A dietitian’s dream menu at three ethnic restaurants

By Kim Galeaz

Dining with my handsome husband is always a joy. Add my esteemed editor and it’s downright delightful. But after eating lunch with them recently at Saffron Cafe, I realized it’s frustrating, too.

It’s frustrating because they’re both on the “see-food” diet. You know, when you eat food just because you see it. It’s just sitting there on the table in a bowl, in a basket or on your plate. It’s tempting you….making you feel compelled to eat every last morsel and crumb just because it’s there. Sort of like an adult version of the clean plate club.

Most people on the see-food diet also tend to eat really, really fast, too. Bill (the editor) and Jeff (the husband) devoured their lunches in record time. A few days later, at Naisa Pan Asian Café, Bill finished his dinner long before his partner, Jeannie; her long-time friend, DeeDee, and I had even put a dent in ours. And recently, when I joined Bill and Jeannie at Siam Square for lunch, I realized Jeannie and I were doing most the talking while Bill’s meal magically disappeared. For the record: he did share a few bites with us.

No doubt about it – portion control, moderation and pacing yourself are just as important as those healthy choices you make when eating out. Sure, it’s easier to find a greater number of healthful choices at certain types of restaurants more than others. Like Saffron Café, Naisa Pan Asian Café and Siam Square, for example. Their menus are filled with lots of vegetables, lean proteins and antioxidant-rich spices. Oh, and delectable desserts, too. A dietitian’s dream menu.

Join me for some global travel and culinary excitement….right here in our own downtown neighborhoods!

Saffron Cafe

As we were leaving Saffron Café, Jeff  proclaimed his lunch to be “one of the best dining experiences I’ve had in a long time.” It wasn’t just the unique food combinations, he explained. It was everything – the food, aroma, authentic Moroccan music, even the décor. I agreed, but what I really liked was the prevalence of vegetables and other nutrient-rich foods on the menu.

At Saffron Cafe, the author sampled the Moroccan Honey Chicken Tajine.

When I mentioned this, of course, Jeff smugly reminded me that he had eaten all his vegetable servings for the day and didn’t have to eat any until tomorrow. He had ordered the Kafta Tajine. Tajines are traditional Moroccan stews slow cooked in decorative conical ceramic pots for which they’re named. The lid captures the steam and juices from all the simmering ingredients and creates a flavorful sauce. Kafta is seasoned beef – mixed with nearly 17 herbs and spices, according to chef-owner Anass Sentissi – and this tajine also featured an abundance of peas, potatoes and scrambled-like eggs as well. Peas and potatoes make a comforting, delicious combination and both are nutrient and antioxidant-rich vegetables. Yes, I know they are “starchy” vegetables, but that just means they’re classed differently and contain more calories than most other vegetables like green beans or broccoli. Jeff probably ate the equivalent of two cups of vegetables in his Kafta Tajine, which meant he still needed 1½ cups to reach his daily allotment of 3½ cups. He wasn’t off the hook.

Bill opted for a dose of heart-healthy and brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids with Fish Kabbabs (aka “kabobs”). This hefty portion of seasoned and grilled fish chunks was actually four different fish – halibut, swordfish, mahi mahi and sea bass – and served with charmoula. Charmoula is a marinade, or mixture, of spices, herbs, lemon juice, pickled lemon and oil used to season fish and meats in Moroccan cuisine. Bill’s kabbabs were surrounded by a huge portion of cooked fresh vegetables – broccoli, zucchini and carrots. Talk about immune-boosting antioxidants. The vegetables were cooked just to al dente, instead of the usual mushy, which meant they retained more of their nutrients. An ample portion of saffron-infused couscous provided complex carbohydrates to round out Bill’s lean dish. Traditionally, couscous is the refined variety, but whole wheat couscous is readily available in supermarkets today. I tend to be a little over-eager about whole grains and need to remind myself that only half your grains every day need to be whole. If you’ve ever been curious about couscous, it’s basically semolina (durum wheat) that is more coarsely ground than normal wheat flours.

