Issue 12 : 15 Sept 2014

Horizon Thailand finds an authentic Thai restaurant amongst the verdant fields and grassy meadows of southern England.

Kittima Manmaunjun and chef Wicha Kidhen.

Rolling green hills surround the historic town of Dorchester in the English county of Dorset, a rural idyll perhaps best known for its connection with famed author Thomas Hardy.

The novelist not only lived in the area but also portrayed its raw natural beauty in 19th-century novels such as Tess of the D’Urbervilles and The Mayor of Casterbridge. Yet in this quintessentially English spot, one restaurant is spicing up local culinary life by offering sumptuous Thai cuisine to residents and tourists alike.

Thai Nakorn restaurant stands close to Dorchester’s statue of Thomas Hardy. Part of the Thai SELECT scheme, it is owned by Kittima Manmaunjun and her partner, Chef Wicha Kidhen.

The juicy yum talay seafood sal-ad.

Opened in 2009, the busy restaurant is making the best of both worlds by incorporating traditional Thai herbs and spices – galangal, lemongrass and Asian basil – with the pick of Dorset produce, such as succulent lamb and freshly caught scallops.

“We’ve got fishermen that do dives, then we give them a ring and pick it up,” says Kittima, adding that the shellfish are served up as a seasonal special with a curry sauce and kaffir lime leaves.

“We keep our original recipes. All the herbs are the same,” adds the restaurateur, who grew up in Bangkok and lived in France while studying hotels and tourism at the University of Angers before moving to the UK.

The resulting dishes, served up in a cosy restaurant decorated with eclectic ornaments and embellished Thai artwork, are triumphant. A massaman curry sees tender chunks of melt-in-the-mouth slow cooked local lamb nestled in a rich sauce dotted with whole potatoes.

A yum talay seafood salad features a mountain of prawns, muscles and squid resting on a bed of glass noodles with zingy lime, chilli and fresh coriander. The ped ma kham, a crispy duck with a sticky tamarind sauce and golden cashew nuts on a bed of crispy noodles, makes for a standout dish.

The irresistible ped ma kham, a crispy duck with a sticky tamarind sauce.

With the chef hailing from Nakorn Ratchasima in Northeast Thailand, from time to time the regional classic of papaya salad makes it on to the menu, which is also packed with well-known favourites such as pad thai and a platter of starters.

“The customers in Dorchester are really nice and friendly,” says Kittima during a bustling lunchtime service.
Over the years, she has learned more about the town’s Hardy connection from experts, as well as becoming familiar with local beauty spots, highlighting Durdle Door – a stunning beach known for its limestone arch rock formations – and the ancient parish of Abbotsbury as favourites.

Buta distinctly personal touch is at the heart of this friendly family business. Alongside providing brochures on Thailand for Dorset locals heading east, the eatery can tailor heat levels according to customer taste. “We can cook to their taste buds,” says Kittima.

Thai Nakorn
34 High West Street, Dorchester, Dorset, UK. 
DT1 1UP.
Tel: +44 (0) 1305 757 188/756 088.
http://www.thainakorn.co.uk
 
Words by Ellie Dyer

Ingredient Tips: Tamarind
Apart from being eaten as a fresh fruit, tamarind is an essential souring ingredient in the central Thai cuisines such as kaeng som, pad thai, and sauce served over deep-fried fish.

Thai Select

Thai Nakorn Thai is endorsed by the DITP under its Thai Select scheme. The Thai SELECT programme was launched to certify and promote authentic Thai cuisine around the world. It is a seal of approval granted to Thai restaurants – both overseas and local Thai eateries that serve authentic food – and processed Thai food products. The objective is to increase the recognition of quality Thai restaurants and processed Thai food products as well as to encourage Thai restaurateurs and food producers to raise quality while maintaining authenticity. For more details of the scheme visit: http://www.thaiselect.com