Spacious: The interior subtly references Thailand.
A tranquil spot to savour the best of modern Thai. Lizzie Loel reports.Paul Blain worked with Thai expert David Thompson at the famous Darley Street Thai before moving to Noosa to start Chilli Jam Thai on the way to Noosaville.
He then swapped the ocean for the verdant hills of Maleny, opening The Tamarind about six years ago. Enter Jude Turner and the team from the Spicers Group, who are known for their elegant and luxurious boutique getaways such as Spicers Peak outside Warwick and, more recently, Spicers Clovelly at Montville.
Spicers Tamarind took shape over a period of months; a renewed and expanded dining space situated over two rooms connected by a lovely lounge pavilion and upgraded accommodation which is still expanding.
Blain is now host of the venue while chef Daniel Jarrett runs the kitchen. It's a particularly tranquil spot, with lovely grounds which still retain a natural, rural look.
The decor in the dining room references Thailand but only in the most subtle way. Organic and natural fibres cover walls and light sconces and the use of earthy tones and greens throughout make the transition from outside to indoors almost seamless.
A long list of cocktails, some classic some with an Asian twist, are on offer and, at a large table gathering in the second pavilion, there are plenty of takers.
Bubbly staff bring us drinks and menus and this is where the fire and colour erupt.
It's a classic modern Thai menu and that means big flavours, vivid piles of fresh ingredients and, hopefully, that sweet/salty balance.
We decide to share three entrees, served separately for maximum impact, and begin with spanner crab salad dressed with nahm jim and sprinkled with ground rice. Fresh, sweet crab meat is dispersed throughout a tower of Asian leaves, aromatics and spiky shallots and it is the perfect starter. The sauce is powerful but not overly so, allowing us to properly taste the subtle spoonfuls of crab.
Next the lon, a creamy slow cook of minced chicken, yellow bean paste and coconut. It arrives in a small bowl, piping hot next to wedges of raw cabbage, quartered tomatoes and sticks of cucumber.
The lon is spooned on to or into the fresh vegies and the result is delicious, fresh and interesting. The acid of the raw vegetables balances out the sweet richness of the lon and the non-traditional (in Australia, anyway) combination of tomato and cabbage, rather than lettuce, adds interest and texture.
A warm salad of scallops, wokseared until caramelised but still medium rare, and sweetbreads arrives. This is heavily fragrant with chilli and roasted garlic.
It's another great starter, but this one could also sit with the more powerfully flavoured mains.
Hot pots of mussels, sweet and sour broth of cuttlefish and a rich Panang curry of grilled beef feature further down the menu but we are heading for the massaman curry of lamb shanks, a massive bowl swimming with yams and potatoes and dressed with roasted peanuts and crisp shallots.
Mee grob, crisp fried rice noodles laced with caramelised pork, chicken and prawn and pickled garlic, is slightly too sweet for me but it doesn't matter as we've overordered and servings are generous.
Dessert is a line-up of four - an orange and cardamom-spiced chocolate arrangement, coconut pannacotta with mandarin jelly and a ginger creme brulee, but it's the lime custard tart, a delicate rectangle of just-there pastry with a scoop of lychee sorbet, that has our name on it.
There's plenty going on here - more private retreats, some one bedroom, others two, are under construction and a luxury day spa has sprung into action.
You can also catch Paul in his purpose-built kitchen conducting regular Thai cooking retreats.
The food: 16/20
The staff: 6/10
The drink: 3/5
The X-factor: 4/5
The value: 5/10
The total out of 50 - 34
Address: 88 Obi Lane, South Maleny, ph 1300 311 429
Food: Modern Thai
Drink: Licensed
Hours: lunch Fri - Sun noon - 2pm; Dinner 6pm - late Tue - Sun
Chef: Paul Blain/Daniel Jarrett
Owner: Spicers Group
Wheelchair access: yes, full facilities
Parking: on site
Price Guide: entrees $16 - $21; mains $22 - $36; desserts $15.50
Green guide: Sustainable and/or organic produce where possible
Snapshot: Tranquil getaway that feels light years from the city.
Information in this article is correct as of 7 December 2010.
Lizzie Loel reviews QLD restaurants for the taste section every Tuesday in The Courier-Mail.
Taste.com.au - The Courier-Mail - December 2010, Page 10
Lizzie Loel
No comments:
Post a Comment