The saffron used to season the couscous and so many other traditional Moroccan dishes is literally the world’s most expensive spice. Luckily though, a little goes a long way. Saffron is actually the yellow-orange stigmas from a small purple crocus. Each crocus flower provides only three stigmas, which must be hand-picked and then dried, a very labor-intensive process justifying the high price. Oh, for you math geeks out there, it takes over 14,000 of these tiny stigmas for each ounce of saffron. Yes, ounce. One ounce is less weight than a slice of bread.

Bill and Jeff were thrilled their dishes contained saffron once they heard Chef Anass explain it was believed to provide medicinal qualities in Moroccan culture. Jeff was just getting over a bad bout of bronchitis and Bill still had a lingering cold. They were hoping the saffron would work its magic. Don’t laugh – this actually has merit because one of the emerging areas of scientific study is with spices and their resulting health benefits. Did you know that one teaspoon of cinnamon contains as many disease-fighting antioxidants as a half-cup of blueberries? There’s even a website “Spices for Health,” listing seven super spices filled with antioxidants. If saffron weren’t so pricy, you never know, it may have made the list. Okay, okay. I’ll alleviate the suspense about the super seven: cinnamon, ginger, thyme, oregano, yellow curry, rosemary and red peppers.

I ended up with a double dose of antioxidants, since I selected the Moroccan Honey Chicken Tajine spiced with cinnamon in a saffron sauce. This satisfyingly sweet dish included a quarter chicken with pear halves, apricots and prunes (oops, I mean dried plums – prunes with a makeover). In case your head is spinning that a dietitian would order a quarter chicken, with the skin on, no less, let me remind you that everything, and I mean everything, is okay in moderation. Yes, the majority of total fat and saturated fat is in the skin, but when you only eat chicken skin once or twice a year, it hardly matters. And boy is it good.

It’s a wonder that any of us could eat our entrees because we did have an appetizer, the Antipasto Plate. No, actually “they” had the appetizer. I nibbled a couple bites of everything for tasting purposes and spent most my time talking with Chef Anass. My ulterior motive, though, was to save calories for dessert. So while I talked and nibbled, they devoured every last smidgen of hummus, zaalouk and bakoula with pita bread wedges. Good thing each item is packed with good-for-you nutrients and super food ingredients. Hummus has the spices, garlic, chickpeas and sesame seeds. Zaalouk is an eggplant spread, made with roasted eggplant and herbs and spices like parsley, cumin, garlic, Spanish paprika and cilantro. Bakoula is a spinach spread made with similar spices as the zaalouk and spinach leaves.

Ah, dessert time. We could not decide, so I made the decision for us: all three. That’s right, the homemade tiramisu, baklava and a mascarpone cheesecake. Besides, Chef Anass claims his homemade tiramisu is the “best in town.” I make a fantastic tiramisu myself – Jeff will tell you that – and I was curious about this “best” billing. Jeff decided it was, but made sure I knew mine is “really, really good” and suggested I add egg yolks like Chef Anass does.

The baklava was my favorite, though. Typically I wouldn’t go for it, since it always ends up being this gooey, sickeningly rich and sweet blob of honey with phyllo dough and hardly any nuts. But this baklava was truly outstanding, with just the right blend of butter-drenched, yet crisp, phyllo dough, honey spiced syrup, an incredible blend of pistachios and almonds and a cinnamon topping. Calorie-dense for sure, but balanced with a hefty serving of antioxidants from the nuts and cinnamon.

Naisa Pan Asian Cafe

The first thing I noticed on the menu at this restaurant which blends the cuisines of Thailand, China, Japan, Malaysa,

Our dining party was able to order a variety of items – some healthier than others – at Naisa Pan Asian Cafe, located on Virginia Avenue in Fountain Square.

