Re(past) Perfect!

With a tasteful mix of modern European fare and a few Goan dishes thrown in, the menu at this all-new Andheri restaurant is as eclectic as its stylish setting is, making it the perfect spot for an early dinner.

By Raul Dias

Over the years, we’ve learnt something the hard way. And that is, that an early dinner is the best solution to most of the lifestyle-related issues brought on by the ‘conspicuous consumption’ of copious amounts of food that we’ve been eating as part of the job. Sadly, not many Mumbai restaurants have cottoned onto the early dinner concept, with merely a handful of kitchens firing off before 7.30 pm.
Thankfully, the brand-new, dinner-only Um Doiss Tres—the name of which is the Portuguese equivalent of “one, two, three”—gets the drift and is happy to serve you dinner as early as 5pm, if you so wish. However, for our weekday dinner, we chose a more reasonable 7pm to check out what this 90-cover restaurant had to offer us.
Housed in the same Lokhandwala, Andheri location where the erstwhile Italian eatery Su Casa once stood, the dining space is one of refined elegance, with modern décor and a soothing colour scheme. We were particularly charmed by the Spanish hacienda-style arches that separate the various sections of the restaurant and the blue and white Portuguese-Goan azulejo tiles that line its walls.
And this Latino-meets-Portuguese-meets-Goan leitmotif is carried forward to the food menu that is peppered with plenty of eclectic small plates. Designed by Chef Xavier Fernandes, the menu features dishes that exhibit a distinct flavour and texture. Like the refreshingly tasty sumac tossed fried chickpeas (Rs 185), where crispy-yet-soft centred chickpeas and cubed potatoes were all jazzed up with the tart, almost lemon-like Middle Eastern sumac berry powder. Our order of the Spanish classic bravas potatoes (Rs 250) proved to be another winner with a platter of a dozen, tiny potato cups piped with alternating layers of garlic aioli and romesco sauce wowing us silent.
Not too impressed with the rather pedestrian and innovation-lacking cocktail menu (boring-sounding mojitos, sangrias, margaritas and their ilk!) we stuck to good old aqua, that would prove to be the perfect foil to the next dish we called for. Bringing in some Goan flavour to the table, the simple, yet robustly spiced pork chorizo and string bean stew (Rs 325) was something we happily mopped up with a selection of breads from the complimentary bread basket that our very attentive server insisted on replenishing.
Perfectly crumb coated, the quintet of fried brie cheese (Rs 410) wedges anointed with a very interesting guava gastrique and served atop a bed of green apple slaw struck culinary gold. Equally impressive was the pulled duck pizza (Rs 510), served on a thin crust base along with fried kale chips and water chestnuts providing more crisp and crunch to the pie. Taking us back to those susegaad post-dinner evenings spent lounging on our Goa house’s balcao was the very authentically turned out serra dura (Rs 250). Meaning “saw dust”, this Portuguese-Goan dessert was all the good things a grand finale should be—memorable and more-ish. With the cooling, orange-scented milk custard melding with the fine biscuit dust and the assertive punch of the dark chocolate swirls rounding it all off deliciously. 

AT: Um Doiss Tres, 101 Samartha Aishwarya, Above Nature’s Basket, Andheri Lokhandwala Road, Andheri West.
TIME: 5 pm to 1.30 am
CALL: 8452833040

(An edited version of this review appeared in the 15th May 2019 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 20 https://m.mid-day.com/articles/early-dining-in-lokhandwala/20942165)

Summer Travel—Your Way!

Summer travel is all about making the most of that much-needed vacation time. And so, we’ve put together a list of exciting getaways around the world for all sorts of travellers—be they couples on a romantic break or the solo adventurer on their own wanderlust-driven path.

