By CJ Juntereal THAI SPICE Clockwise from top: The cool ambiance of the Spicy Garden; Goong Hin Yang or slow-baked Canadian lobster; and Chef Phaithoon Atthasarn Just across a small bridge and around the corner is a little garden not many people know about, the Spices Garden. It’s a cute place. Quiet, surrounded by greenery, and lit with the sort of lighting that makes everyone glow. The Peninsula Manila rarely uses the area, usually only in the first couple of months of the year when the weather is cool, so not many people know about it. I had attended a dinner there once during the summer, and all I remember was the sweat trickling down my brow, the hair that stuck to the back of my neck, and that sticky feeling that made me want to dive into the pool. No wonder the garden was hardly used. But it’s January now, and the weather is breezy, so the Spices Garden has been dusted off and put to good use. The Peninsula calls its al fresco experience “Spices under the Stars” because on a very clear night you can lean back in your chair, look up to the sky, and see millions of stars winking at you. In 2018, the focus is on Spices Thai specialty chef Phaithoon Atthasarn’s noteworthy Thai creations. CHILIS AND ROMANCE From left: Hoy Meng Poo Neung Samunpai or steamed black mussels with coconut cream; Near Yang or stir-fried angus beef tenderloin; ginger marinated squid; and cold shaved prime beef eye salad “Spices under the Stars” has a special menu different from the one being served inside the restaurant proper. Many of the dishes on the special menu are not the run-of-the-mill ones that populate many Thai restaurants in the city. Chef Atthasarn may have been Spices’ Thai chef for over 10 years but he has retained his Thai palate. All his dishes are a perfect balance of the Thai quintet of sour, sweet, spicy, salty, and bitter flavors. In fact, when we asked him to make our som tam “Thai-level spicy” he explained exactly what it meant, and when we agreed, returned with salad so fiery that our eyes bugged out and our mouths burst into flame. He then gleefully explained to us that what he had served wasn’t quite Thai level yet. One of the highlights of the special menu is a live action som tam station, where the chef gets to work his magic on the classic Thai green papaya salad. Som tam is the perfect summer dish, the cool sweet-sour of the green papaya tempers the heat from all the chilis, but the chilis themselves, by making you sweat, cool off your body temperature. The live action station means you can watch the chefs and ask for riffs on your order. Aside from the green papaya salad, Atthasarn also makes som tam mamoung, spicy green mango salad, which is delicious! The menu includes a trio of appetizers that are so good that they deserve to be eaten as a main course with rice. The chef turns the ubiquitous Thai beef salad (yam near yang naam toke) into something more luxurious by using prime beef rib-eye grilled perfectly rare. Fresh chilis and mint leaves make a great contrast to the sweet and sour dressing. The steamed black mussels dish proves that not all of Thai cooking is incendiary. Coconut cream, ginger, garlic, a hint of curry, and the herbal flavors of coriander leaves combine together gently into a sauce that begs to be spooned over sticky, steamed rice. Chef Atthasarn takes squid, which is usually badly cooked and rubbery, and manages to fry it into something crispy, but airy and tender. Lime aioli and sweet chili sauce make the perfect dipping accompaniments. Among the main dishes, the standout is goong hin yang, Canadian lobster slow-baked and redolent with buttery, garlicky, cheesy flavor. A spicy green papaya salad cuts through the richness with its tangy dressing. But then again, I’m a meat eater, so I also liked near yang, wok-fried black angus beef tenderloin that could quite possibly be the Thai incarnation of the Filipino favorite, salpicao, except instead of paprika and olive oil, it was flavored with oyster sauce and fish sauce. Again, I wanted lots of rice. Some people might be surprised that quite a few of the dishes are not laden with chilis, and that there are no curries on the special menu. Chef Atthasarn’s choice of dishes showcases other facets of Thai cuisine, and proves that it can be enjoyable for people who have a low tolerance for spice. Just don’t order the somtam! The promotion will only last as long as the cool weather lasts though, at least until the end of February. Meanwhile, it is available on Fridays and Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. And for people who still haven’t figured out where to go for a romantic Valentine’s dinner, and don’t want to be tied down to a set menu—dining al fresco at the Spices Garden on Valentine’s Day is possible for a minimum consumable of R1,200 per person. The ladies get flowers, and everyone gets to order from the special a la carte menu. And as a bonus, chilis are among of those natural aphrodisiacs that have been proven to spark romance! Email me at [email protected] or follow me on Instagram: @eatgirlmanila.   Call Spices  at 02 887 2888 local 6694 or visit the website at peninsula.com.