Oriental cuisine: How to spice up your pub's food offer

Drinks from the east​

At McMullen lease the Yew Tree in Walkern, Herts, bottles of traditional Japanese sake and Chinese rice wine complement the Oriental menu, alongside McMullen Country Bitter and AK ale. “Not many pubs stock Sawanotsuru, a traditional Japanese sake, or Moutai, a 38% ABV rice wine, but our customers value being able to order it with our Oriental dishes,” explains manager Marcus Wan, whose family is from Hong Kong. “The sake goes very well with a spicy dish such as sea bass in ginger with spring onions (£15.50). We are happy to heat the sturdy quarter or half-bottles of Sawanotsuru in traditional style for up to five minutes in boiling water to reach the correct temperature.”

Serving up the real deal​

“Using a specialist Oriental supplier for our grocery goods ensures authenticity, while sourcing specialist Oriental fruit and vegetables makes our food stand out,” says Orchid Group development chef Ben Keggans. The company only uses Thai head chefs at its 11 Dragon pubs, such as the Walmer Castle in London’s Notting Hill. “Our five banqueting menus cater for two to 100 people and they can choose a fork buffet or formal seated meal, depending on numbers.” Love of Thai food is encouraged through videos on Dragon pubs’ websites (www.thaipubs.co.uk).

Royal tradition​

Enterprise lease the eight-bedroomed Star Inn at Ringwood, in Hampshire’s New Forest, has specialised in Oriental cuisine for the past 11 years, with its outstanding Thai chefs contributing valuable traditional skills, says co-tenant Ian Pepperell. “Our chefs Boonthin Tepnarin (Tim) and Phacharapron Kongyim Hurt (Eedy) are Thai and have been invited to cook for the Thai royal family. We also produce classic Chinese dishes. Tim is a leading figure of the Thai community in Bournemouth, running a language and cookery school. With his wife Piyanan, known as Aew, he organises bi-annual Thai festivals in the town centre. Fresh seafood and shellfish is our speciality and king prawn tom yum salad is a favourite.”

Chinese New Year cuisine​

Freehold the Star in Malvern, Worcestershire, a favourite venue for celebrating the Chinese New Year, is as renowned for its Campaign for Real Ale membership as its Oriental fare. Gift vouchers are available and the pub offers full meals, bar snacks and takeaways. Between 5pm and 7pm, a free pint up to the value of £2.80 is included in the price of bar meals such as Cantonese-style sweet & sour pork with egg fried rice. Gilberts Foods MD Peter Smith adds: “Chinese New Year on 10 February 2013 provides the perfect opportunity to test-drive Oriental cuisine. As well as full meals, try adding sharing platters of spring rolls, ribs and prawn crackers to your menu.”

Spirit House’s ‘wokery’ events​

Spirit House, which owns the Warwick and Moderation pubs in Reading, Berks, demonstrates its far eastern credentials with Oriental cuisine and furniture. “On our weekly curry night, we serve curry for £5 in tiffin carriers — metal containers designed in British colonial times for stacking and clipping safely together,” says director Andy Becalick. “We coined the term ‘wokery’ for our fun events demonstrating Oriental cookery free to groups such as hen parties and just charging for what they cook. We’re also known for our separate menu dishes from the Isaan region of Thailand.”

Authentic style​

Chef Sing Tong, from Chiang Mai, brings Thai herbs back from his family’s garden to Patrick Murphy’s freehold, the Pond in Brighton, East Sussex. Tong says: “We do about 50 covers on a Friday night. A two-course lunch costs £6.95 and happy hour from 5pm to 8pm includes prawn, chicken or tofu curry with rice for £5.95. From 5pm to 10.30pm delicious snacks such as won ton dumplings help to push up our wet sales. As one of around 20 Brighton pubs offering Thai food we appeal to office workers and locals. Every week I take 30kg of my spicy sausage mix to be put into skins by Barfield’s, our local butcher.”

Scented sorbets​

Pontypridd-based Otley Brewing Company’s Thai-Bo — a 4.6% ABV Thai spice-inspired golden ale brewed in collaboration with beer writer Melissa Cole and infused with lemon grass, lime zest, kaffir lime leaf and galangal — gives plain desserts a clever kick. Head chef at Otley’s Bunch of Grapes Sebastien Vanoni says: “We enjoy using our own ale in the dishes and at food-matching events and our flavoursome Otley beers work very well with sorbets and ice-creams. We haven’t seen beer used in those desserts in other Welsh food pubs so we’re excited to offer something unique using local ingredients. The flavours of Thai-Bo give what’s usually seen as an average dessert a special Oriental twist.”