By Raul Dias 

For Full Family Fun
Toronto in Canada
Almost every year, this vibrant Canadian city makes it to the top of the list of the world’s most family-friendly destinations. And rightly so! Come summer and this usually frigid city blossoms into a family fun paradise with scores of attractions that have something for every member. The well-maintained Toronto Zoo is a paradise for animal lovers with everything from Canada’s native polar bears to baby rhinos and hundreds of other creatures there to see. Prefer the more aquatic kind of adventures? Then a deep-sea adventure awaits at Ripley’s Aquarium. The Bat Cave at the Royal Ontario Museum is a fun way for kids to discover the real stories behind these mysterious creatures. And for the sportier families, scale to the top of the CNN Tower and earn yourself a panoramic view of the city. But for a truly memorable vacation, head down to the Canadian side of the mighty Niagara Falls just over an hour by road from Toronto. Once there, take a ride aboard the Hornblower Niagara Cruise in the morning and head off on an aerial tour of the falls with National Helicopters in the afternoon.

Getting There: There are daily direct and connecting flights from both Mumbai and New Delhi and other Indian cities to Toronto on airlines like Air India, Jet Airways, Air Canada and Emirates.


For the Romantic Couple
Turtle Island in Fiji
Picture this. The two of you on a private beach somewhere in the South Pacific with the soft white sand squeaking under your feet, a calm breeze lulling you into sweet submission, while the azure waters provide the ambient soundtrack with their gentle lapping… Bliss, right? But what’s even better about this montage is that it can be your very own reality at the super-exclusive Turtle Island in Fiji’s Yasawa chain. As part of this all-inclusive island resort—that is home to only 14 couples at a time—you even get access to your very own private beach that is only one of the 14 others that the resort is famous for. From there, your eyes are met with stunning vistas of the renowned Blue Lagoon which is an icon of Fiji, having featured in the 1980’s movie of the same name. Besides a romantic private dinner and couples’ massages, the resort even tailor-makes all your aquatic adventure requirements, be it snorkelling or swimming with the dolphins. Ah, bliss!

Getting There: Connect from most cities in India to Nadi, Fiji via Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific in association with partner airline Fiji Airways. From Nadi, one can reach Turtle Island by taking a 30-minute seaplane flight.


For the Solo Traveller
Safaris and More in South Africa
There is very little doubt that for most travellers, the words ‘South Africa’ and ‘Safaris’ go hand-in-hand. Home to a wondrous selection of wildlife, including the coveted Big 5, the iconic national parks like Limpopo’s Kruger and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in Upington are the best places to get your fill. And better still if you’re a solo traveller. Most safari resorts like the Hamiltons Tented Camp in Kurger offer up a variety of activities from daily group safari drives to nightly bonfire BBQs where you can meet and swap stories with fellow solo guests. And once you’ve got your fill of the country’s number one calling card, head down to the Garden Route in South Africa’s Western Cape region which is just the place to indulge your every adrenaline-laced fantasy. With everything from cave exploring at the magnificent Cango Caves in the Klein Karoo area to bungy jumping at the world’s highest bungy off the Bloukrans Bridge (that fords over the Bloukrans River valley at a height of 216 meters!), the Garden Route has it all and then some more for the solo adventure seeker.

Getting There: The best way to get to South Africa from India is via Dubai on Emirates that has daily flights to and from Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. Once in South Africa, you can hire a car and drive to most national parks and down to the Garden Route as well.


For a Memorable ‘Pet-a-cation’
New York in the USA
For most of us with pets, the idea of leaving them alone while we waltz off on a vacation is pretty traumatic. No longer. As one of the world’s greatest pet-friendly cities, New York has a plethora of hotels—from the iconic The Peninsula near Central Park to the Hilton Times Square—that are more than happy to welcome you and your pet. Among one of the best hotels in the city, The Conrad in fashionable Lower Manhattan is so pet-friendly that guests travelling with their pets also have access to dog beds, bandanas, food bowls and additional amenities through the hotel’s pet program. It even provides you with private GPS-tracked dog walking services, which include a map of the route travelled, arrival and departure times, and a recap and photos of your pooch’s adventure. And for those travelling sans pet, but craving some non-human company, the Roxy Hotel Tribeca, one of Manhattan’s most stylish boutique hotels will even offer its in-house posse of goldfish to guests—free of charge—for the duration of their stay! 

