Stonefish by the sea

(L to R) Suchart Suksawad, Beverage Manager, Royal Cliff Hotels Group; Patt Srinoi, Managing Director, Anirut Posakrisna, Chairman and Sarawut Jansangiam, Group General Manager, Wine Dee Dee Co., Ltd.

Dr. Iain Corness
The Cape Dara Resort was the host venue for a new style of wine tasting, with some new wines from France and New Zealand, and some old favorites from Australia. Rather than the more formal approach, Anirut Posakrisna, chairman of the Wine Dee Dee Company, presented eight wine stations on the decking overlooking the Dara Beach. The concept was to follow the wine styles around, sampling both the wine and food to go with them. Towards the end of the evening, the order was becoming a little muddled, but I think everyone completed the list of wines to be reviewed, while still vertical.
The wine of the evening was a universally popular Stonefish Reserve Shiraz 2010, and the owner of Stonefish, Peter Papanikitas, was on hand to discuss his wines that were on offer, which had begun with one of his ‘sparklers’ to get everyone in the mood. The Stonefish chardonnay was another popular choice.
The New Zealand wines were from the Lost Turtle label, and any turtle that had swum from NZ to Dara Beach was really and truly lost! The Sauvignon Blanc 2011 was pleasant without being memorable.
Many of Pattaya’s “foodies” were present, and no wine event would be the same without Richard and Janet Smith. Peter Windgasse, a strong advocate for the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs to return to having a Pattaya chapter, was in the thick of it all, and obviously enjoyed the Stonefish Reserve Shiraz as well. Other hotels were evident with representatives from the Holiday Inn, Centara Grand Mirage, the Royal Cliff and Amari having a look at the ‘opposition’.
It was a great evening with some good wines and a very good range of food to be taken with the wines, and as a first effort, the Cape Dara Resort did very well. Welcome to the wine circuit!

Cape Dara Resort Assistant GM Pattamon Mekavarakul (center) poses for a photo with her friends.

(L to R) Dr. Iain Corness, Peter Malhotra, MD of Pattaya Mail Media Group, Papakan Saguansap, Spa Manager at the Tea Tree Spa, Holiday Inn and Richard Smith.

The owner of Stonefish, Peter Papanikitas, was on hand to discuss his wines with, amongst others, Patt Srinoi, Managing Director of Wine Dee Dee Co., Ltd.

(L to R) Manee Nontuen, Nattakarn Ratchatanunti, Surat Mekavarakul, CEO of Cape Dara Resort and Supaporn Dantrakul.

(L to R) Sara Noriega, Jess Thakkar and Dr. Iain Corness.

(L to R) Wirat Boonpang, Phetay Fuanfuangfoo, Food & Beverage Manager, Sutthichai Supapornpasupad, Purchasing Manager, Suchada Thovasakul, Operation Manager of TSIX5 Hotel and Jiraporn Tewachoo.

(L to R) Yaowaluck Bumrungthum, Restaurant Manager of Mantra Restaurant & Bar, Kusuma Somseang, Restaurant Manager of Cape Dara Resort and Arrechon Manusmontree, Secretary of Mantra Restaurant & Bar.

Lost Turtle.

Beef with Five spice

Known in China as Ng Hioeng Joek Sie, this is better known as Beef in Five spice sauce. It is a simple stir-fry and all ingredients are easily sourced locally. Keep the meat pieces small bite-sized. You can substitute chicken for beef.

Ingredients	Serves 2-4
Lean beef	500 gm
Garlic (crushed)	2 cloves
Salt	½ tspn
Ginger root, grated	½ tspn
Dark soy sauce	1 tbspn
Sugar	1 tspn
Chinese Five Spice powder	1 pinch
Sunflower oil	2 tbspns
Beef or chicken stock	200 ml
Cornstarch	1 tspn

Cooking method

Cut the lean beef into thin slices and then into strips and dry.
In a bowl, combine garlic, salt, ginger root, soy sauce, sugar and Five Spice and stir until sugar is dissolved. Now add the meat strips, mix again and leave for 15-30 minutes.
After the meat has finished standing, heat the oil in the wok and stir fry the meat mixture for two minutes, by which time the meat should have changed color.
Now add the beef stock and bring quickly to the boil.
In a small dish, mix the cornstarch with one tablespoon of cold water and then add to the contents of the wok, stirring as the sauce thickens.
Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice.