79A Jetty Rd
Glenelg SA 5045
(08) 8376 5155
Open everyday for Lunch & Dinner 

Oh, did I miss one Thai restaurant on the busy beachside street that heads Glenelg? I have a feeling that this place has been recently renamed, and from doing a quick Google it used to be called Natee Thai. Not sure why they changed their name, but usually it would raise some eyebrows … nevertheless, we gotta try it out. Let’s hope this place has some good things to offer!

Final Score: 6.95/10

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Spicy Fish

Jetty Rd was recently portrayed in the newspaper as being a bit of a hole when it came to trade and tourism, with the so-called experts touting the beachside street that was once a major attraction is now an economic disaster. It’s true in some aspects, as many local businesses that were once there over 50 years ago have closed up. This might have had something to do with a widespread revamp of many of the restaurants on this street, including Tanapa Thai. Let’s hope some of these places can stay afloat!

This place is yet again a typical small cafe style eatery, falling somewhat in between a restaurant and take away joint. There’s enough room in here for about 25 to 30 people, so don’t expect to bring a classroom full of kids but I can see this being a popular lunch drop spot. The decor in here is neat but rather bland … tan coloured floor, tan coloured tables and tan coloured counter bar. There are a few things hung around the place, but unfortunately where other’s have excelled at converting a Cafe into a restaurant, Tanapa Thai just doesn’t quite cut it … let’s hope the food is better!

Service here is pretty good, with friendly staff and quick service (well, we were only one of three tables, so I would have thought speed wouldn’t be an issue!). There wasn’t much trouble in landing a “best dish” and Hannah’s request for”extra saucy” was well received.

Tonight’s review would be number 39 (I think!), and it’s coming up to the end of our review journey. I’ve had lot’s of great dishes which made me smile (and still do upon memory) and some dishes which have slipped out of my mind due to lack of interest and this Spicy Fish dish was a bit in both categories. Tonnes of chilli and spice to almost make me cry but still had lashings of flavour with the saltiness from the paste and uplifting notes of lemongrass and ginger, and fresh vege’s to top it off … not to mention the quantity presented to me was decent as well. The fish itself, which should be the star of the show, was a little fishy in smell and taste and the edges of each piece were a little hard and chewy. The fish served in my last review at Chaabar is what this should have been like, soft on the inside and crispy all the way around just like any serve of deep-fried food should be. So scores for the flavour but not too many for the quality of the fish.

Just a handful to go, and this epic Thai journey will be over. In taking recommendations from everyone I know, I think I may have exhausted the best ones already! I can see Tanapa Thai being a good place to visit for a quick meal, or even a Summer snack after a few bevvies at the Jetty Bar. The other dishes people had on the tables were reasonable, but the familiar gong going round was that it was all just your usual … nothing that will stick in my mind as being fantastic. Service here is good, and the place is neat. But maybe you’ll have better luck with the Spicy Fish.

• Service [8.0/10] : Good service, as you’d expect from any other.
• Quality [6.2/10] : Great heat on this, but it’s the fish quality that counts.
• Venue [6.7/10] : Neat and tidy, but just so blandly coloured inside!
• Value [6.9/10] : I think I’d like something nicer and more unique for $23.

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230 The Parade
Norwood SA 5067
(08) 8364 5900
Open everyday for Lunch & Dinner 

Back to the bustling street that is the Norwood Parade for another face off! Chabaar is a fairly new establishment created by the same owners of Amarin Thai which was rather well received by us when we last visited. As with most other eateries on this strip, we had to book in early to avoid disappointment so for a while this place has been on our plates … time to let our taste buds do the talking!

Final Score: 8.8/10

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Barramundi with Green Mango

I think we’ve come to an end of Thai coverage along the Norwood Parade strip, and there were quite a few! There’s always old ones closing down and new ones popping up so it’s hard to fully complete any single suburb … I wouldn’t be surprised that by the time we finish this tour, all my reviews would be out of date! Chabaar is the Thai word for the hibiscus species of plants (well, according to the internet…) and is consistent in their naming conventions with their first establishment called Amarin Thai, which is the name of a type of evening dress in Thailand!

You can’t miss this restaurant. It’s opposite the Bath Hotel on a street corner with bright red signage out the front, perfect for an after-work pint and pad-thai. On those warmer days with Summer coming up there’s a chance to grab yourself a table outside to soak up the suburban bustle! The inside of this place is very nice and as per last week’s review at Nu Thai, this place has taken what would normally have been a cafe into a modernised restaurant. Various Thai ornaments and paintings cling onto bright lime green walls which complements well with the brown wooden furniture and counter bar. A nice and neat simple floor plan without clutter completes the deal. Overall quite pleasant, and that green paint on the walls is a fun change from the tan-mocha-brown that everyone else is using nowadays!

We initially had a bit of hiccup with the service here. We had one young guy first off whom we asked to take our orders and also to get us another refill of water. For some reason he went off and got us water but never took our order! Lucky for us, another young guy came over and took us into ordering land. He was very knowledgable and well spoken like a new young president of a democratic republic eager to please his supporters. One of the best and quickest orders I’ve experienced, there was absolutely no issue in him recommending to me which was their best dish. Food was pretty quick to come out too considering the place was fairly packed!

So down to the crux of it all … the food. When people ask you whether a restaurant is good, most of the time they mean how good the food is … and it makes sense because even though a place might have crappy service ruder than a red baboon, people will still come back for the amazing food (aka classic Seinfeld soup episode!). As you can see, the barramundi is deep-fried with a battered coating. It really was styled like fish and chips if that’s what you’re thinking! However, being a reasonably hungry eater as always, I was very happy to receive an entire filleted fish (two whole fillets!). The green mango topping was very ‘Thai’ combined with mellow red onions, crunchy cashews and spicy red chilli and drizzled with a Thai style vinaigrette which helped cut through the oiliness. Bold flavours of sweet, spicy, salty and tartness combined with the soft textured inner flesh of the barramundi and completed with a bit of zing from the acidity of the dressing made this dish a very fresh and uplifting delight. The only issue I had was that my mind kept thinking about fatty unhealthy fish and chips (minus the chips) but it was still enjoyable … as with last week, a great fusion dish idea and rather unique as I haven’t seen this anywhere else.

Hibiscus are generally susceptible to drought, but Chabaar’s patronage throws that coin out the window. This is a neat and modern little restaurant perfect for any occasion. Service here is pretty good and even though I only mentioned one dish, there are quite a few other nice looking choices to sink your teeth into. Prices here are reasonable for a Norwood Parade restaurant … especially for the price I paid for my double fillet dish! So would I come here again? I don’t know much about flowers, but Chabaar gets my return vote! (… oh, and they are in the Adelaide Entertainment Book as well).

• Service [8.6/10] : Bit of a glitch to start, but well saved in the end.
• Quality [8.2/10] : A bit oily from being deep-fried, but great flavours.
• Venue [9.2/10] : Clean colours, neat and tidy modern setting.
• Value [9.2/10] : Twenty something dollars for a double fillet, nice!

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117 Gouger St
Adelaide SA 5000
(08) 8410 2288
Open Thurs-Fri for Lunch, Tues-Sun for Dinner 

Thai is still on the agenda, and this time we’re onto something Nu … err, new. Well actually this place has been around for a few years and has grabbed the attention of some foodie awards in the past so obviously we just had to add Nu Thai to the review list. Just how will this Nu skool Thai restaurant taste against the old skool ones we’ve reviewed? Let’s find out!

Final Score: 8.775/10

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Chilli Barramundi

Mmm, I like trying new things … especially restaurants that I haven’t been to before. It’s like doing a jungle trek that you know people have done before, but the experience is nevertheless still new and exciting to you … Will your tour guide be adequate? Is the scenery going to be nice? How many tigers will you encounter? How tasty will they be? … so many things to look forwards to (JK regarding eating tigers of course). For some reason Nu Thai has been mentioned quite a few times around me lately, both in the print media and by mouth around the office here so I guess it was just meant to be!

The place isn’t big. It’s reminiscent of many of the space-limited eateries on Gouger St, but they’ve taken what you would normally style as a cafe into a mini-restaurant, just that one notch above the convention. The interior is very welcoming, modern and stylish with some nice Thai flair thrown about the place. The flowing colour scheme and appropriate mood lighting in the place added that extra little something to the experience too. I was rather impressed with the number of people they fit inside without being too much like sardines.

Service here is top notch, no doubt. Glasses of water were filled before our arrival and there was never a moment where a waitress wasn’t dropping in to replenish them throughout the evening. Napkins were flicked out onto our laps like you’d experience at a first class silver service restaurant, and best of all there was no trouble at all in the waiter recommending a dish to me which really tells me something about the way they work around here. Going well so far, just down to the food!

