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Are blue foods as cool as the color implies? We try blue curry, ramen, and beer

Rachel Tackett Jul 19, 2013
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Under normal circumstances, Japanese people have an open aversion to unnaturally colored foods, especially blue. This is true even of sports drinks and birthday cakes. Without even addressing the never-ending debates over artificial food colorings and health, something about the color blue appears unappetizing to their taste buds.

However, in the overwhelming heat of summer, the color blue also carries with it the connotation of something cool and calm. Could the implicative promise of a refreshing counter to the summer sun override this instinctual revulsion against imbibing something blue? After hearing about a certain Thai food restaurant that serves bright blue dishes, we decided to send one of our more adventurous culinary reporters to check it out.

The restaurant in question is called Green Phad Thai, and their menu just so happens to contain blue beer, blue ramen, and blue Thai curry. While our man on the job couldn’t quite call the food appetizing in appearance, he decided to give all three all three items a fair taste test.

He began with the beer, which looked like it might have been a normal color originally and had blue dye mixed in afterward. The foam on the top was swirled with blue, but remained white in many places. Nevertheless, it was quite tasty, and the blue color added to the sense that it was a refreshing beverage.

Next up was the blue ramen. Rather than appearing in a hot broth, these noodles complimented the cool color of the dish’s soup stock and were served cold. The flavor of the broth held a slight sour tang that had more to it than plain, old vinegar. Overall the dish was quite good! Our taste-tester’s only complaint was that the acidity of the soup detracted a little from the thick, richly flavored noodles.

Last came the blue Thai curry. Unfortunately, instead of exhibiting a rich blend of spices, the flavor was overwhelmingly salty. To be fair, the salt had a nice way of amplifying the curry’s nice, creamy texture and bringing out the sweetness in the rice in a way that increased one’s appetite, but it really was just a bit too salty. It might be better suited to a party of people who could share a taste and a chat over this pretty, blue plate, rather than try to finish it alone.

In the end, the color really had no strong bearing on the flavor. There was room for improvement in each of the dishes, but overall our man sounded quite satisfied. If any of our readers around Tokyo are in the mood for a refreshing new shade of Thai food, check out the shop information below to see where you can find these true-blue meals.

Shop information
Green Phad Thai
Address: Tokyo-to Chiyoda-ku Kandasurugadai 3-7-15 1st floor
Hours: Weekdays 11:30 A.M. to 11:30 P.M. / Weekends 11:30 A.M. to 11:00 P.M.

Photos: RocketNews24

[ Read in Japanese ]