Getting There: There are daily direct flights from both Mumbai and New Delhi to New York on airlines like Air India, Jet Airways, Delta and United Airlines.

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the April-May-June 2019 issue of HDFC Imperia magazine)

The Learning Vacation

Travel these days is much more than simply ticking off those all-important boxes of must-visit sites and must-do activities. Enter the learning vacation where picking up a new skill or craft while immersing yourself in the local culture of the place you visit is the latest buzz word in travel. Raul Dias shows you just how to go about that!

By Raul Dias

Not content with merely sitting around sipping fruity cocktails by the beach on your next summer holiday? We hear you. For most of us these days, the idea of the vacation has evolved from the one of the past where sight-seeing and picking up souvenirs was all we ever wanted out of it. And one the greatest agents of this evolution is the learning vacation. A popular trend in the west, the learning vacation is now one of the top ways we Indians travel. More and more of us are choosing this style of seeing the world, while taking back something less material and more life enriching.   
Today’s holiday is all about getting more bang for one’s buck by partaking in more immersive (and dare-we-say, ‘Insta-friendly’) experiences while we pick up skills and hobbies that will not just be with us forever, but skills that may come in handy later. The learning vacation seeks to be the conduit to all this and much, much more.
Imagine picking up a skill like pottery while embracing Mother Nature in all her glory! You can very much do that. Regarded as India’s pottery capital, the bucolic village of Andretta set against the mighty Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh is where all you pottery enthusiasts should head to. Here, the Andretta Pottery and Craft Society in Kangra is THE place to get an immersive experience by staying at a potter’s collective where you will participate in daily hands-on classes to make your own bowls, jugs and other earthenware under the guidance of an expert (andrettapottery.com).
For those with a sportier inclination why not learn to surf in some of India’s best beaches? Located 10km north of the union territory of Puducherry, near the village of Tandryankupam, Serenity Beach is home to the Kallialay Surf School run by two expat Spanish brothers. Here you can channel your inner (hidden!?) surfer as you learn the watersport’s finer nuances by signing up for their five-day surfing course that teaches you all you need to know about cruising the waves (surfschoolindia.com).
The learning vacation shouldn’t be just limited to your domestic travel. Expand your horizons and do things you’ve never done before. For example, the Northern Thailand region of Lanna is well-known as a place, not just for learning and its amazing culture, but also as a bastion of exquisite food. So, on your next Thailand vacation take some time and head up country to the arts capital of Chiang Mai to include some skill-gathering? Sign up for a four-hours long, hands-on cookery class with Chef Chanrat Karatna who will teach you to whip up from scratch local dishes like the Northern Thailand version of the ubiquitous somtamthai papaya and prawn salad and more, all served with sticky black rice that is a specialty of the Lanna region (airthaikitchen.com).
Fancy something a bit fancier? Simple. Learn all there is to truffle hunting when in Italy! A mere 15 minutes outside the Renaissance-rich city of Florence, the forested hills of Bagno a Ripoli are said to be rich with that magical, perfumed haute cuisine ingredient called black truffles. Sign up for a day foraging for and learning about all there is to know about the delicious fungus with truffle hunting expert Giulio Benuzzi and his specially trained sniffer dog named Eda. You will explore the forest near their home and follow Eda’s keen sense of smell and instincts on the track to truffles. And that’s not all. Once you unearth a few delicious truffles, you will be treated to a lunch made from them (giuliothetrufflehunter.com).
While we’ve kept this list to a minimum in adherence to brevity, the possibilities for a learning vacation are excitingly limitless. Learn a new language or hone those salsa dancing skills. Remember that the world is your oyster and it’s never too late to add value to your next vacation.    

