Thai Naam: Mumbai's Destination for Sonkgran Celebrations and Thai Cuisine

Thai Naam by Ananda, a Thai and Pan-Asian restaurant in Marol, Andheri, has been offering Songkran special food to celebrate the Thai New Year till April 13. But there is much more to Thai Naam!

The ever-increasing rate of tourist reciprocations between countries should surely be given credence for giving birth to an amalgamation of cultures that we see in the modern-day world, especially in metropolitan cities. At least, this is what we were wondering while relishing the special Sonkgran menu at Thai Naam by Ananda, a restaurant in Marol, Andheri, which is celebrating the Sonkgran or the traditional Thai New Year festival that takes place on April 13 every year.

Thai Naam, which specializes in Thai and Pan-Asian cuisine, has been celebrating the festival menu since March 24. As we visited the place for lunch last week, we could not stop but got ourselves into the spirit of both the festival and the menu. Located on the first floor inside JW Mariott in Andheri, it is a palatial diner that has used a blend of hues to give a glimpse of the traditional Thai restaurants, of which we happily picked the sunflower coloured chairs to be seated. The place is well-equipped with wooden tables, and aesthetic decor, some of which include cane lamps and artworks on walls representing Thai culture. Dazzled by the quirkiness of the restaurant, we did not delay in also glancing at the menu.

Sonkgran specials

While reading through the Songkran menu, the staff told us that the menu has been fabricated, keeping in mind the cursory nature of people during the festivals. "It's more like a ready-to-eat menu as people prefer quick eating during celebrations," one of the staff told us while taking our orders for two such quickies - Crispy Vegetable with Creamy Jalapeno Sauce and Chicken with Yum Dressings and Coriander. As the name suggests, the veg dish came with a few vegetables wrapped in a creamy sauce, and the bittersweet taste with the mix of crunchiness sat well with us. Comparatively, Chicken, with its minimal dressing and crumbliness, only appealed a little, yet appeared suitable to grab the mild but flavourful pieces quickly and focus on celebrations, which was tasting other dishes for us.

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Continuing from the same menu, we also gulped Burnt Garlic Fried Rice which stood true to its name and the standard taste. The fresh broccoli, corn, tomato slices, and beans sprinkled over the rice also fit well with their freshness and rawness. Along with this, the highlight of this menu, for us, remained the Thai Mud Cake which we devoured at the end. Made with Felchlin Chocolate, this dessert was presented on a marble plating and the addition of hot square-shaped chocolate cake with ice cream was perfect for us to call it a day.

Beyond the festive menu

Thai Naam's Ala Carte menu offers various other dishes with specialties that do not disappoint, even if you forego the Songkran menu. We opted for the Pan Grilled White Prawns, which were cooked in a sour and spicy sauce, but also had a touch of sweetness. The four prawns on the plate also had hints of Indian flavors, making it a unique and worthwhile dish to try.

On the other hand, our experience with Thai Green Curry remained authentic as it is to Thai cuisine. Served with plain rice, we chose Chicken for the curry and all of it came together in a wooden bowl and plate, appealing to our urge to focus on legitimacy! Maintaining its taste, the curry and chicken were sour-sweet that we loved putting over rice to eat in the right way, and it was simply aromatic, soft, gushy and good.

All these while, we had two good companions that helped us adore the food, i.e., mocktails and salad. We opted for Cubic, with its tint of espresso, which tasted quite good for a drink and to have with the food. This apart was the Classic Mocktail, for which the staff took a special liberty to mix a few flavours for us, and it turned out to be a much tangy yet sweet flavoured drink. Even the Mango and Water Chestnut salad, a sour salad that we savoured, was a bit sweet but a good combination to keep with the food.

While Thai Naam offers many other drinks and a plethora of options in authentic Thai and Asian food, the restaurant appears alluring merely by its striking ambience.

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