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Thailand A CORNER OF
IN SOUTHBOURNE
Tempura vegetables
By Janine Pulford
If you’re looking for authentic Thai flavours, a must-visit restaurant is Tiien, which means candle in Thai. The latest eatery in the string of Tiien restaurants has recently opened at 65 Seabourne Road, Bournemouth. Ben and I visited midweek. Having battled through lashing rain to get there, it took us completely by surprise to find the restaurant full and people also eating in the bar area, which was where our table was. Ning welcomed us with prawn crackers and hot chilli sauce. She manages the restaurant and makes working front of house look effortless. The interior has an organic feel with green walls, woven lampshades, polished wood and exposed brickwork. This relaxing setting prepares you for some of the most naturally
Crispy seaweed
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4DORSET February 2020
fragrant and delicate flavours from Thailand. A comprehensive menu is clearly presented and there are set menu options, for a minimum of two people. Deep-fried sweetcorn cake and Chicken pad kee mao tempura mixed vegetables, with sweet chilli sauce got us off to a great start. We shared. Crunchy vegetables were delicately coated with light and crispy tempura batter. In contrast, the sweetcorn cakes had density, were crunchy on the outside and the creamy filling contained pieces of corn. We could also dip into cucumber and chilli relish and a thicker peanut sauce. I loved the contrasting flavour of the garnish, which included large sprigs of parsley. Ning thought we might like to try crispy seaweed, and it took our starters to the next level with its umami flavour, salty tang, vibrant green Fish Choo Chee colour and crisp texture. It’s also super healthy being nutrient-rich. What we didn’t finish, we held over for our mains. I chose the wonderfully named Fish Choo Ben ordered a hot Chicken Phad Kee Mao: Chee. The sea bass fillet was deep-fried with a stir-fried rice noodles with chillies, tomatoes, crispy skin and coated in a rich sauce containing onions and basil leaves. It was very spicy and full coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, tamarind juice of flavour pops including peppercorns, red and and chillis. The sublime flavour combination green chillis. The chicken and vegetables added paired well with the generous portion and texture to the soft noodles. delicious white flesh of the perfectly cooked fish We felt comfortably full, so to round off the and I also had a bowl of jasmine rice. evening, we shared vanilla ice cream, knowing
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