I do enjoy a good Barra. And recently I have been upping my dosage of chilli in all my meals (great metabolic booster, and not to mention adding that extra dimension of mouth burning fear!) so this week’s review was timed perfectly. On the bed of succulent green Chinese spinach, the fillets were shallow fried and topped with a bright red thick spicy chilli sauce almost resembling the texture of sambal. So, this thing looked good but what about the taste? One thing with fish that I often hate is the overpowering “fishy” smell and taste that you get from a lot of places using unfresh produce. Tonight’s dish was not offensive at all, but the fillets were a little rubbery like they were a little overcooked. The spicy chilli sauce was excellent however, with just that right amount of heat and tang to prick up your ears and the amount of greens underneath created an entire complete meal all in one. Overall not bad … quite a good Thai fusion idea and you get enough on your plate.

I like this place. It’s somewhere you can go to if you’re after a quick lunch bite or perhaps for hanging out with your corporate cronies. It kinda feels like it’s the trendy “place to be” once you walk inside. Service is great here, and I must add that our rice was topped up frequently and you only get charged a flat $3 fee for it all. Food wise, a single thumb up for me based on this dish but we’ve had a few better meals on our tour so far. Prices here are fairly reasonable too so you won’t be breaking the bank, but watch out as some of the dishes are very tiny (Choo Chee Prawns … Claire only got five!). Would I come back? I’d say yes, as there were quite a few other interesting unique dishes on offer that I wish I’d been recommended (Coffee duck?!). As always, there’s no harm in asking about a dish before you order and you can be assured the waiting team know what they are talking about.

• Service [9.7/10] : Top notch, free flowing and effortless.
• Quality [7.9/10] : Great chilli sauce but just a little overcooked.
• Venue [9.3/10] : Neat, modern and comfortable without the cram.
• Value [8.2/10] : Low to mid $20′s in general, not too bad.

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176 Henley Beach Rd
Torrensville SA 5031
(08) 8152 0404
Open Tues-Sun for Dinner

We’ve now only got a short list of restaurants to go on our Thair review tour (I think this one is number 36)! On our last Henley Beach Road quest we walked past this little place, which I think is fairly new. There seems to be quite a few Asian restaurants on this stretch of road! It used to be a Greek restaurant and you can tell it’s open for business by it’s ultra bright LED signage out the front … you just can’t miss it. So just how Yum will this Thai be? Let’s find out!

Final Score: 7.0/10

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Tom Yum Beef Stir Fry

Ah, Thai food … how you’ve recently become my flavour of the month. At home I have been enjoying cooking you as my weekly work lunchboxes. Seriously, there are so many dishes that you wouldn’t get sick of it! I think I’ll be a bit sad when this is over. I enjoyed this edition of food reviews more than any other.

This place is new. They don’t even have a website up yet, and it’s really hard to find any details regarding their opening hours. if you try to call them, be aware that they aren’t open on Mondays and I think they are only open for specific times during winter (which is kind of weird…). Fresh coats of paint line the walls along with bits and pieces of Thai pictures and statues here and there which add a nice dash of spice to the place. The general layout and feel of this place is in between a modern cafe and restaurant, but unfortunately didn’t feel as warming or as fun as places like Tongue Thai’d. The tables and chairs were all neatly laid out and everyone noticed that the chairs were extremely comfortable! Overall nice and neat but definitely nothing especially memorable.

Service here is like any other stock standard cafe or small restaurant. Like a Hyundai Getz, it’s a no-frills get the job done kind of reception. Don’t get me wrong, the waitresses did their job sufficiently, but the slow food journey (even though the restaurant didn’t have many passengers … erm, I mean diners) took about 40 minutes to start getting mains out which was pretty disappointing. I saw a couple of friends walk in and wait for about 30 mintes for two takeaway containers!

Perhaps the quality of food is going to be so awesomely delectable because they took so long to make my “best dish”? Well, it would have to be the best ever stir fry ever created to take almost 30 minutes to cook! Tom Yum is a great Thai flavour which most people are familiar with … and I haven’t seen many places offer it as a stir fry dish. I have to say, the dish wasn’t that bad although not overly exciting or adventurous for their “best dish”. The beef was a bit chewy but aside from that the true savoury and sour taste from the Tom Yum sauce was very enjoyable. What I must highlight is that the sauce wasn’t overpoweringly sour which Tom Yum paste can easily turn a dish into! Lots of acidity in the sauce from the Tom Yum paste with the savoury fish sauce complemented well with the beef. My only other gripe is the serving size was edging below average size … it was like they had spread out an amount of food onto a large plate to try and make it seem large, and I wasn’t the only one to make this comment.