Korea and Vietnam was the Chicken Velvet Corn Soup. Assuming it was the decadent, cream-based Hoosier version made famous at the old L.S. Ayres Tea Room, I figured Pan Asian Café owner Christina Hsu was capitalizing on one of the top ten food trends for 2009: comfort foods. I have to admit, I didn’t even think corn was indigenous to China. But Christina set me straight, explaining that this version of chicken velvet soup is broth-based and yes, they do indeed grow corn in China. Some resources rank China as second for world corn production.

So go ahead and start your meal with chicken velvet corn, wonton or hot and sour soup, because all broth-based soups are lower-fat options compared to cream-based. Even egg drop soup – made with eggs and chicken broth – contains far less fat and calories than any cream soup.

Other Naisa meal starters that keep fat and calories under control include chicken satay, wontons and steamed (instead of pan-fried) dumplings. Bill, Jeannie, DeeDee and I ordered the more healthful Steamed Veggie Dumplings which we hoped would cancel out the Veggie Spring Rolls. Spring and egg rolls may contain veggies like celery, carrots, Chinese cabbage and mushrooms, but they’re fried, and we’re all watching our fried food intake, aren’t we?

Not the four of us apparently, because we devoured the entire basket of Golden Fried Wonton Skins placed on our table when we arrived. Yes, those fried morsels are tasty and come with homemade dipping sauces, like duck sauce and spicy mustard. Dividing the basket between four is certainly a very balanced way to enjoy fried wonton skins. But munching on too many can lead to the Bread Basket Blues: the syndrome of getting so full on bread, breadsticks, tortilla chips or fried wonton skins beforehand that when your dinner actually arrives, you can barely put a dent in it.

Of course Bill made an impressive dent in his entrée, Tangerine Shrimp, in spite of the fact it was breaded/battered shrimp as opposed to lighter, lower fat entrees with sautéed meat, poultry or fish. I complimented him on his choice nevertheless, because I’m an optimistic dietitian and would rather highlight the positive, which in this case was an abundance of fiber and antioxidant-rich fresh carrots and snow pea pods along with vitamin C-filled strips of tangerine and powerful disease-fighting phytonutrients from red chilies.

Jeannie, DeeDee and I all commented that our dishes were big enough for two meals. I call that a 2-for-1 special: eat some at dinner; enjoy the remainder for lunch tomorrow. That’s exactly what DeeDee did with her Stir Fried Rice Noodle Combo, a sautéed mixture of rice noodles and three meats (chicken, shrimp and pork) along with carrots and snow peas in a seasoned sauce. Her entrée qualified for the non-fried choice, since the meats weren’t battered and fried. Jeannie’s Honey Sesame Chicken, on the other hand, was a battered-fried entrée, but it included a broccoli garnish.

Most entrees come with white rice, but Bill and Jeannie asked for a substitution of veggie fried rice, which contained broccoli and a variety of other vegetables. Remember: when it comes to eating your veggies, every little bit adds up. Oh, and fried rice isn’t really as high fat as you’d think, not compared to typical fried food anyway. It has a little more fat than standard steamed rice because it’s cooked in the wok with a little oil.

Vegetarians will find plenty of choices at Naisa Pan Asian Café, like Garden Veggies Delight, Mo Po To Fu, To Fu Home Style or Triple Greens in Garlic Sauce. Triple greens?! Most people find it hard enough to eat one veggie, let alone three in one dish! With a blend of broccoli, snow pea pods and  string  beans in a spicy garlic sauce, it’s a dietitian’ s dream dish. I couldn’t decide between that and the To Fu Home Style. I’m definitely not vegetarian – steak is my number one favorite food – but when dining out I love to order tofu because restaurant chefs prepare it so wonderfully, as in lightly battered and lightly fried. This lends a wonderful texture and rich taste to the otherwise completely bland and tasteless soybean curd. Or erasers, as Bill likes to call tofu pieces. He was a trooper though, along with Jeannie and DeeDee, and tasted my tofu dish and admitted it was pretty good. I loved that it was chock-full of broccoli and snow pea pods. And I could substitute soft noodles for the rice, which made up for those baby corn ears. What is baby corn anyway? Where does it come from? I have never really understood it. It doesn’t seem like real corn at all to me in texture or taste. I don’t dislike baby corn, but I find it utterly annoying to chew.

