Some meals in life are unforgettable, and they’re not just about the food—they’re about the incredible experience that comes with it. I recently had one of those extraordinary moments when I was invited to dive into the vibrant world of Thai cuisine and to meet Thai MasterChef Bongkot Sabpong at Spectra in The Leela Ambience Gurugram Hotel & Residences.
The meal began with Amuse Bouche, a refreshing plate of house-made Thai vegetable spring roll, followed by an appetiser: deep-fried golden bag filled with mushrooms and tofu and traditional Thai-style fish cake—which the chef revealed was quite a popular dish back home, prepared diligently by her father—and served with a sweet chilli sauce. Amid the traffic-clogged lanes of Gurugram and the bustling city life that can overwhelm anyone, Spectra—the in-house multicuisine restaurant at Leela—makes you feel like part of the city while also offering a sanctuary with delicious food. I arrived at Spectra on a weekday for dinner and was soon greeted by Chef Bongkot’s infectious smile and energy. She treated us to an epic culinary adventure, a lineup of delicious dishes one after another. She was not a chef serving at a restaurant, but a host inviting people to her kitchen, with only one mission—to feed them her cooking. By the end, we were stuffed to the brim, but our hearts were even fuller. The fried fish cakes showcase the use of herbs and spices; Tom Yum highlights the balance of sour, spicy, and aromatic flavours; while chicken basil fried rice represents the simplicity and comfort that are such an important part of Thai cooking. For the mains, Chef Bongkot served us jasmine rice and Thai Green curry with vegetables, which has to be one of the best Thai green curries I have ever had. She complemented it with Pla Neung Manao—steamed sole fish with lime and chilli sauce, wok-tossed Pad Thai with vegetables, and lastly, for dessert, she served Khanom Tom—sticky rice balls with coconut.
Her mission, she told me, was to erase the words ‘portion control’ and ‘diet’ from our minds—simply indulge and don’t hold back. She even told me that if she had to introduce someone to Thai cuisine with just three dishes, she would choose fried fish cakes, Tom Yum soup, and basil chicken fried rice. “These are popular Thai dishes, and they represent different aspects of Thai food culture, according to her.
