my friend ordered the Srangwah Hoy Shell, poached king scallops in spicy lime and chilli vinaigrette with lemongrass, mint and shallot. She reluctantly allowed me to try one. I can understand her reluctance after savoring the spicy tart scallop.

Appetizers eventually made way for the main courses. My friend ordered her favorite item, the Nua Tom Kati, which was slow braised beef in aromatic coconut reduction with fresh lime, lemongrass and chilli accompanied with coconut rice. The beef fell apart underneath my fork, having soaked, no bathed in the coconut reduction. The beef truly embodied the coconut. Simply savory.

My main course was the Gae Pad Grachai featuring wok-fried slices of lamb fillet in wild ginger and green peppercorn red curry sauce accompanied with brown rice. The brown rice was an extra charge, but well worth it. It was an amazingly savory dish. From the lamb fillet to the green peppercorns, I enjoyed every moment.

We still had room, miraculously, for dessert. Too many desserts tempted my eyes, so we ordered two. Here is the Tart Sangkaya, a lemongrass infused coconut tart served with homemade stem ginger ice cream. This is where factual knowledge trumps assumptions. I never thought about what lemongrass really was until I ate this dish. This tart lacks any standout flavor. After such tart dishes, I was expecting the same. It was a good balance, but not what I expected thanks to erroneous assumptions. Lemongrass, look it up. It was a good stem ginger ice cream and mixed well with the tart.

The finishing touches came thanks to the Gati Sod Sundae, a homemade coconut ice cream with exotic fruit. Instead of your typical exotic fruits, we enjoyed chewy sweet coconut, chinese plum, and chinese plum seed. Well delivered, Patara.

I thoroughly enjoyed my Patara experience. They did deny my request to live there, though. Their loss. It might be my new favorite Thai Restaurant. Sorry, TAC Quick. I'll be seeing you in December again, Patara. And maybe one day, I'll be visiting your Bangkok location.

K-Touch - Brussels

Find the Brussels Stock Exchange, face away at the three streets stemming opposite. Take the left most street until you see the large tree on your left. Eat here. Those were the words spoken by a new Belgian acquaintance. Like a man who drank too much absinthe and scotch (I had), I "smoothly" bumbled my way to this restaurant at 22:45h. Like a hazy red beacon, it's sign beckoned from the tree's branches (from another perspective).

Open until midnight, K-Touch is an affordable option in the Grand Palace's district. According to my friend, it also serves remarkable food (agreed) amongst this street filled with Thai, Indonesian, and Vietnamese restaurants. I fell upon the menu like a starving man. #03 Tom Yam Haed (spicy soup with mushrooms and lemongrass, €5) and #32 Kaeng Deang Kai (chicken, red curry, coconut milk, peanuts, Thai vegetables, €11) were the choices. To fend off my stupor, I was given these rice crisps that tasted slightly of cheese.

Brussels is wonderful like this. Food seems to either features cheese or raspberries. It's simple, it's tasty, and I like it.

First course, the Tom Yam Haed soup. Swimming with perfectly thick mushrooms, the broth was fragrant and medium spicy. It was quite welcome since any warmth was tempering off as the evening continued. The place mat served as the perfect backdrop.

 Next was the Kaeng Deang Kai curry. It hit the right spice notes - quickly eatable while zinging the taste buds. The chicken was plentiful, the vegetables too few, but all the food seemed high quality. The complimentary rice and the curry disappeared quickly.

This is a teaser for their food presentations. The curries are simple, a double ceramic bowl layer, bottom with candle for heat, top with curry. Other serving dishes with vegetables and meats were more elaborate.

 I'm very thankful for this recommendation. It's great to enjoy good multi-cultural restaurants at affordable prices. You can thank Belgian's liberal immigration policy for this. The service was friendly here also. Brussels is more service oriented than Portugal while the tipping policy is identical. This means less frustration and a happier dining experience.

More art, other lit areas as seen through the stairs. The WC is tucked around the stairs.

37, Place Saint-Gery 1000 Bruxelles, Brussels. Total bill: €16 (rice crisps complimentary).