Last Missing element to Thai food is served at a Las Vegas Restaurant.
KungFu Plaza, a Las Vegas Restaurants serving Thai food and Chinese food, has finally announced that a new Distilled Spirit from Thailand has become available in the United States, and that they are finally introducing “Mekhong” a Thai whiskey well known throughout Southeast Asia, that will greatly enhance diners experience and improve their enjoyment of Thai food.
Patrons of KungFu Plaza will be able to start ordering New Exotic drinks like “Khing Khong”, “Burning Love”, “Meh-Jito”, “Sweet-Solada”, or “Sabai Sabai”, to name a few, that were created by bartenders throughout the United States, using “Mekhong” a spirit named after one of the world’s major rivers. Starting from the Tibetan Plateau, Mekhong runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Thai Distilled Spirit Mekhong
The original recipe has been kept secret since 1941, when it was first introduced in Siam, present-day Thailand. Made mostly from indigenous sugar canes, rice, Thai herbs and spices, Mekhong has a distinctively rounder texture, a delightful aroma with a smooth and balanced taste compared to other spirits. The flavor is both spicy and sweet, with hints of ginger, honey, toffee, vanilla, floral, herbs and citrus. At a 35% alcohol by volume it’s an ideal spirit for mixing flavorful tropical infused cocktails.
Imported by International Beverage, Mekhong was given to trendy bartenders throughout the East coast, in an effort to concoct exotic tropical cocktails more suited to western taste buds.
Some of the more famous drinks created by “The Back Room in New York City”, is called “The Red Light District”, and has 1.5oz of Mekhong-.5oz fresh lemon juice-1.0oz Strawberry Liquor-1 fresh Strawberry-a red chili pepper. “Bangkok Bang”, created by Coco Asian Bistro & Bar in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, uses 1.5oz Mekhong-Slice of Mango-a Lime wheel slice-2 mint leaves-7up/Sprite.
Mr. Wong, founder of Kung Fu Plaza, has been waiting for this day, ever since we first started serving the best Thai food in Las Vegas back in 1973. Until now, beer was the preferred choice when pairing drinks to Thai Food¹, although there are many good Western Spirits on the market, none are made to complement the curries, mints and spices, which are prevalent in the ingredients of Thai food. “Most Spirits, like Jack Daniels, or Johnny Walker Black Label are made for meat and potato dinners. It always taste like something’s missing when we have Crown Royal with our Curries, instead of complementing the meal it seems to be contradicting each other in terms of after taste”. “Now we can finally put down the rich fiery taste of Thai food like it was meant to be put down, with a Khing Khong, an ounce of Mekhong with Coke.”
To see more cocktail recipes with Mekhong, visit http://www.thespiritofthailand.com. Mekhong is imported by International Beverage Holdings Ltd USA and is headquartered at 275 Madison Ave Suite 1718. New York, NY 10016. For more information, call 01-646-896-3809
To review a menu consisting of more than 800 Thai food and Chinese food dishes, visit http://www.kungfuplaza.com. Kung Fu Plaza delivers within a five-mile radius, which also includes the resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and is located at 3505 S. Valley View Blvd., which is just west of the Fashion Show Mall on the Las Vegas Strip. For more information, inquires, or to make reservations, call 702-247-4120.
Founded in 1973, Kung Fu Plaza is the oldest and most authentic Chinese food-Thai food restaurants in Las Vegas. We’re open everyday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Our average entree is under $10 and most of our guest prefer to order and dine family style.
¹ About.com Guide to Thai Food
Cocktail tools for mixing drinks with Mekhong Thai Distilled Spirit
More Mekhong recipes from Bartenders throughout the United States.
> Burning Love @ Elizabeth in NYC
>
> 2 oz Mekhong Thai Spirit
> ½ oz burnt Drambuie
> 1 oz simple syrup
> ½ oz lemon juice
> ½ oz lime juice
> Peychaud’s bitters
> Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate bitters
> Garnish with a saddled red tulip bulb
>
> Combine all ingredients in a tall mixing tin, including the bitters,
> excluding the Drambuie, shake vigorously and set aside. Pour ½ oz
> Drambuie in a doubled mini tin and ignite with a match or lighter. (A
> match is preferable to avoid gas expose. A doubled mini tin is important
> to protect the hands against heat.) Pour ignited Drambuie directly from
> the mini tins into a coup or cocktail glass. The spirit should remain
> aflame inside the glass. Briefly re-shake and Hawthorn strain cold
> mixture on top of flaming Drambuie, dousing the flames. Garnish with a
> saddled red tulip bulb.
>
>
> Red Light District @ The Back Room in NYC:
>
> 1 1/2 oz. Mekhong Thai Spirit
> 1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
> 1 oz. simple syrup
> 1 oz. strawberry liquor
> 1 large fresh strawberry
> 1 medium red chili pepper
>
> Muddle fresh strawberry and red chili pepper. Combine in shaker with
> Mekhong, strawberry liquor, lemon juice and simple syrup and shake
> vigorously. Pour over large ice cubes in teacup or short glass. Option
> to garnish with a fresh strawberry.
>
> Mekhong Southern Thai Swizzle
> John Freeman, the head bartender at Elizabeth in Manhattan, plays on
> Mekhong’s kinship with rum by making it the basis of a Caribbean-style
> Swizzle.
>
> 1 oz. Mekhong
> 1 oz. Velvet Falernum
> 1 oz. fresh lime juice
> 1 oz. simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water)
> 2 dashes Fee Bros. peach bitters
> 2 dashes Fee Bros. Aztec chocolate bitters
> Ice crushed
> Tools: shaker, strainer, swizzle stick or bar spoon
> Glass: highball
> Garnish: You could use a lime wedge, peach skin twist, or chocolate
> candy stick.