Tips To Keep In Mind
1. Choose an activity that really interests you and don’t just do it because the rest of your family or travel group is enthused by it. Let’s be honest; kite-boarding isn’t for everyone!
2. Don’t feel the pressure to pack in too many learning activities into your vacation. Remember it is a holiday after all, not an offsite skills course.
3. Do ample research before signing up and make sure that the place or the person from whom you are learning from has the right credentials and is truly an expert in their field.
4. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t seem very good at that particular skill or craft. Give yourself some time and practice. It’s worth remembering that clichéd phrase: “Rome wasn’t built in a day!”   

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the April 2019 issue of  Purple Hues magazine of Sterling Holidays https://www.sterlingholidays.com/content/dam/sterlingholidays/footer/files/sterlingworld/purple-hues-magazine-apr-2019.pdf)

The Louisville Layover

As the crown jewel of the American South, Louisville is not just the state of Kentucky’s largest city, but one that is a treasure trove of historical and culturally significant landmarks and attractions, perfect for a weekend jaunt, discovers Raul Dias

By Raul Dias

There’s just something about the city of Louisville that gives it a very regal cachet. And I’m not just alluding to the fact that it was named in honour of Louis XVI the last King of France. Sitting pretty on the banks of the Ohio River along Kentucky’s border with the neighbouring state of Indiana, Louisville seems stuck in a time warp with its colonial red brick buildings and wide tree-lined boulevards that once saw horse-drawn carriages traipse up and down.
But that’s not to say that the city doesn’t have a side that’s refreshingly modern and avant-garde, ably referenced by the tall glass and steel buildings that can be found downtown. From a dynamic food and live music scene to some of the best museums in the USA dedicated to culture and sport, a short layover in Louisville is enough to get a pulse of the city and to enjoy all it has to offer…and then some more!

Home of the Champ
Paying rich homage to the legendary Muhammad Ali one of the city’s favourite sons, is the Muhammad Ali Center located in Louisville’s West Main District. Opened in 2005, this multi-level cultural centre-cum-museum features exhibitions in consonance with the Champ’s six core principles of confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, respect, and spirituality. For lovers of art, trek up to the third level that houses two art galleries, the LeRoy Neiman Gallery and the Howard L. Bingham Gallery, each featuring temporary exhibits. And once you’re done knowing all there is to know about the amazing life and career of the late pugilist, take the 170-foot-long pedestrian walkway that connects the Center’s plaza to the Belvedere, the Waterfront, and other downtown attractions.

Enter the Palace
“Enter and view with astonishment the magnificence that the hand of man has wrought. The more you look, the more you will see,” said the Courier Journal newspaper when The Louisville Palace first opened its baroque doors. This was exactly 90 years ago on the 1st of September 1928 when it debuted as a cinema hall. And we couldn’t agree more. Snugly wedged between Broadway and Chestnut Street on the east side of Fourth Street in Downtown Louisville’s theatre district, this all-important historical landmark today plays host to a varied bunch of gigs that range from Broadway attractions and international performing arts presentations to concerts by gospel, R&B and country artists. All this, in a beautifully ornate main concert hall with a capacity to seat 2,800 people.

Take a Bite of History
What the deep-dish pizza is to Chicago, the Hot Brown is to Louisville. Born out of sheer inventive genius—as most great things are—this open-face sandwich was created at West Broadway’s Brown Hotel (hence its name) by Chef Fred Schmidt in the 1920s as a late-night snack to soak up all that post bar hopping alcohol. Here, a single slice of bread is loaded up with sliced turkey and bacon and slathered with cheese sauce before being placed in an oven to crisp up. Though several versions of the sandwich are available all over Louisville, we would place all our money on this one at the Brown Hotel. Interestingly, it was at the Seelbach Hotel, a few blocks away where Al Capone would regularly meet with associates during the Prohibition era. And speaking of prohibition, another Louisville landmark, the Pendennis Club, is where the Old-Fashioned cocktail is believed to have been invented.

