Sur la table is located at The Grove by the Farmers Market. Usually I like to avoid any sort of mall setting but it wasn't too crowded and there was ample parking. The class was run by chef Martin Gilligan and guest chef Hernani Fabros. I was interested to see how an Irish and Filipino would fare with the cuisine.
I was elated when I arrived and was greeted with an adult beverage: pina colada with Asian rum. We were also given clipboards with recipes, an apron, and a 10% discount off any Sur la table purchases within the next week. There was about 12 participants in total so the class was rather intimate and hands on.
The class started off with a demonstration where Chef Gilligan showed us how to cut up ginger and radishes, and Chef Fabros prepared the chicken satay. After the demonstration, we were to break off into group to work on one of the dishes. LB and I made a beeline for the Hokkien Noodles station since the preparation looked a little more challenging than the rest. We're dorks like that.
Banh mi is Vietnamese sandwich which usually includes meats, mayo, pate and pickled vegetables. Personally, I did not care for this sandwich because I didn't think it tasted authentic. It could easily have been something that was served at Togo's. The meat was filet mignon which was a good choice, but there was too much American mayo, no pate, and the pickled vegetables were rather bland. I would take Nom Nom's BBQ pork or Lemongrass Chicken banh mi over this any day.
Overall, it was a fun night. Cooking new recipes is fun. Cooking in the kitchen with a friend is also fun. Cooking in a kitchen with a glass of wine is even more fun. The chefs were fun, patient and helpful, although I asked Chef Gilligan what his favorite Southeast Asian cuisine was and he replied Japanese. Humph.. I liked that we chose this cuisine over something more accessible such as Italian. Southeast Asian food is all about bold flavors and spice. Unfortunately I didn't really get that with these recipes. Yes, some of the food was tasty (noodles, satay) but I found this to be a watered-down, American version. The distinct flavors you would expect from papaya salad and pho was lacking. That's not to say that I won't use these recipes, they just need a little readjustment, like adding loads more chili to the dishes.
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