>
> Combine Mekhong, falernum, lime juice and syrup with ice and shake.
> Strain contents into a glass filled with finely crushed ice. Aerate the
> cocktail in the highball glass by swiftly rotating a swizzle stick or a
> barspoon between the palms of the hands. Add bitters and stir to mix.
>
>
> Bangkok Bang (Created by Coco Asian Bistro & Bar, 1841 Cordova Road,
> Fort Lauderdale)
>
> 1 1/2 shots Mekhong
> 1 large slice of mango
> 1 lime wheel slice
> 2 mint leaves
> Sprite/7 up
>
> Directions: muddle mango and mix in shaker with Mekhong, Sprite/7 up and
> mint leaves, shake and pour into Collins glass filled with ice. Garnish
> with lime wheel and serve with a straw.
>
> Mekhong Mule, Koh Samui & The Monkey,San Francisco
>
> This riff on the classic, vodka-based Moscow Mule was invented by Max
> Johnson and Raffy Swangchaeng, bartenders at the Thai restaurant Koh
> Samui & The Monkey in San Francisco. It uses Domaine de Canton ginger
> liqueur instead of
> ginger beer.
>
> 1 1/2 oz. Mekhong
> 1 oz. Creme de Cassis
> 1/2 oz. Domaine de Canton
> Juice of a half a lemon
> 2 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters No. 6
> ice cubes
> Tools: shaker, strainer, mix glass and high ball glass
> Garnish: lemon slice and cucumber slice on a skewer
>
> INSTRUCTIONS
> Mix Mekhong, Creme de Cassis, Domaine de Canton, lemon juice and Regan’s
> Orange
> Bitters in mixing glass with ice cubes and shake. Strain contents into a
> new glass filled with ice cubes. Garnish with lemon slice and cucumber
> slice on a skewer.
>
>
> Bangkok Buck, Freemans, New York City
>
> Bangkok Buck
> This drink, created by Yana Volfson, has proved to be one of the most
> popular drinks at Manhattan’s trendy Freemans.
>
> 2 oz. Mekhong
> A small, fresh ginger root peeled and cut into small pieces
> 1 1/2 oz. fresh pineapple juice
> 1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
> small ice cubes
> Tools: muddler, shaker, strainer, bar spoon
> Glass: highball
> Garnish: TK drops of Angostura bitters
>
> Muddle peeled cut up ginger, add Mekhong and shake vigorously small ice
> cubes. Strain into ice cube filled glass. Stir in pineapple and lime
> juices and garnish.
>
> Yana Volfson, Freemans, New York City
>
> Meh-jito
>
> 2 shots Mekhong
> 1 ½ shots Fresh squeezed Lime Juice
> 3 bar spoons of sugar
> Finger pinch of fresh mint leaves
> 3 Thumbnail size pieces of Fresh Ginger root
> Club Soda
>
>
> Directions: Muddle Ginger, mint and sugar in a Collins Glass. Add
> */Mekhong/* and lime juice. Add ice and cover with a shaker tin. Shake
> briefly and vigorously. Top off with Club Soda and a dash of Bitters.
> Serve long with a straw.
>
>
> Bangkok
>
> 3 shots Mekhong
> 1 shot sweet (Italian) Vermouth
> ¾ shot Benedictine
> Orange twist
>
> Directions: Pour Mekhong and the rest of the ingredients into a mixing
> glass. Add ice and stir for 35-40 revolutions. Strain into a chilled
> martini-cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
>
> Based on the Manhattan
>
> Thailand Daiquiri
>
> 1 ½ shots Mekhong
> ¾ shots Fresh squeezed lime juice
> ¾ shots Maraschino Liqueur
> ½ shots Passion fruit puree
>
> Directions: Pour Mekhong and the rest of the ingredients into a mixing
> glass. Add Ice and shake vigorously for 7-8 seconds. Strain into a
> chilled martini-cocktail glass. Garnish with half orange wheel and a
> cherry.
>
> Based on the Daiquiri
>
>
> Sweet Solada
> 2 shots Mekhong
> 1 ½ shots Coconut puree
> 1 shot Pineapple puree
> ½ shot Fresh squeezed Lime Juice
> Crushed ice
>
> Directions: Pour Mekhong and the rest of the ingredients into a mixing
> glass. Add Ice and shake vigorously for 7-8 seconds. Strain into a
> balloon glass over crushed ice and garnish with a pineapple spear,
> orange, cherry and pineapple leaves.
>
> Based on the Pina Colada
>
> Lime and Pear Panya
>
> 2 shots Mekhong
> ¾ shot fresh squeezed Lime Juice
> ½ shot Elderflower cordial
> 1 bar spoon of sugar
> ¼ fresh pear cut lengthwise
> 3 thumbnail sized slices of fresh ginger root
> ½ Kaffir lime leaf
>
> Directions: In a mixing glass muddle the pear, ginger and sugar into a
> paste. Add Mekhong and the rest of the ingredients. Add Ice and shake
> vigorously for 7-8 seconds. Strain into a rock glass over ice. Garnish
> with torn Kaffir lime leaf.
>
> Fruit Tasanee
>
> 2 shots Mekhong
> 1 shot Fresh squeezed Lime Juice
> 1 shot Cointreau
> Cucumber wheels
> Seasonal Thai fruits (watermelon, tangerine, pomelo, longan etc.)
> Ginger ale
>
> Directions: Combine Mekhong, Cointreau, lime juice, mint, fruits and
> cucumber in a Collins Glass. Add Ice and cover with a shaker tin. Shake
> briefly and vigorously. Top of with Ginger Ale. Serve long with a straw.