Belle of The Ball!
Of great significance to the city of Louisville from the time of the indigenous Shawnee people and the early European settlers to this very day, the arterial Ohio River is the city’s most beloved icons. And occupying prime position sailing along its gentle waters is another icon. Decked up to the nines like a true-blue ‘Southern Belle’, the Belle of Louisville is a steamboat that was built in 1914 by the James Rees & Sons Company in Pittsburgh up north when she was known as the Idlewild. Today, you can step into a piece of living American history by going for a two-hour dinner cruise aboard this beauty who meanders her way along the river showing you all of Louisville’s sights by night, before homing back in to her berth at the downtown wharf next to the well-appointed Riverfront Plaza.

(An edited version of this column first appeared in the 12th May 2019 issue of The Free Press Journal newspaper's Weekend section on page 3 https://www.freepressjournal.in/travel/louisville-a-treasure-trove-of-history-and-culture/1523697)

Soy Story!

The close-to-authentic flavours and generous portions of some very affordable Pan Asian food more than make up for the rather dull, uninspiring ambience at this brand new Bandra eatery.

By Raul Dias

Here’s a fair warning for those of us who suffer from even the mildest form of claustrophobia. Take a deep breath before you enter this hole-in-the-wall Pan Asian restaurant that sits tightly wedged between a hair salon and a patisserie on Bandra West’s bustling Pali Naka road. Ignore the four-table setup in the open-air courtyard and descend into its bowels to the tiny, basement level dining room where you will find yourself sitting almost elbow-to-elbow with other diners. And don’t forget to keep the conversation PG13. For at Soy Pan Asian Kitchen, everyone can hear every single stray word spoken…and even the odd one whispered! 
But for us, what spoke the loudest of all was the food on offer. Not once missing the acute lack of any decent liquid sustenance on the menu (barring the ubiquitous canned cola and ginger ale offerings) we dove straight into the savoury section. Cosily ensconced in a bamboo steamer basket, our six, hefty pork dumplings (Rs 290) were each a juicy burst of umami goodness with the perfect dough to filling ratio. The well-seasoned, panko-crusted Japanese fried chicken tori karake (Rs 250) remined us more of a chicken katsu than a karake which are usually bite sized nuggets as opposed to the sliced breast portion we found on our plate.  
Having just returned from the sweltering climes of Bangkok, we were taken straight back to its meandering sois with the very authentic and super reasonably priced som tum papaya salad (Rs190). Tart, sweet and salty—this iteration was packed with all the good things a refreshing Thai papaya salad should have. Falling off-the-bone tender and smothered in a star anise-redolent sauce, the BBQ pork ribs (Rs 390) had just the right amount of smoky flavour, ending with a slight hint of piquant bird eye chili.  
Ten (yes, we counted!) plump prawns swimming in a thick Thai red curry (Rs 450) accompanied by the slightly astringent tasting pea aubergines was almost sublime when paired with jasmine rice (Rs 180), making for a memorable main. Though we wish we could have said the same for the cloyingly sweet chicken pad Thai (Rs 260), which although was enough to feed four, was left relatively intact by the end of our meal.
It would perhaps have done the chefs at Soy Pan Asian Kitchen a whole lot of good to use the surplus sugar of the pad Thai in the bland and watery tob tin crop (Rs 150) water chestnuts in coconut milk that seemed like the more reasonable dessert to call for, when compared to the only other one on the menu. We’re talking about the ridiculous priced mango cheese cake slice (Rs 450) that we’d probably order on a day when we’re feeling particularly self-indulgent!   

TIME: 12pm to 12am
AT: Gasper Enclave CHS, Shop no 3, St. John’s Road, Pali Naka, Bandra West.
CALL: 9619616398

(An edited version of this review appeared in the 7th May 2019 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 22 https://www.mid-day.com/articles/soy-story/20890171)

Feast of The Valley!

