Jun date in August was a hot ticket
Ma Der managers to outdo itself plus a new podcast to peruse!
I’ve been preaching for some time that the collaboration dinners chef Jeff Chanchaleune hosts at Ma Der Lao Kitchen are consistently excellent and worthy of our time and attention.
This month’s was no exception.
On Monday, Chanchaleune welcomed Evelyn Garcia of Jun in Houston into Ma Der for a seven-course dinner. They sold enough seats to serve two seatings Monday night. Once again, new culinary boundaries were crossed and transcendence achieved while nothing less than promising was served.
My buddy John Moncrief joined me for the feast, and the first course turned out to be his favorite. Shrimp Aguachile included shrimp in a tart, chilled broth with crisy taro, chile oil and gorgeous radish slices. This dish from Garcia was the ideal way to wake up the palate.
Chanchaleune followed with handmade dumplings stuffed with Dungeness crab and pork with jaew bong XO sauce, pickled pearl onions, and cilantro. What an absolute flavor missile.
Garcia replied with a scallop curry, the sauce hued with lime leaf and the scallop wrapped in Vietnamese spinach and served with pecan chili crunch. Snappy green peas added lush texture.
Next came a masterpiece in motion Chanchaeleune called Khao Mun Gai Ballotine. Making a farce (mousseline) of chicken and sticky rice, Chanchaleune served the ballotine with a fermented soy bean veloute and ginger-scallion oil. Chanchaleune said after dinner that he would like to crisp up the smoky chicken mousseline when he serves it next. Hope I’m there.
Garcia follow-up was pork blood sausage with crispy vinegared potato slices, borscht jus, creme fraiche and mint. The dish delivered a wealth of bold flavors and well-timed texture. It warmed the palate for the coup de grace.
A coup de grace Chanchaleune cloaked in familiarity. But not anything familiar to Ma Der. No, Chanchaleune made a fancy gyros sandwich. Snake River farms prime beef skewered, grilled and bathed in an herb medley chimichurri arrived ready to team with a house-made toasted-rice pita and jaew som lebnah.
Dessert arrived in a bowl and came with a spoon. A spoon Garcia intended us to stir together a tapioca with coconut milk, passion fruit panna cotta, and a sesame-ginger crumble. Not too sweet, and a perfect send-off.
This dinner raised money for the Southern Smoke Foundation, which fills support gaps for food-service workers when employers can’t or won’t. Highly encourage you to check out the good work this charity is doing, and keep an eye out for the next collaboration at Ma Der.
Listen up!
Hey, the latest episode of The Food Dood and Friends is now available. Julie Porter Scott and I jumped into the new podcast studio at KOSU to break it in and discuss some tasty news.
Next episode, we’ll have Jared Gleaton in the house. You remember Jared, friendly, neighborhood school psychologist and food blogger from Green Country? The one with a new book everyone in Tulsa is talking about.
Jared will discuss what’s cooking in Tulsa and the eastern half of the state. I know he’s been sneaking into Oklahoma City lately, too. Look for that episode next week. Here he is talking about A Feast for the Senses: The Psychological Art of Eating Well with a Tulsa TV station.
Comings & goings
Monday’s dinner took me into The Plaza for the first time in a couple of months. Hated to see Sideline Bar and Grill is no more. Never fear, fans, there is still a location in Norman.
On my way home from The Plaza, I happened by the fast-approaching home of Mamacita Mexican Grill. Don’t confuse it with your crazy, rich uncle Bobby’s Mamasita’s of yore. The food will almost certainly be better, or at least more Mexican, but if the new place bearing the Mamacita monicker wants a life half as long as the old Nichols Hills haunt, it’s only got about 10,000 tales that can only be whispered to go.
The new Mamacita’s among a growing campaign to improve Mexican food options downtown. Mexican Radio just bolstered Midtown, which will get some true interior Mexican flair when El Chilango opens across from the bus transit center.
One of the jewels of south Oklahoma City, Chilango offers authentic Mexican street food and beverages in a high-energy environment. The original location on SW 44th and Pennyslvania is no stranger to lines forming to get in for tacos, tortas, quesadillas, and much more. …
Empire Hospitality Group launches Two Doors Down Bistro on Friday. Owners Dave Osborn and Jason Pool will open the wine bar two doors down from their first restaurant venture together, Symmetry. This marks the second restaurant for the duo of Hal Smith Restaurants vets.
The menu has a New York state of mind made up of noshes, sandwiches, and pizza. It opens to the public at 7 p.m. on Friday.