KEY POINTS:
In what might be considered a low-key local, if Asian, version of the famous Michelin stars, the Thai Government offers Thai Select certification for restaurants in Australia and New Zealand it believes are serving authentic Thai food cooked and served to the highest standards.
Restaurants are acknowledged with the Thai Select logo in categories which include authentic traditional Thai cuisine, specialist Thai cuisine, and modern styles which incorporate local ingredients but are presented in a Thai manner.
Restaurants can apply to be considered for the Thai Select acknowledgement, but the judging panel visits restaurants anonymously.
Restaurants are not constrained by tradition: the modern category for example allows for a New Zealand-influenced dish such as lamb massaman (lamb fillet in a red curry) which would never be seen on a menu in Thailand.
At the announcement of the recent Thai Select awards at Auckland's Mai Thai that delicious lamb dish was one of many tasting samples presented.
The Thai Select restaurants in Auckland are: Mai Thai (cnr Albert and Victoria Sts), Wang Thai (Customs St West), Thai Friends (Parnell Rd), Zap 4 Esan Thai (Queen St), Thai Village (Remuera) and Zap 2 Thai Cafe and Bar (Dominion Rd, which last week also won the Viva Gourmet Takeout Awards).
With representatives from the Thai Trade Centre in Sydney in attendance, it was announced that to celebrate the Thai Select awards, this month those restaurants around New Zealand chosen will offer a free glass of Monsoon Valley wine to all customers (up to five per table).
Monsoon Valley - with vineyards near Bangkok, at Hua Hin on the east coast of the peninsula, and in the mountains of Pak Chong to the north-east - was launched in 2003 with wines specifically designed to compliment spicy Thai food.
For further information on Thai Select and the New Zealand restaurants it has chosen see www.thaiselect.co.nz
Of good spirit and cheer
It must be the time of year, but The Dish cup runneth over with a host of new liquor releases timed to get you in the mood for pre-Christmas parties. Alco-pops are not really us, but we reckon the new Loud&Lola cocktails - a ready mix range for grown-ups - are worth making an exception for. They're a tad sweet, but served over ice, and with a wedge of citrus, these shapely 750ml bottles made with 9 per cent alcohol and juice are good to go. With a recommended price of $17.99 from Liquorland and The Mill Liquor Save bottlestores, the Loud&Lola range is a handy way to inject a bit of cocktail style into your next knees-up without the need for a shaker and a host of spirits and mixers. Available in Cosmopolitan, Margarita, Tahitian Mai Tai and Boston Ice Tea mixes.
Charge on in
Amarula Cream, named best liqueur at the International Spirit and Wine Competition in London this year, is a mix of, yes, cream and Marula, a distilled fruit. It was first introduced to the South African market in 1999 and is the republic's most widely distributed alcoholic beverage, with a distinctive elephant on the bottle. Amarula is best served chilled and retails for $29.95 at liquor outlets.
Hotel tasting dinner
Partingtons at the Langham is hosting a Cloudy Bay tasting evening next Wednesday, November 14. The chief winemaker, Kevin Judd, will speak and chef de cuisine Kirk McLean will prepare a nine-course degustation menu matched with six vintages. Seats are limited to 60 people and the evening costs $205 a head. Bookings: 0800 616261 or email akl.partingtons@langhamhotels.com
Use your noodle
The owners of Lorne St's Mentatz Japanese Noodle restaurant have opened in Auckland's Crowne Plaza on Albert St. The hotel's Genzui Ramen Bar is open for lunch and dinner weekdays and dinner only at the weekends. If you want to try economical hand-made noodles served with a range of side dishes check this out. Other options are also available.
Wheel us in
The Grove has always been a stylish restaurant, but now it's offering to make lunch a truly moving experience. This month, its enticing menu of favourite dishes comes with a complimentary ride back to the office in the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class if you sign up for The Upgrade Your Lunch deal. Entree, for example, is lightly tempured abalone served with smoked eel, asparagus and seaweed with a chardonnay vinegar sorbet paired with a glass of NV Taittinger Champagne.
The Grove owner, Michael Dearth, says: We often tell our diners it is impossible to capture the taste of a dish through words alone so we recommend people come in and try it. Likewise with the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class it has to be experienced to be appreciated."
The offer is available Wednesday through Friday. To book phone (09) 368 4129.