Replete with its own set of customs and unique dishes, the Kashmiri wazwan is an elaborate, multi-course feast that no important celebration in the beautiful valley can ever be complete without, discovers Raul Dias

By Raul Dias

It is said that Kashmir is a land of extremes where nothing is done in half measure. The intensity of Mother Nature is at its brilliant best with powdery snow-capped winters giving way to mind-numbingly beautiful springs. The latter, bringing with it the heady, intermingling fragrance of pine and cedar and montages of velvety green grass-covered meadows with frolicking sheep. Add to that cascading waterfalls and the glass-like surface of the Dal Lake, replete with gently gliding shikaras, and you have all the makings of one of the most visually stunning places on earth.
But there is one more, very important aspect that augments this reality of Kashmir being a virtual paradise on earth—the wazwan! A gourmand’s fantasy come true, this elaborate multi-course ‘foodstravaganza’ is a must at any major celebration in the valley. In fact, it is said that come marriage season, it is the availability of the vaste waza or master chef that determines the wedding date and nothing else.

Meat-Feast
A portmanteau of the words ‘waza’ for the chef and ‘wan’ meaning spread, the wazwan has its own set of rules which are strictly followed. For one, it can have anywhere from seven to thirty dishes, served in a particular sequence and can take anywhere from three to five hours to go through, often lasting well into the whole night. Second and most importantly, a wazwan is an almost-entirely carnivorous affair, where lamb is at the center of all things, though there are a few vegetarian dishes thrown in as peace offerings, but more on those later!
Served on a communal platter called a trammi—for a minimum of four people, all seated on a carpet called a dastarkhwan—the meal cannot begin until each person has washed their hands. This is done table side in a copper basin called a tash naer. Once cleansed, one can partake in the meat-feast that is like no other. Covered with a domed lid called a sarposh, the trammis are laden with the ‘inaugural’ dishes like the long, minced lamb seekh kabab and the delicately spiced tabak maaz yogurt marinated lamb ribs–all served over white rice. Other dishes include the roast leg of lamb called daeni phoul and the waze kokur roast chicken that’s garnished with chopped coriander and melon seeds.
Mains are a procession of elaborate lamb gravy dishes like the pounded meatballs in a red sauce called rista, the yogurt and coriander rich daniwal korma and the famous roganjosh (‘rogan’ is oil and ‘josh’ is heat) that gets its intense red colour from the typically Kashmiri cockscomb flower called mawal. Other less-spicy dishes also form part of the main course and chief among these is the totally spice-bereft aab gosh that sees sheep ribs simmered in a milk-based gravy that’s flavoured with just saffron and green cardamom.
Always served at the end of the wazwan is its crowning glory, the ghustaba. Similar to the rista, in that, here too lamb meat and fat pieces are pounded together with a wooden mallet over a flat stone to form round balls. But the gravy called a yakhni in a ghustaba is totally different made from yogurt and aromatic spices.       

Vegetarian Delights
Before one accuses the waza of totally neglecting the vegetarians, he makes sure to send out a modest number of veggie dishes. Speaking of yakhni, the vegetarian version sees lotus stem called nadru standing in for the meatballs. Cooked in a rather pungent mustard oil-based gravy, similar to spinach, monji haak is chopped collard greens spiced with the de rigueur Kashmiri red chillies.
Another must-have in the veg section is the ruwangan chhaman. Here, cottage cheese called chhaman in Kashmiri is simmered in tomato sauce and flavoured with spices and saunf (fennel seeds) for a fragrant, yet delicate taste. Besides the aforementioned white rice, a wazwan can also include another rice preparation that takes the form of the sweet and nutty pulao that’s studded with nuts, dried fruits like apricots, flavoured with saffron and garnished with fried onions.

