Thai cuisine is making its mark in the global food network. In a CNN poll of 2011 of the World’s best 50 dishes an amazing seven dishes came from Thailand: the country with the highest representation of ethnic dishes. So Colombo’s gourmets and foodies can be happy that one of Thailand’s branded chains of restaurants has opened at Duplication Road, Colombo. As I walked towards the main entrance to Nara (means beautiful girl) I was pleased to see a heavy cast iron bell suspended on a stone column. The moment you are seated inside the noise and traffic of the city give way to feelings of bliss. The mellifluous voice of a Thai woman singing via the central sound system offers an enchanting aura to the restaurant that has a well balanced ambience with dainty woodwork on the window frames.
A steward brings in a captivating duo of drinks: one glass full of Thai iced tea infused with carnation the other glass filled with a purple butterfly pea flower drink. The glasses filled with the orange and purple liquids offer a perfect contrast in taste and appearance. After a sunny day in the city these two drinks are indeed desired. After a brief pause I order the papaya salad. The julienne cut veggies and papaya are drenched in a lovely seasoning. A black ceramic bowl loaded with Tom Yum soup is up next. The soup has a nice balance of seafood and is not overpowering. Sharing platters are becoming a trend. Hence, the mixed platter of fish cakes, chicken satay was neatly arranged on a purple dish. The fish cake had a brilliant aftertaste of lemon grass while the chicken marinated in coconut milk and saffron was good, but mildly dry. The next items were both from the deep sea-smoked salmon in lemon sauce (salmon capacio) and steamed dory fish. The dory was presented in a roll held together by a vegetable ribbon - the presentation was intricate and fascinating.
After a mild break I was amazed when my main dish arrived. Blue colour rice on a light blue shaded plate. Wow. The herb rice really redefines creative cooking, beautifully stained by a flower. I hear that the basil fried rice is a favourite among guests.
The rice is supplemented by the famous Thai red curry (mixed with fish paste and ginger), black pepper chicken and prawn yellow curry. The prawns immersed in coconut sauce are a refreshing taste to the oily spicy prawns one encounters in other forms of Asian cuisine. The portions are generous and real value for money.
I could not resist the mango sticky rice for dessert. The flavour of the jasmine rice sweetened was succulent; the last time I had this dessert was in Sydney. A cup of green tea brought this beautiful evening to an end. Nara must be appreciated for sustaining authentic cuisine. Perhaps, the only setback is the limited parking, which again is common in our crowded city.