'The Walking Fed': A Week of Decadence -Day 1 Lunch

I spent a week in Denver with my college friend Pi, who is a renown Chef in the Denver/Boulder area. His restaurant was called The Elephant Hut; currently, he is in the midst of building a new restaurant in the heart of Denver. In the meantime, he had invited me to come over and had planned a truly glorious (gluttonous) feast of which I am still recovering from to this day.  I'm posting the highlights of this culinary journey (*burp*) with the hope of conveying to you my most memorable foodie trip of the year.

As I arrived just in time for a light Lunch, Pi had prepared a Green and Red Papaya Salad...with only one Chili, (just for me cuz seriously, in Thai Cuisine the prevailing preference is 'nuclear'...please pronounce it a la former President Bush - 'newkular').  Normally I shy away from this dish; it just does't come in 'mild'.  But with Pi at the helm, this Chef is spoiling me to the point of no return. 

With the crunch of thinly shaved Papaya, the citrus acid notes, the sweetness of Palm Sugar and the sharp bite of Bird Pepper Chili, this salad incorporates every taste sensation in each bite.  Full of refreshing yet almost hearty flavors, it was at that moment that I decided that I would build my tolerance for the spicier foods in order to open the door to wider range of dishes.  Which also means I'll bringing a towel with me wherever I eat...whatever, who said you had to look pretty while you eat (*belch*). Yeah...definitely not me.

Bu I've gotten ahead of myself as the Papaya Salad was only one of three highlights; a beautifully seared Black Pepper Ahi Tuna Steak, sliced and arranged in a rosebud was served as the protein for the trio dish and the finish, a Micro Green Salad.

I would have eaten several of these dishes in a second, the Tuna was the perfect ratio of sear to raw, (as good quality Tuna should always be served Sashimi style) and the sauce paired perfectly with its protein; a light Soy Citrus blend that adds a robustness to the dish rather than trying to mask its 'piscine' essence.

It was a melodic foray into what would be five days of non-stop foodie madness.  Oddly, I have never consumed so much Seafood in such a short time period, (in Denver no less)  but leave it to Pi to have the best in town.  There's a lot of Meat too so look out for the series, 'The Walking Fed'!