Fun with every bite

Fun with every bite

At Safari World, even the food is an adventure

SOCIAL & LIFESTYLE
Fun with every bite
Photos: Tawatchai Kemgumnerd

Summer has officially arrived, so let me begin this food-driven story with the question of what gastronomic impression you usually associate with the school-break season.

Many of you grown-ups might say it's an elaborate serving of traditional Thai khao chae, or more fashionably a fizzy cocktail by the beach.

But for youngsters on a holiday excursion, the answer will likely be theme-park food.

A day at a theme park is always an ideal plan for families. However, when there, chances are you will stumble upon humdrum quality and overpriced food. Then the great outdoor gastronomy will mean a compulsory agony.

Going to a theme park is adventurous and energy-draining in itself. So you don't want to add the burden of packing your own lunchbox nor risking your stomach with bad-quality fillers.

But worry no more, theme-park trippers. Today, some of Bangkok's most awe-inspiring and tastebud-friendly fare can be found within the 500 rai compound of Safari World.

Located northeast of Bangkok, Safari World is an animal and leisure theme park consisting of an open zoo and marine park as well as countless exhibits, attractions and activities.

But that's not all. Visitors to the theme park will find plenty of restaurants and street-food vendors, almost all of them original and exclusive to the location.

Safari World is a family business founded 30 years ago by Pin Kewkacha. His sons, Litti and Dej Kewkacha, have lately been recognised on the fine-dining scene as passionate epicures and thriving restaurateurs.

The brothers have, since 2007, set up seven restaurant and dessert cafe brands under the Kacha Bros company, with more than 50 outlets across the country at the moment.

"It had come to the day when we thought we should contribute our special know-how to our first home, which is the animal park," said Litti, who is also Safari World's vice-president of marketing and business development.

With his ever-active, highly experienced patissier brother Dej working by his side, Litti has turned the theme park into a fanciful food haven with its very own brand of restaurants and cafes. Each establishment has been designed to depict the unique charm of the location through one-of-a-kind visual flair and culinary signatures.

"We want them to be a surprising treat exclusively for the visitors here," the brothers noted.

Following are some examples of the gastronomic bliss you can find at Safari World.

Animal Cafe

This glass-wrapped, air-con dessert cafe is an ideal place to cool down and be indulged by fanciful sweets and refreshments after a long day in the sunshine.

Decked out to mimic an African forest cafe, with log wood sidings and furniture, the 50-seater offers an exclusive selection of photogenic desserts with house-made ice cream, chocolate and pastries.

Of the 20-item menu, highlighted are Giraffe Terrace (250 baht), a luscious platter of a light tiramisu cake, vanilla soft-serve and butter cookies; Zebra Crossing (250 baht), an exhibition of chocolate lava cake, natural bamboo charcoal soft-serve and white chocolate; Tiger Rock & Roll (250 baht), a mango-flavoured roll cake with mango mousse centre accompanied by a mango sherbet; and Elephant Split (220 baht), a choco-banana parfait (brownie cubes, ice cream, fresh banana slices and cornflakes) with a "cut-out" buttery cookie on the side.

If the combo platters are too heavy for you, try the ice cream and sorbet (70 baht per scoop), which come in eight flavours including strawberry cheesecake, cookies 'n' cream, mango and mint chip.

The mango cooler (120 baht) and Thai iced coffee (95 baht) are worth-having beverages, as is the pomegranate soda (95 baht).

Savoury dishes for kids are also available. Best-sellers are the spaghetti carbonara (150 baht), chicken curry rice (220 baht) and salmon fried rice (220 baht).

Adding an exciting touch to the all-day dining venue is a temperature-controlled exhibition of gorgeous-looking snowy owls.


This newly opened restaurant, tucked behind the park's lush garden, serves up an international buffet lunch in a tropical modern setting.

With a capacity of up to 450 diners, the restaurant's mega-sized, brightly lit dining room is inspired by bird sanctuaries.

Its high ceiling is painted to mimic the bright blue sky with a hanging installation of mobile flying birds to add a nature vibe, under all of which is a culinary line-up of Thai, Asian and Western cuisines.

Here, the all-you-can-eat fare usually includes a salad bar, curries, stir-fry, deep-fried and rice and noodle dishes, as well as Thai-style desserts and fresh fruit. Price is 500 baht per person inclusive of drinking water.


