Tatonka's Globetrotter Cuisine

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Outside the Laguna entrance, German chef Harold Schwarz is embarking on an international culinary odyssey, but one of a completely different nature. At his Tatonka restaurant, Harold is pioneering what he calls "nomad" or "globetrotter" cuisine. Harold established Tatonka 5 years ago after a career spanning 17 different hotels in 8 different countries. The restaurant has long had an enthusiastic local following of people who come to join Harold on his culinary adventure, knowing that they will be rewarded at every visit.

"Fusion food" has been feted, celebrated, over-used and disen-franchised over the years. Although he wouldn't use the term himself, Harold brings it right back to its roots - he creates perfectly balanced dishes using only fresh local produce incorporating the best influences from his extensive career. Subtlety of flavour, design and presentation are very much his key features.

To start with, my companion and I shared a mixed tapas plate. Here, all the signature touches that would be with us for the rest of meal were present - the Sashimi Tuna Spring Rolls were light and refreshing, with Dijon miso sauce adding an edge. The California Crabcakes were delicately spiced and lightly fried. The Chicken Quessidilas were well complemented by an invigorating salsa, and the Eggplant Cookies with marinated Chaing Mai Goat's Cheese and Sundried Tomatoes were intricately constructed towers of taste.

For the second course we opted to share a Midi Pizza. This featured a light crusty base topped with red onion comfit, aubergine, feta cheese, holy basil and salad greens. With this dish, Harold has succeeded in taking the everyday - what could be more ubiquitous than pizza? - and elevating it to new heights. The comfit provided a rich sweet caramelized base with the greens and basil a sharp counterpoint. We both agreed it was the healthiest tasting pizza we'd ever eaten.

My companion had the Pollo Ranchero - blackened chicken with sweet potato mash and carrot-jicama salad for a main course, and I went for Kapuala Pig - pork medallions encrusted with cashew nuts, honey and thyme and served with gingered sweet potato and star anise sauce. Both were flavoursome and tender, and the different sweet potato dishes perfectly accented the individual flavours of the meat.

A break was in order at this stage - time to relax with another glass of buttery Matua Valley Sauvignon Blanc (a bargain at 850 baht a bottle) and take in the surroundings. Tatonka means buffalo in Native American, and Harold has chosen the nomadic hunter-gatherers as the symbolic representation of his cuisine. This is also reflected in the decor - the walls are adorned with cave paintings, while bamboo and canvas predominate in the outdoor eating area, creating a tepee ambience. Judicious use of reds and oranges in the colour scheme contribute to an earthy and relaxing atmosphere.

For dessert, Harold's home country influence was present in my Sweet Samosas - caramelized pineapple baked in strudel pastry with chocolate-chip ice cream. The light and crispy pastry and sweet, sticky pineapple created a wintry, almost Christmassy, taste that was utterly mouth-watering. My companion's Cool Coffee - chilled mocha with coffee and vanilla ice cream, Kahlua and whipped cream proved equally sumptuous. Immensely satisfied, we left already looking forward to whatever Harold might dazzle us with on our next visit.

Tatonka Restaurant
Tel. 076 324 349

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