The Supporting Acts
Besides bowls of crisp tomato-cucumber-onion salad and earthen pots of cooling yogurt, the main wazwan sees a virtual procession of differently flavoured chutneys as accompaniments. Prime among these is doon chetin or walnut chutney made with the valley’s favourite nut, yogurt and chillies. Made with sliced onions that are soaked in vinegar and flavoured with dried mint leaves and red chilli powder, the supremely spicy gande chetin is another must-have.
On the contrary, the sweet mesheid al or pumpkin chutney is made with yogurt and other mild ingredients like pumpkin, dates, cardamom and nuts to which a dash of honey is added. Also popular is the muji chetin that is a melange of just two ingredients: radish and yoghurt, with the former believed to be good for health and for having a cooling effect on the stomach after the excesses of the wazwan.
Interestingly, not many desserts form part of the wazwan with just the kaung phirin made from semolina and thickened sweet milk stepping in for a sweet, simple and suitable ending! 


Kahwa-the post-feast cuppa
One of the most perfect and soothing ways to draw a close to an elaborate…and yes, calorific wazwan is by sitting down, legs stretched et al for a cup of the refreshing, typically Kashmiri tea preparation called kahwa. Prepared the traditional way, kahwa is made from green tea that is steeped in warm water to which strands of fragrant saffron, green cardamom, cinnamon and thin slivers of almonds are added. Served from an intricately decorated brass spouted kettle called a samovar, kahwa is always had without any milk, sweetened with a dash of honey. 

(An edited version of this column first appeared in the 28th April 2019 issue of The Free Press Journal newspaper's Weekend section on page 3 https://www.freepressjournal.in/travel/kashmiri-wazwan-feast-of-the-valley/1514388)

The Emperor’s New Clothes!

Ahead of the coronation ceremony of the King of Thailand, the royal silk weaver’s village of Ban Tha Sawang in the country’s North Eastern Isan province is a hive of activity as its skilled artisans weave their magic into the silk fabrics destined for royalty.    

By Raul Dias

My favourite pad thai hawker in Bangkok is Pimjai Suttirat. A tiny, ever-smiling lady from whose food cart along soi 4 in the Sukhumvit area I’ve often sought post-bar-hopping sustenance over the years. For the last two months, she tells me, she’s only worn clothes in hues of yellow—the King’s official royal colour.
For most Thai people like Pimjai, the pomp and glory behind the upcoming 5th of May date will be a phenomenon that they will probably witness just once in their lifetime. This red-letter day is when King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun will formally be crowned at the Phutthaisawan Prasat Throne Hall in Bangkok’s Grand Palace, making him King Rama X of the Chakri Dynasty. The last time a day like this was celebrated, was exactly 69 years ago at his father, the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s coronation on the 5th of May 1950.
I’m here precisely a month before the coronation and Bangkok is buzzing with all sorts of activity. Ten times more than it already does. Making it seem as though adrenaline, not water surges through the mighty Chao Phraya river that flows a few meters away from the Grand Palace. The army is out in full force practicing their march past routines, roads are being re-tarred, and pavements repaired, while gardens get a floral manicure. A lot of this, under the forgiving cover of darkness. A time when some sort of normalcy is restored to the otherwise turbid Thai capital.
But far from Bangkok in the North East of Thailand, an entirely different ‘yarn’ is being unspooled…