Jungle Cruise Restaurant

Should authentic homestyle Indian cuisine be your preference, head to this Indian buffet restaurant.

Daily line-up includes vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, prepared by Indian chefs. On the day I visited, there were the likes of chicken korma and fish curry.

The meatless selection included bhindi with dry coconut, eggplant sambar, fried rice with garlic, green pumpkin curry with soy bean, ridge gourd with corn, dal, freshly made yoghurt and puri bread with dips.

The venue, decked out simply in African tribal art and motifs, is enlivened by upbeat tunes. The buffet is priced at 500 baht per person.


Tiger Burger

Launched five months ago, this burger bar serves up a house-concocted selection of sandwiches -- a crossbreed between Thai, American and Japanese flavour profiles.

Its signature Crying Tiger Burger (195 baht) is inspired by a local favourite beef dish, suea ronghai. The burger features expansive fillet of flame-grilled marinated beef dressed with Thai-style spicy sauce on a warm bun with fresh tomato slices and lettuce. A non-spicy option is available upon request.

Highly recommended also is the chicken tonkatsu burger (155 baht), a tasty sandwich of deep-fried battered chicken thigh dressed with sweet Japanese-style barbecue sauce and finely sliced cabbage.

Most of the ingredients are made in-house from scratch, including beef patties, breadcrumbed fish cutlets, chicken nuggets and sauces. Thus you will not regret also having the cheeseburger (165 baht) and the fish burger (155 baht).

A set meal with french fries and drink can be created with your burger purchase at 150 baht extra, 165 baht extra to combine your sandwich with chicken nuggets and beverage.

The restaurant provides an alfresco dining area, lulled by sweet bossa nova tunes, and can seat up to 30.


Manatea

Bubble milk tea is all the rage here in Thailand, and the theme park is quick to offer the phenomenally popular drink in its own animal-loving fashion.

A perfect pun on the park's super-lovely new exhibit, the manatee, Manatea offers a house-concocted repertoire of beverages (milk-based and dairy-free) that come with a seabed of chewy tapioca pearls, aka bubbles.

The Charcoal Bubble (145 baht), a muddy-grey milk tea with gummily soft black pearls and frothy cream-cheese topping, is its luscious signature.

Classic milk tea with bubbles (125 baht); taro milk tea with amber-hued, honey-seethed bubbles (125 baht); Thai milk tea with black bubbles (115 baht); dairy-free jasmine tea with konjac pearls (95 baht); and lemon green tea with snowy white konjac pearls (105 baht) are also worth enjoying.


Chai Nam Food Center

For park visitors looking for a quick local-style fix, there's a wide range of pick-and-pay dishes at the waterfront street-food zone.

You will find a dozen food stalls selling, for example, boat noodles, grilled chicken with sticky rice, khao kha moo (rice topped with braised pork leg stew); khao mun gai (chicken rice), som tam (sour and spicy green papaya salad); and khao rad gaeng (rice topped with curry).

Prices are approximately 70-100 baht per dish.

The park occupies 500 rai on Panya-Ramintra Road in Bangkok's Klong Sam Wa District.

There are more than 50,000 animals, cared for by 900 staff members, in various exhibits including an 8km-long drive-through open zoo, a marine park, large aquariums, aviaries, animal nurseries, egg-incubation centre and wildlife terrace.

Daily live shows include those featuring sea lions, orang-utans, dolphins, tigers and macaws, as well as wildlife feedings and cowboy stunts.

The park houses more than two dozen eateries, from mega-sized restaurants to boutique cafes to street-food stalls, offering reasonably priced food and beverages.

The majority of the park has no lighting system, so after sunset the whole place is pitch-dark, just like the animals' natural habitats.

It's open every day, all year, 9am-5pm on weekdays and 9am-6pm on weekends and holidays.

For Thai nationals, prices are 450 baht per adult and 350 baht per child for a visit to the Safari Park; 550 baht per adult and 450 baht per child for a visit to the Marine Park; and 680 baht per adult and 580 baht per child for a visit to both parks.

For foreigners, prices are 1,100 baht per adult and 1,000 baht per child for a visit to the Safari Park; 1,300 baht per adult and 1,100 baht per child for a visit to the Marine Park; and 1,500 baht per adult and 1,400 baht per child for a visit to both parks.

For more information, call 02-9144100/19 or visit www.safariworld.com.

Aviary Restaurant

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