Celebrate Thai New Year at Circles with 3 chef collaboration dinners
Thai New Year is Monday, April 13. Alex Boonphaya of Circles loves to celebrate this holiday with special events. Last year, Boonphaya teamed up with Peter Woolsey of La Peg for a special New Year Knife Fight. The dinner was six courses and included a battle of the chefs competition to see who created better Thai. Woolsey was victorious.
The Thai New Year is Monday, April 13. Alex Boonphaya of Circles loves to celebrate this holiday with special events. Last year, Boonphaya teamed up with Peter Woolsey of La Peg for a special New Year Knife Fight. The dinner was six courses and included a battle of the chefs competition to see who created better Thai. Woolsey was victorious.
For 2015, Boonphaya and his culinary crew have teamed up with four local chefs who share the same love for Thai food, for three dinners between Thursday, April 9 and Saturday, April 11.
The dinners will take place at Circles' Northern Liberties location (812 N. 2nd St.). All proceeds from the dinners go to the family of slain Philadelphia Police Officer Robert Wilson III.
The first collaboration dinner is Thursday, April 9 and will feature Chefs Ian Knauer and Shelly Wiseman of the Farm Cooking School in Stockton, N.J.
The menu for the evening includes:
Glass noodles - Thai beef
Northern Thai larb - Cabbage leaves and herbs
Catfish in banana leaves
Lemongrass sticky rice - Seasonal fruit included
The second collaboration on April 10 features chef Anthony Marini, previously a chef at the Germantown Cricket Club, who recently pitched the opening of his future restaurant, The Rarest on CNBC's television show Restaurant Startup.
The menu for the evening includes:
Hanger steak laab - Cilantro pepper relish, chilies, brown rice and pan fried roti
Spiced broccoli salad - Red grapes, paneer, peanuts and coconut vinaigrette
Octopus & mussel massaman curry - Fingerling potatoes, slow roasted shallots and Thai basil
Sweet black rice pudding - Coffee-cardamom crumble
Boonphaya and his culinary team prepare the last dinner on Saturday, April 11 and will feature his partner from Tuk Tuk Real, Silvestre Rincon, and chef / brother-in-law of Boonphaya, Tom Puthongdee. Aside from the featured menu, Boonphaya follows an important principle of the annual Thai New Year, honoring elders. For this dinner, an elder who arrives with a guest will dine for free.
The menu for the evening includes:
Duck confit spring rolls - Black truffle
Vermicelli noodles - Meyer lemon marmalade
Oyster ceviche - Coconut cream, shallots, shaved fennel, chilies, and mint
Panang beef short ribs - Rice medley, kaffir lime leaves and chilies
Sticky rice - Coconut cream, tapioca panna cota, coconut rice balls
Reservations can be made by calling 267-687-1309. Circles is BYOB.
Visit the website for more information.