Royal Threads
A short, 8km west of the city of Surin along Route 4026, the village of Ban Tha Sawang is one of the many artisanal villages in this belt of the Isan province that are known for their silk weaving prowess. Places where almost every family is involved in the silk producing business in some way or form; be it silk thread spinning, ikat pattern making or extracting the silk dye from lac for reds, indigo for blues and turmeric tree bark for yes, the Thais’ favourite yellows!
But what sets Ban Tha Sawang apart from the rest (and I’m not just referring the village’s entry arch that is made up of two plump, kissing fiberglass silkworms!) is the fact that it holds the royal warrant for producing the finer silk brocades called pah yok torng for all royal occasions. And the coronation is no exception, with bales of the brocade already been sent to the royal costumers in Bangkok, while some are still being finished.
But that’s all I’m told about the royal order as I pay a visit to Baan Chansoma, a family-run business that’s spread over several Isan-style wooden workhouses, surrounded by a lush garden with the smell of frangipani omnipresent. As the largest of all the silk weaving houses in Ban Tha Sawang, Baan Chansoma is believed to be making the most important of all the ceremonial fabrics. All this, in a specially cordoned off section of the complex, away from the prying eyes of nosey writers like me.
All I’m allowed to see is one of the giant handlooms with over 1,400 intricately laid out heddles manned or perhaps I should say ‘womanned’ by four lady weavers working on a ‘non-royal’ green-blue silk stole commissioned piece that they started on a week ago. The weaving, one of them, 56-year-old Samraug Sang Tabtib, tells me, will go on for another month and a half. “We can weave only around 4-5 centimeters of the fabric per day, as this particular pattern is vey intricate and requires a lot of concentrations and nimble finger work,” says Khun (a respectful prefix, like the Indian suffix of ji) Tabtib, as she carefully inspects the two-toned fabric she’s weaving, just like she’s been doing every day for the last 40 years. “Like most of the villagers of Ban Tha Sawang, my mother too is a master weaver and I’ve been helping her weave ever since I was 10. But it was only when I turned 16 did she let me weave an entire fabric piece my own.”

Its Weight in Gold
Later in the day, I’m not surprised when I’m told by Nirandra Sailektim, a member of Baan Chansoma—and a disciple of its founder and the resident royal artisan Weeratham Taragoonngernthai—that each piece can take anywhere from six months to three years to be finished, costing upwards of 50,000 baht (Rs 115,000 approx.) a meter. “This is because we never repeat a pattern and only take orders for commissioned pieces. We have no retail business as such, so as to maintain our exclusivity to our VIP patrons,” he lets me know, still tightlipped about the status of the coronation fabrics. “All I can confirm is that, yes, we are a big part of the coronation ceremony.”
Interestingly, it was under the patronage of the King’s mother, Queen Sirikit’s Promotion of the Supplementary Occupations and Related Techniques (SUPPORT) Foundation in the early 2000s that new life was infused into the dying art of handloom silk weaving vis-à-vis the power loom. It was all thanks to the Queen’s personal funds that Ban Tha Sawang’s villagers got the means and facilities to continue producing the exquisite fabric that will soon go into the making of the ‘Emperor’s new clothes’! 



TRAVEL LOG

Getting There 
There are daily, direct flights from most major Indian cities to Bangkok, the capital of Thailand on several airlines. There are plenty of trains, buses and minivans that link Bangkok with Surin, Isan’s largest city in under six hours. Travel within the Isan province is very easy with cheap and plentiful transport options available, including private taxis, buses and mini vans. The easy-to-procure visa on arrival to visit Thailand costs Rs 2,000.

Stay
Surin and neighbouring Buriram have an excellent selection of hotels to choose from to suit all budgets and tastes. Two such options are Surin Majestic Hotel (Rs 2,500 for two without breakfast, surinmajestic.com) and the brand new, contemporary design art hotel the Cresco Hotel Buriram (Rs 4,300 for two with breakfast, crescoburiram.com).

Tip
* Drop in at Tew Pai Ped Yang in Pimai for a lunch treat of its special Isan-style charcoal grilled duck. This iconic food shop is also famous for its fried noodles, fermented pork ribs and other North Eastern style Thai dishes like the raw papaya som tum salad.
* Make sure to visit the nearby Muang Tum temple complex in Buriram. This 1,000 years old Hindu temple lies at the base of an extinct volcano and is greatly influenced by the Khmer style of temple architecture, as it is not far from the border with Cambodia. Also, worth a detour is another Khmer temple, Prasat Hin Phanom Rung whose main tower is made from pink sandstone.


(An edited version of this article first appeared in the 20th April 2019 issue of The Hindu Business Line newspaper's BLink section on page 19  https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/takeaway/ban-tha-sawang-a-thai-village-that-makes-the-kings-clothes/article26885860.ece)