I researched and discovered they’re a special corn plant, typically grown in Thailand and Taiwan and handpicked when very immature. So this explains why the entire cob can be eaten on these babies, as opposed to grown-up summer sweet corn. Regardless of size and contrary to popular belief, corn is nutrient-rich and helps maintain eye health and may also help reduce the risk of cancer.

Ah, time for dessert, my favorite. Just one option: Cinnamon Sugar Puffs with Honey Ginger Dipping Sauce. But that’s all you need anyway for an incredibly delicious, satisfying treat of fried sugar, fat and flour, plus antioxidants from the ginger and cinnamon. An order is eight puffs, plenty for a party of four. Everyone enjoys two. Except when I’m around: four for me, two for Bill, and one each for Jeannie and DeeDee. Whew. I was definitely glad I outdid Bill, because Christina told us most Asian men don’t eat sweets. She said if you’re male and over age 20 or 30, it’s like you’re eating “kid food.” I didn’t want Bill to feel less than manly.

Make sure you check the next time you’re at Naisa Pan Asian Café to see if Naisa Golden Sunrise, a traditional Asian “comfort food” dish, has made it on the menu. Christina served this simple, yet outstanding, tasty dish to us and we scooped up every last morsel. It was scrambled eggs with fresh tomatoes, salt, cooking wine and a little sugar and sesame oil. Eggs don’t get any better than that.

Siam Square

‘Locally grown” may not be listed on the menu at Siam Square in Fountain Place, but owner Ed Rudisell uses as much local produce as possible, from herbs to Thai and Chinese eggplant. In fact, many of the ingredients featured in Siam Square’s Thai dishes, including mint, Thai basil and chili peppers, are grown by his father on the south side of Indianapolis.

Siam Square’s Pad Ped comes in chicken, beef and pork varieties (this is features chicken), but dietitian Kim Galeaz opted instead for the tofu version.

Essential ingredients for Thai cuisine include coconut milk, chilies, fish sauce and spices and herbs like lemongrass and cilantro. Cilantro is that one herb which seems to elicit passionate responses from all. You either love it or hate it. There’s no in between. I love the refreshing, earthy flavor of cilantro, but just seeing it listed on a menu is enough to throw some people into a tailspin and cause immediate elimination of a particular dish.

Instead of automatic cilantro elimination, do what Jeannie did at Siam Square. She asked how the dish was prepared and whether the cilantro could be reduced or cut altogether. She wanted the Thom Kah Gai, a chicken soup with mushrooms, lime juice and coconut milk. Mostly the cilantro served as a garnish after the soup was ladled, so she could easily avoid it. I just ate all her cilantro when she offered a taste. My Thom Yum soup, however, required the cilantro to be stirred in during end stage preparation. But she and Bill were eager to taste this traditional Thai lemongrass soup with mushrooms, tomatoes, scallions and lemongrass, even though cilantro was present. We all agreed it was just the right amount, not overpowering at all.

Bill ordered spring rolls for his appetizer and these four “fried golden-brown” rolls were served with a tasty sweet chili sauce. Yes, spring rolls may be high fat and fried, but don’t forget my philosophy: absolutely any food is okay when enjoyed in moderation. What matters is how much and how often. And in this case, Bill shared them with me and Jeannie, so we all enjoyed a moderate amount. And besides, fried foods aren’t the only thing contributing fat to your diet when you visit a Thai restaurant. You might not realize that coconut milk is mostly fat content, with just a smidgen of protein and carbohydrate. For you trivia buffs, here’s a milk calorie/fat comparison:

1 cup low-fat 1% milk = 120 calories, 2.5 grams of fat

1 cup whole milk = 150 calories, 8 g fat

1 cup canned, light coconut milk = 130 calories, 11 g fat

1 cup canned coconut milk = 445 calories, 48 g fat

1 cup olive oil = 1910 calories, 216 g fat

I threw that cup of olive oil in there to help you put it in perspective (and keep you from freaking out.) Yes, traditional coconut milk is more calories and fat than regular milk, but the light version is fairly moderate and nothing is as extreme as oil. So go ahead and enjoy Thai dishes made with coconut milk. I trust you will balance it with vegetable-filled choices, completely feasible 99 percent of the time with Thai dishes. Like in the Bangkok Fried Rice that Bill ordered. It was filled with bell peppers, scallions and onions along with Thai basil and protein-rich egg and chicken.

