Columnist Muriel Stevens: Gourmets meet, greet and eat in South Africa

Friday, June 9, 2000 | 9:30 a.m.

Muriel Stevens' dining column appears Fridays. Her shopping column appears Wednesdays. Reach her at muriel@lasvegassun.com or 259-4080.

The posh Cape Grace Hotel in Cape Town, South Africa, was the setting for the recent MasterCard Cape Gourmet Festival, South Africa's premier food and wine event.

Fashioned after the well-established St. Moritz Gourmet Festival, notable chefs are invited not to compete but to participate in a week filled with fine dining. The three American chefs who participated, Jean-Louis Palladin (Napa at the Rio), Grant MacPherson (executive chef at Bellagio) and Michael Ginor (Hudson Valley foie gras), won raves for the dinners they created and cooked.

These talented culinarians "make up one of the finest teams the United States has ever produced," said the Festival organizers. Assisting the team were Bellagio's buffet chef Ewart Wardhough and Napa cook John Zamarchi.

The dinners they cooked ranged from a four-course "gourmet" feast to a "sexy" seven-course meal that showcased oatmeal-crusted rack of Karoo lamb to a five-course vegetarian feast to the Maserati Grande Finale that featured six, stunning courses. In addition to the intrepid American trio, the final grand repast included courses by chefs from Australia, Holland, France and England.

No, I wasn't there, but Grant was kind enough to share his experiences and the menus.

Did they have a good time? "Outstanding," Grant said. In spite of 18-hour, nonstop work days in the kitchen, the group managed to pose for the humorous photo with this story and to go on a memorable safari. They also spent one day deep-sea fishing.

They caught 23 10-pound barracudas, which they brought back to the hotel for the staff. Barracuda can be grilled or cooked in banana leaves, Asian style. Not all barracuda are safe to eat, but these fellows know the rules so the fish must have been OK.

In spite of the distance traveled, these fearless foodies all said they would return.

Lotus of Siam reborn: Had it not been for Border Grill owners Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger I would probably have not gone back to Lotus of Siam Thai restaurant in Commercial Center. When Lotus first opened I was one of its biggest fans -- until the original owner sold it. After two more changes of ownership, each worse than the previous one, I gave up.

Had it not been for Sue and Mary Sue I would not have known that the newest owners moved here from Northridge, Calif., where they owned the nationally acclaimed Renu Nakorn. Last year they bought Lotus and kept the name, so who knew what glorious Thai food was now being served here.

Owners Saipin "Dang" and Bill Chutima are a personable pair. She's the shyer of the two and speaks limited English, but her cooking speaks a language of its own; he's the delightful front man who can explain each dish. It's a perfect combination.

"Dang" cooks the dishes of Issan, the northeastern region of Thailand (on the border of Laos). And while it tends to be hotter, the chef will temper it to your taste. Her touch is perfect.

My friends ordered all of their favorite foods and I willingly went along. What a feast. We devoured marinated beef jerky (nua dad deaw) crisp, yet tender, served with a zesty dipping sauce, and a crispy rice and sour sausage appetizer (nam kao tod) that was mixed with green onions, fresh chili, ginger, peanuts and lime juice. The description barely did it justice. The sausage was delicate and flavorful.

A salad of green papaya and another that had pieces of crispy fried catfish were outstanding. The green papaya is addictive. Salmon Panang was super. The charbroiled portion generous, the cognac-enhanced, creamy curry sauce, divine. With our food we ate long grain sticky rice that was served in tall, individual bamboo steamers. I'm mad about this rice. We also ate a tofu dish that is not on the menu.

I couldn't wait to return, which I did a few nights later. It was just as I remembered, superb. With just one friend as dining companion we couldn't order as many dishes, but we did add a fragrant yellow curry, also wonderful. Bill travels to Los Angeles weekly for the special foods that are not available here. The Chutimas will serve only the freshest and best ingredients. The dessert one night was a pudding made from the special sticky rice.

It was topped with dairy-free coconut ice cream made from three different kinds of coconuts. It is flown in from Thailand and is unlike any other coconut ice cream I've ever tasted. Lotus of Siam has become a place for discovering Thai dishes unlike any ever served here before. The exceptional food is moderately priced. We are fortunate to have such exciting and different Thai cuisine along with more familiar dishes. An expanded lunch buffet is available along with the regular menu Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; dinner is served nightly, 5-9:30 p.m. For reservations call 735-3033.

Bones: The Rib Joint opens: Oh, dem bones, dem bones, dem Rib Joint bones! The grand opening party hosted by Marilyn Moran and Suzanne Kloud for Nicholas Nickolas new Bones: The Rib Joint at the Orleans was a super bash. Bones Chef Dan Drayer was in his glory creating excellent barbecue sauces and zesty rubs for the various meats. The sampler plates we were served included beef and pork ribs, barbecued brisket and chicken, corn pudding, Dan's beans, and homemade biscuits. All that was missing was honey for the biscuits. Big menu, big flavors, good grub. Dinner nightly from 5 p.m.