Azuthai, Metro Manila's newest Thai restaurant

If there are cuisines that Manila needs more of, it's Vietnamese and Thai. Thankfully, Chef J Gamboa has added to the Thai roster with Azuthai, an authentic Thai restaurant located beside his and his family's immensely popular El Cirkulo, Tsukiji, and Milky Way. The interiors may look contemporary, but the cuisine comes straight from the motherland. When we tried Azuthai, my companion and I made it a point to stay away from the regular things people order like Pad Thai (I could do with some right now, actually) and Pandan Chicken, opting instead for traditional Thai dishes yet to be discovered. The Azuthai Appetizer Sampler (P375) contains two pieces each of Prawn Spring Rolls, Fish Cake and Fried Spring Rolls. Nothing like a nice selection of fried food to whet the appetite. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. I know I should be describing the tastes one by one but truth be told, I ate my share before I remembered to record individual impressions. My bad. The Crispy Duck Salad (P325), or Yam Ped Grob is crispy duck jerky served with spring onions, tomatoes, and chili, flavored with tamarind dressing. The dish is a mix of flavors and textures — sweet and sour and crunchy and chewy and fresh. I liked the veggies more than the duck but that's a personal preference. After 10 years of not eating meat, I'm still trying to get used to meat that isn't steak. Instead of the usual Tom Yum Goong, we ordered Tom Ka Gai (P345), chicken soup with galanggal, kaffir lime leaves and coconut milk. It's hot and milky and packs a punch, going straight down your throat and up your sinuses. The mushrooms and tomatoes provide texture while the coconut milk tempers the soup's spiciness. The soup is great accompaniment to Massaman Gaeh (P395), Massaman Lamb Curry with shallots, potatoes, and peanuts. The lamb is tender, easily pulled apart by fork and spoon. It has a slight gamey flavor that compliments the curry, which is thick and without much spiciness. I would have preferred the dish without peanuts, as I feel they get in they way of enjoying the lamb. The curry goes well with Thai sticky rice, which isn't on the menu but can be requested. Our only concession to "the usual" was when it came to dessert, when we ordered one of my favorite after-meal treats, Tub Tim Krob (P125), sweetened water chestnuts with coconut milk. Water chestnuts covered in colored, coagulated potato flour (tastes waaay better than it sounds, believe me) swimming in chilled sweetened coconut milk. I recently learmed how to make this recipe and have to restrain myself from eating it forever. Azuthai serves authentic Thai food in the middle of contemporary Makati. The restaurant may be serene and calming, but that's only to enhance the fireworks that go on inside your mouth. Azuthai is located at 900 A. Arnaiz Ave. (Pasay Road) cor Paseo de Roxas, Makati with phone numbers +632 817 6252 and +632 813 0671.