Pai Thai: Feast of Xahar for the weekends!
The grand entrance.
So, my birthday month is here! September is the month to feast and forgo all dietary requirements. I've always wanted to try Pai Thai, where you can take an Abra ride to the restaurant. What a perfect romantic activity, except when the weather is 40 degrees celcius.
On the way to the Abra boarding station...
Different abra goes to different restaurants and parts of Al Qasr.
There wasn't many people so we were the only ones on the boat to Pai Thai.
Our friendly captain explaining the surroundings to us. He also mentioned different restaurants to try in the vicinity, all from his personal experience. Madinat Jumeirah encourages their employees to know their products so occassionally they would get special treats in restaurants and hotels.
Albeit artificial, isn't it pretty??? I would say a perfect place to bring tourist friends for a meal ride.
After a few minutes...
We have arrived!
To bad that summer is still refusing to retreat, or I thought the outside seating would be perfect!
Sawadeekaa! We were given cold towels to cool us down in this beautiful waiting area.
The Thai hospitality is one of the best in the world, in my opinion!
Proceeded to the dining area shortly after our table was ready, and was handled a menu.
The feast cost 195 excluding drinks per person. BUT we have discounts at 2 for 1. I knew this was going to be an amazing meal. :D
I believe Entertainer does the same offer.
First up, some prawn crackers...
I think serving prawn crackers before a meal is a Dubai Thai food culture because I have never seen it done in other countries. Not that I am complaining....
*proceeds to stuff my face with crackers
The servers were very attentive and polite. They offered to give us the full selection of starters and here is our spread!
Starters
From left to right:
Sate Gai (grilled marinated chicken sate)
Nuea Dad Diew (Sundried crispy beef)
Som Tam Je (Green papaya salad)
Poh Pia Thod (Vegetable springroll) - sorry we ate two of it before picture taking
Grilled beef salad (The Thai name is too long)
Chicken Sate was sooooooooo good. We could taste the grill marks on it and the marinate was just the right amount that it does not mask the flavour of the meat.
What we liked from the starters:
- Chicken Sate
- Green papaya salad - it's different from the usual papaya salad.. there are cut apples in it and the end result was a perfect blend of sweet and sourness to the salad. Very very appetising.
- Beef salad - Warning! It's spicy
The rest are pretty much standard yummy Thai food. However, we were not a fan of the sundried crispy beef... It tasted like beef jerky but a marinated and saucy version. Maybe some people might like it, but it just wasn't for us.
Soups
Tom Yam Goong - highly recommended!
Tom Kha Phak - Average. Much preferred Tom Yam Goong!
Main Course
By now, we were so stuffed with food that sitting alone was starting to get painful.....
We got the server to recommend just a few small dishes to try.
Wok Fried Beef - a very standard Thai stir fry
Steamed Sea Bass - with garlic, chilli, Thai celery and lime. Very light and tasty. Thai dishes are known to incorporate different level of taste and textures in a dish and this fish is one of the good example.
And before trying Pai Thai, we have heard a lot of their green curries.
Thumbs up! This was vegetarian because by now, ingesting meat is simply not an option.
We ordered the basic Phad Thai too. I can never find a Phad Thai out of Thailand that I really liked, and this was no exception. So... the dish was so-so.
Desserts
And again, the server recommended to serve everything in the menu because they come in very small portions.
I do not think this needs any introduction.
Mango sticky rice - everyone's favourite.
This was my favourite...
Tab Tim Krop - Crispy water chestnut, Sugar Syrup, Coconut milk, Crushed ice.
The crunchiness of the water chestnut just makes the dessert much more interesting. And it is not as heavy as the mango sticky rice. Just light and easy for an after meal.
When we made the booking (booking is essential, it gets crowded) online on the website, there was an option to choose the occasion and I put birthday. Nothing was said by them only after the meal.
They came with a surprise cake!
We obviously could not eat anymore but the gesture was really a pleasant surprise. We packed it up in a take away, not wanting to leave it untouched by this amazing hospitality.
Thank you Pai Thai for such a great birthday lunch!
Where
Al Qasr, Madinat Jumeirah
Book online :
or call:
+971 4 432 3232
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