Wow, what a Super Moon (literally)! The closest one we’ve had in almost 70 years, and we were blessed enough to have great weather, during this otherwise rainy November, to be able to see it in all it’s spectacular beauty.
“Hey, look! The moon! And some cars!”
We were also lucky enough to be able to get our new outside space pulled together just in time for a capacity crowd and our largest gathering to date, thanks to Mathew Gibney. He’s our gardener AND handyman extraordinaire. We think it came out pretty nice, and are looking to improve it even more for future events. (REMEMBER: The Windy Level space is available for FREE* if you book a minimum of $2500 in catering services at our venue).
Onto the menu. We’ve had a ton of requests for Asian-inspired food, so being the people-pleasers that we are, we developed a menu based on Mathayom’s childhood palate. Here it is in all it’s glory:
Course #1 – Broken Summer Roll: Shrimp / Black Rice / Sweet Chili
Drink: Lemongrass & Thai Basil Mojito
We wanted to make this one look like a “Shrimp Volcano”, with the Chili Sauce as the hot lava (not pictured)
Apparently, it’s not pronounced, “Moe-JAI-toe”
Course #2 – Tom Ka Pĕd: Coconut Soup / Duck / Lime Leaf
For the soup course, we did a twist on the traditional Thai Coconut dish. Our version contained Duck Confit Dumplings, a trio of vegetables (Pearl Onion, Shiitake, Roasted Pepper), and fresh Lime Leaf from Chef Jeh’s garden. We took some of the banana leaves from our garden, used them as covers, and added a touch of smoke to our version.
Course #3 – Pho Real: Crispy Catch / Pho Fumet / Sweet Potato Glass Noodle
Drink Pairing: Spicy Mango-Tumeric Sour
Chili threads accent the dish and add a pop of color
We got some snapper and created a glass noodle cake for the base. For the sauce, Chef Nils made a local Wahoo Fumet and added some of the traditional spices and seasonings one might find in Pho, such as ginger, onion, garlic, star anise, and cinnamon. We then reduced this down for an intense yet light flavor base.
Course #4 – 18th Parallel: Mango Pork / Purple Curry / Fried Basil
Drink Pairing: Lime Leaf Bourbon Ginger
Purple Curry is the new Yellow Curry
For the meat course, we used a mixture of flavors that encompassed those found in both Southeast Asia as well as the Caribbean. Because the climates are so similar, we have a lot of products that thrive in our respective environments, but are put together differently. To make the purple curry, the chefs used beets, purple potatoes, coconut milk, and lots of love. The pork shoulder was sliced, pounded, and braised with mango and spices, and we threw on some pumpkin for depth and color. Thai Sticky Rice (sent down by Mat’s mom) and Fried Basil completed the dish.
Course #5 – Buddha Belly: Coconut Custard / Tea Redux / Rambutan Coulis
Drink Pairing: Spiked Thai Iced Tea
By the time dessert course came out, folks were busting at the seams, so we kept the portions small and manicured. Chef Ben torched the tops of the Coconut Egg Custard to create a brulee effect, afterwhich the kitchen drizzled a jasmine tea reduction and rambutan coulis to add to the flavor combo. The spiked Thai Iced Tea was a refreshing bit of caffeinated buzz to end the evening.
Of course, no Full Moon Dinner at #windylevel is complete without a group shot. We had so many people, that we had to move everyone outside into the new area to fit them all! Our free shuttle came right on time and got our guests back downtown, with tiny turmeric plants to commemorate the evening.
Next month: Winter is Coming! – Hearty and Traditional Fare with Silverado Wines on Tuesday, December 13th. Make your reservations today if you will be on island and wish to join us!
St. John Catering 