心も体も癒す魅惑の味 - Pintoh(2017年8月号)

突然ですが、ラオスと言う国がどこにあるか皆さん、知っていますか? ラオスは東南アジアにあり、タイ、ベトナム、カンボジア、中国の国境を接する内陸の国。行ったことのある人は皆「とにかく人が穏やかで優しく、ゆったりとした時が流れる素朴な雰囲気が良かった。そして食事がおいしかった」と、口を揃えて言う。隣接の国々や、かつてはフランス領だったことからフランス料理の影響も受けていると聞けば、試してみたくなる。そこで、メルボルンにいながらラオス料理を楽しめる店Pintohに足を運んだ。

Pintoh

温かい笑顔で出迎えてくれたのは、オーナーでラオス出身のSerenaさん。彼女によると「ラオス料理は、とにかくハーブをたくさん使うのよ。そして、主食は餅米。蒸したり、グリルする調理法で油は控えめ、それにタイ料理と違って、甘さも控えめね」とのこと。どんな料理が出てくるのか、期待が高まる。

「ラオス式のKFCで、LFCよ」と笑いながらサーブされたのは、Kuviang fried chicken。下味がしっかりついたチキンに、ココナッツミルクを使ったサクサクの衣がピッタリ。そのままでも十分おいしいが、チリの入ったSrirachaマヨソースをつけると、コッテリして違った味わいに。どちらの食べ方も、もうひとつと手が伸びてしまう。是非ラオスビールを合わせて。

Kuviang fried chicken $13
Kuviang fried chicken $13

シトラス系の香りと共に登場したのはLemonngrass Pork。レモングラスの茎を軸にひき肉を巻き付けた料理はよく見掛けるが、ここのは茎の中にひき肉を詰めたスタイル。軸にしたものよりレモングラスの香りが肉に染み込んで、肉の旨みはしっかりあるのに後味が爽やか。今までにない味わいだ。

Lemonngrass Pork $4 p.p
Lemonngrass Pork $4 p.p

彩りの良いSticky rice frittersは、甘辛く味付けされたライスケーキに、ハーブや薬味がたっぷりのっている。さまざまな食材がひとつになった奥行きのある味と、モッチリなのにシャキシャキした複雑な食感は、クセになるかも。

Sticky rice fritters $14
Sticky rice fritters $14

「この料理は、タイ料理に近いわね」と出てきたのは、Mussaman curry。子牛の頬肉だけを使い、豆やじゃがいもと時間を掛けて煮込んだマイルドなカレーだ。びっくりするぐらい柔らかい肉と、素材の旨みが染み込んだじゃがいもや豆の優しい味わいに、思わず笑顔に。ピーナッツのカリッとした食感が良いアクセントになっている。

Mussaman curry $30
Mussaman curry $30

そして魚が丸ごとグリルされたWhole grilled Tilapia fish。Tilapia fishは、淡水や汽水に生息する魚で、海に接していないラオスでは人気の魚。レタスに魚とハーブをたっぷりのせ、ソースをつけて食べるのがラオス式。こんな魚の食べ方もあるんだと、新鮮な驚き。合わせるハーブによって風味が変化して楽しい。酸味とちょっぴり苦みのあるキンカンのドリンクと相性が良いのでお試しを。

Whole grilled Tilapia fish $26
Whole grilled Tilapia fish $26

どの料理もスパイスやハーブが効果的に使われていたのが印象的。油も少なく、さっぱりとしてヘルシーなのもうれしい。友達とワイワイ楽しく食事できる店。ごちそうさまでした。

 
 
Alluring Flavours that Soothe Both Mind and Body
 

Random question, but could you point to where Laos is on a map if asked? Bordering Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and China, this landlocked nation is renowned for its kind and gentle people, its relaxed, idyllic atmosphere and delicious food. And upon hearing that Lao cuisine was influenced by the countries it borders, as well as its French colonial past, we really wanted to try it, so we headed off to Pintho to give it a shot.

As we walked in to Pintho we were greeted with a lovely, warm smile by Laos-born owner Serena. She told us that Lao cuisine is all about using lots of herbs, and it also uses mochi rice as its main staple. Thanks to extensive steaming and grilling, there's not a lot of fat in Lao cuisine, and it's not as sweet as Thai cuisine either. All this information further served to heighten our expectations.

'This is Lao KFC, or LFC', said the waiter with a laugh, serving our first dish - Kuviang fried chicken. The rich, marinated chicken flavours went perfectly with the crunchy, coconut milk batter. By themselves they're delicious, but eating them with the included Sriracha mayonnaise added a different dimension. Whichever you prefer, they're very more-ish, and would go perfectly with a Lao beer.

Our second dish, the Lemongrass Pork, arrived in a cloud of citrus aromas. We've seen plenty of versions which wrapped the meat around the lemongrass stem, but this one actually packs the meat inside it. As a result, the pork absorbs the lemongrass aromas much more, and while there's a strong, meaty flavour, the aftertaste is light and refreshing. It's something we've never tasted before.

The colourful Sticky rice fritters have a sweet and spicy taste, along with a generous helping of herbs and other condiments on top. By including many different ingredients, there's a depth of flavour, along with a complex, sticky and crispy texture, that makes them very difficult to resist.

We were advised the Mussaman curry was quite close to the Thai equivalent. Made using veal cheeks, the beans and potatoes had soaked up the dish's flavours over a long cooking process. That process also meant the veal was incredibly tender, and the gentle flavours absorbed by the beans and potatoes made us smile. The crunchy peanuts made for a lovely accent, too.

Finally, we were served the Whole grilled Tilapia fish. Tilapia lives in either fresh or brackish water, and is a popular fish in landlocked Laos. Presented in true Lao-style on a bed of lettuce with lots of herbs on top and covered with sauce, it was another first for us. We enjoyed the different flavour combinations you got by mixing and matching the various herbs. It went well with the sour and very slightly bitter taste of the kumquat drink we ordered with it.

It seems no matter what you order here at Pintho, they use herbs and spices to great effect. The low fat levels mean the dishes never feel heavy, either, which was fantastic. It's a restaurant you can come to and really enjoy with friends. Gotchisousamadeshita.

Pintoh
165A Bourke St. Melbourne
03 9650 8452
Lunch: Mon - Fri: 11am - 3pm
Dinner: Mon - Wed: 6 - 10pm
Thu - Sat: 6 - 11pm
w: www.pintoh.com.au