Even Jeannie’s ubiquitous Pad Thai contained some veggies – scallions and bean sprouts – with the egg, chicken and rice noodles sprinkled with crushed peanuts. Just remember: absolutely all veggies are filled with their own mix of vitamins, minerals and natural phytonutrients to keep you healthy and every little amount counts. Oh, the Pad Thai had a reddish color to it that Jeannie and I hadn’t seen in other Pad Thai dishes. So I asked Ed what ingredient he used. Jeannie  and I will just have to figure it out on our own, because that’s Ed’s secret ingredient and what sets Siam Square’s delicious Pad u   u   Thai apart from others throughout Indy! I was still on my tofu kick, so I ordered the Pad Ped entrée with tofu rather than chicken, beef or pork. My dish was brimming with vegetables like green beans, bamboo shoots, bell peppers and the unusual and delicious Thai eggplant. Once again I shared my tofu with Bill and Jeannie and after their positive comments about the flavor; I suspect it won’t be very long until they turn into Flexitarians. No, not vegetarian (Bill loves his fried chicken too much). Flexitarian is a relatively new term for flexible eaters, basically savvy culinary adventurers enjoying both vegetarian/meatless and meat-filled meals.

Jeannie has been to Thailand, so while Bill consumed his meal in record time, she shared stories and interesting tidbits about her travels, and for my benefit, the food in particular. She described how foods in Thailand were often artistically served, like the rice being molded in animal shapes. Birthday candles in peppers that have been carved to look like flowers. Or carrots cut into butterfly shapes, almost like origami, the traditional Japanese art of paper folding. Don’t be disappointed when your rice isn’t some elaborate shape at Thai restaurants in this country, because trust me on this one: you would not want to pay the price that would accurately reflect the time and labor required. It’s cheaper to fly to Thailand and eat fabulous meals over there. Oh, and don’t expect “royal Thai food” either. Jeannie explained that kings were historically served different or more royal food than the common folk.

I even found out that Jeannie, the non-cook, received a Diploma of Thai Cooking and her specialty was dumplings! Jeannie also learned to love coconut and foods with coconut while in Thailand and I was extremely excited to hear this, because Jeff still clings to his coconut aversion. So if I have anything to say about it, our next budget-friendly trip will be Thailand.

Since dessert is essential in my book, we ordered a couple to share. Fried Bananas would have been the most nutrient-dense choice, but we’d all had that before and were most curious about the Roti Rolls and Thai Ice Cream with Sweet Rice. Ice cream flavors included Taro, Coconut and Mango and we decided to try the most traditional Thai flavor, coconut. A wonderful sweet treat, but it was outshined by the Roti Rolls. This dessert is basically an Asian flatbread pan-fried in butter then topped with Ed’s signature sweet spread (cream sauce with sugar) and rolled up. The menu describes it as “absolutely sinful.” This dietitian would add: “absolutely critical for maximum life enjoyment.” Good thing Bill and Jeannie let me have more than my one-third share.

Chatham Arch resident Kim Galeaz is a freelance food and nutrition writer, registered dietitian and consultant to the food and beverage industry. You can reach her at kim@kimgaleaz.com or in her kitchen, tweaking her Tiramisu recipe with egg yolks or creating her own version of Cinnamon Sugar Puffs or Roti Rolls.

Saffron Cafe

621 Fort Wayne Avenue

634-2918

Naisa Pan Asian Cafe

1025 Virginia Avenue

602-3708

Siam Square

936 Virginia Avenue

636-8424

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