A little bit of France

Lesson by Kaj Jordison

See “Gallic charms”, Real.Time, page 12

This is my first lesson on a Friday, and I thought that I would start out with a piece about a new restaurant in Lang Suan. Just reading the review, written by Brian Kent, awakes the taste buds.

   The story is fairly long, but not necessarily too complicated. A reading tip is to avoid spending too much time trying to figure out the many dishes that are served, but to focus on the gist of the story. Of course, the food served is the essence of a restaurant and is central to a story about it. However, as an English lesson based on a review, you should pay the most attention to the vocabulary and phrases surrounding and describing the dishes and the eatery.

   What makes the story really interesting, at least to me, is the person behind the new restaurant, Mr. Jai Lafon, and the way he has set up the place. He arrived in Thailand all the way from Europe, where he studied in a culinary college, and still managed to create a nice little romantic piece of France in the middle of busy Bangkok.

   It’s always nice to read and hear about people that have followed their dreams and made them come true. Read the story by the aid of the vocabulary list, and then try to answer the True/False questions in the reading activity written below.

Vocabulary

Gallic – relating to France, its people, culture or language
awake the taste buds – make someone feel hungry and ready for a delicious meal
essence – the quality or nature of something that identifies it or makes it what it is
gist – the general meaning
culinary college – a college relating to mainly food or cooking
creditable – bringing credit, or worthy of praise
conjure – to make something appear, usually through some kind of magic trick
inherited – received a characteristic or quality from a parent
cuisines – cooking styles
apprenticeship – to be a beginner in something, but willing to learn
bistro-style – a small restaurant or bar
premises – a piece of land and the buildings standing on it
carried out – made something happen
clapboard house – a wooden house
gleams – shines brightly
interior – the inside of something
upholstered – fit a piece of furniture such as a chair or couch with stuffing, cushions, fabric and other materials
disclose – to show something that has usually been kept a secret
characteristically – a feature or quality that makes somebody or something recognizable
affordable – not too expensive to buy
sensible – showing good sense; demonstrating sound judgment
carafe – container for serving drinks
internal organs – organs that are located on the inside of the body
charcuterie – cold cooked meats
savoury – having an appetizing taste or smell
sautéed – cooked food quickly and lightly in a little butter, oil, or fat
deglazed – dissolved fragments remaining in a frying or roasting pan by heating them and adding a liquid so as to make a sauce
similar – almost the same
blend – mix
texture – the feel, appearance and character of something, usually a substance
moist – slightly wet
julienne vegetables – vegetables cut into long, thin strips
courgettes – zucchini
reduction – a sauce that has been thickened by boiling off some of the liquid
smoothness – nice and pleasant; not tasting sharp
opted – chose
intrude – to be an unwelcome presence in something (here in food)
gentle strains – a mild and kind theme of music
wistful nostalgia – deep in somewhat sad thoughts about the past
stodgy – unimaginative
rendezvous – an arranged meeting 
evoking fond memories– bringing to mind good and pleasant memories and feelings from the past
preserved – stored food (in such a way that it doesn’t get old quickly)
salamander – portable stove
parboiled – boiled something until it is partly cooked, usually before frying or roasting it
ancient – very old
originated – begun or developed somewhere from something
equidistant – situated at the same distance from two or more places or points

Reading activity

Below are ten True/False questions about the text. Try to answer them first without consulting the newspaper. If memory isn’t enough, go through the story one more time and scan the text for the answers.

1. Jai Lafon studied at a special college about foods.
2. Jai opened a restaurant before his friend did.
3. It was easy for Jai to find a good location for his restaurant.
4. The French dishes served are very expensive.
5. There is a lot of country-style cooking on the menu.
6. The writer’s main choice was fish.
7. The writer’s companion ordered the goose liver.
8. Mainly Thai music was played in the restaurant.
9. The dessert they ordered is an ancient French dish.
10. It’s much easier to get to the restaurant from Soi Tonson than Lang Suan.

Extra activity

All of the dishes served in the story are more western than Thai, and might be brand new to many readers. So, as an extra activity, read the text one more time and try to recreate the menu the two customers went through. Once you have all the dishes on paper, search on the internet to find out what they really are. Do they look tasty to you? Would you pay what the writers paid for the same kind of food?

   If your don’t have access to the internet, then, as an extra activity in class, imagine that you are the owner of your own restaurant, and write a personalised menu – compare in class and note differences and similarities.

Posted by Terry Fredrickson at 09:21 AM