Red curry crab with egg and other signature Thai dishes are served at Pak Pak. Photos: Wang Shan/GT

The latest installment of the Global Times Diplomats' Food Tour kicked off at Pak Pak Thai Kitchen & Bar near The Place in Chaoyang district on October 19. The restaurant has gained fame for serving authentic Thai dishes, catering not just to the Thai community, but also to local and international customers.

Although the chef at the restaurant, Tang Wen'gang, is not Thai, he has had more than a decade of experience of cooking in Thailand. Therefore, Pak Pak is able to serve their customers authentic Thai food.

Joining the tour was Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission of the Thai Embassy Ureerat Ratanaprukse and First Secretary of the Thai Embassy Manika Mekprayoonthong, along with Minister and Consul General of the Argentinean Embassy Marcos Bidal D'Asfeld and Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission of the Nepalese Embassy Nirmal Raj Kafle. Pak Pak was very familiar to some of the diplomats, but for others, it was the first time they had dined there.

Twelve dishes were served, including shrimp cakes with sweet and sour sauce, Northeastern style sausage with pickles and herbs, shrimp and mango salad, Bangkok street-style green papaya salad, steamed bass in chili and lime broth, and red curry crab with egg. Cui Xin, sales and marketing director of Pak Pak Thai Kitchen & Bar, accompanied the guests for dinner.

The Diplomats' Food Tour is a platform for diplomats to make new friends and meet their counterparts while enjoying good food and food culture. All participating diplomats were from different embassies. After the event, they were all content with their exclusive experience.

"The cold dishes made of raw papaya and ripe mangos were mouthwatering, and are probably some of the few best starters in the culinary world," Kafle said. "I love the way the rice decorated the inside of a hallowed out pineapple and was served with cashew nuts."

The homemade dessert was particularly impressive to the diplomats. The chef creatively used pepper and chocolate to make a spicy cake. Kafle said eating the cake was exciting.

Ratanaprukse has been to this restaurant before and still found the meal impressive. "Being Thai, I am impressed with Pak Pak, a Thai restaurant in Beijing, owned and managed by a non-Thai chef," she said.

"I'm especially impressed by the decor and the menu, which reflects knowledge of Thai culture and cuisine," Ratanaprukse said.