Thai New Year Knife Fight At Circles

Chefs Alex Boonphaya (of Circles) and Peter Woolsey (of Bistrot La Minette) were just going to get together for a plain old collaboration dinner in celebration of the upcoming Thai New Year. But then they thought, “Hey, you know what would be more fun? Let’s turn it into a battle!”

Which is exactly what they’re doing–a 3-course by 3-course, head-to-head cook-off wherein 40 guests will get to determine who is the best Thai cook in the house. And if you’re up for it, you can be one of those 40 judges.

So here’s how it’s going to work: Each chef will be cooking three courses–an app, a main and a dessert. They’ll be presented to the crowd without anyone knowing who cooked what. Then participants will judge each dish on a 1-5 scale of awesomeness, all the points will be added up, and the winner will walk away with bragging rights and a Korin Japanese chef knife.

So you wanna be one of the judges? Cinch. Just be one of the first 40 people to make reservations for the April 10 event. The contest starts at 7pm. Tickets are $40 per person (a steal for what will essentially be a six course dinner), and can be gotten by calling Circles at 267-687-1309. Oh, and just to get you primed, here’s the blind-tasting menu that will be presented by the two chefs:

Tom Yam Soup – Spicy and sour soup with prawns, clams and squid

Kanom Buang – Crispy Thai turmeric crepe with minced prawns, peanuts and bean sprouts, served with a sweet chili sauce

Kow Kruk Kapi – Jasmin scented rice mixed with shrimp paste, and served with climbing waddle omelet, fresh vegetable and herbs

Chicken Ballontine – curry, peanut, sautéed vegetables and rice

Kanom Lod Chong – Pandanus rice noodle with sweet coconut milk and black sticky rice

Coconut Creme Caramel – Coconut and lemongrass custard, mango puree, and a basil and honey tuile

Circles [f8b8z]

Bistrot La Minette [f8b8z]