So there’s some pluses and minuses I’ve discovered from this place. If you have done (or are currently doing) your tax return, it’s kinda like paying tax and calculating your deductions … unfortunately there aren’t too many offsets to be applied. The place is nice and neat but unfortunately for us tonight it took a while for food to come out. The food itself was OK and I guess if you aren’t a big eater, then it’s just the right size for you. This place is a Hyundai Getz with some nice seat covers and with that nice new-car smell and LED lights on the bonnet. It gets you from A to B quite economically but don’t expect too much else.

• Service [6.3/10] : No frills service but food was kinda slow.
• Quality [7.0/10] : Good flavours but the beef was pretty tough.
• Venue [7.7/10] : Nice and neat, chairs were comfortable!
• Value [7.0/10] : $15 for my dish isn’t bad, but there’s better out there …

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150 Goodwood Rd
Goodwood SA 5034
(08) 8373 1700
Open Tues-Sun for Dinner

Another week, another review! This time at a very popular suburban treasure called Manee Siam. I’ve heard many good things about this place and it seems the Internet agrees with the general consensus. It can get a bit busy on Goodwood Rd on a Friday night as city workers rush to get home, but nevertheless this place is fairly easy to get to and parking isn’t an issue! This was also the first week of my low carb diet, so obviously tonight is a cheat day for me … rice here I come!

Final Score: 8.975/10

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Massaman Beef Curry

It’s good to be back in the Thai hot seat, I really missed having these delectable dishes on a regular basis. Manee Siam has been operating for over ten years and for a restaurant to be open for that long they have to be getting something right! For those health conscious people out there reading this, Thai food isn’t all that bad for you as long as you don’t stuff yourself to the brim, or eat the fatty sugary stuff too often (well, that should be the rule with any kind of food really!). I say this because I started another 4 week diet and gym challenge with my friend Ben in Germany … after a week of it I was ready to eat my weight in rice!

Like last week, this place was formerly a homely residence with the interior gutted out and converted into a few large rooms of open space dining. The first thing you notice as you approach the counter is that they are selling Thai influenced handbags and trinkets which is definitely a first on our tours so far. Oddly enough it kinda adds a touch of authenticity, bringing customers a small aspect of pop culture Thailand … cheap market shopping! The rooms are nicely laid out with neat tables and cutlery but the paint job on the walls is something which I’ll describe as somewhat “DIY”.  Lots of Thai decorations around and the high ceilings make this place seems very spacious as well. Overall quite pleasant … no real standout wow factors but definitely nice and homely.

The waitresses here are probably the most professional and courteous I have experienced at any of our reviews. Not only did they dress in traditional There were a few ladies always around to get their notepads working hard and our order were taken without fuss, especially when recommending their best dish for me. Although the food was a tad slow coming out of the kitchen,  I have to mention two things that stood out for me regarding the great customer service. Firstly they did mix up one order (sad-face at first) in cooking some vegetables with the wrong kind of sauce, but was good to see that they immediately offered a replacement meal and also free beer! Secondly, something which added that next level of care-factor to service … the waitresses waited for us to finish our entrees then promptly came over to ask us whether we were ready to be served our main meals! That really did impress me – we were literally waited on!

Now onto the best part, the food … and I am excited to say that this was the best Massaman beef curry I have ever had. Period. It completely outguns the previous Massaman beef dishes I reviewed at Chuy’s and Thailand Thai and they were pretty good! As you can see from the picture, the chunks of meat are, well … chunky! The meat was the most tender I’ve ever had, literally melt on your plate kind of texture, not to mention there was plenty to go around. The sauce was what completed the flavour of the dish, bringing to the party a tangy and nutty mixture of sweet and savoury without being overly oily, well combined with a slightly spicy kick to your tongue. Additions of soft potato and peanuts made this dish complete. Just superb.

This family run business knows what they are doing. They know how to serve you and how to treat you to a fantastic Thai curry. It’s nice inside but don’t expect all the frills. Prices here are not too bad … cheaper than some places we’ve been to, and many of the noodle and vegetarian dishes are only around $10 plus Singha and Chang beers only cost you a fiver! Would I come here again? Hell yeah! And I invite all of you to join me!

• Service [9.5/10] : They treat you well here, food a tad slow but not too bad.
• Quality [9.5/10] : Yup, best Massaman ever!
• Venue [7.9/10] : Nice and neat, good effort to spruce up the place.
• Value [9.0/10] : Low to average prices, beer is cheap here too!

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211 Henley Beach Rd
Torrensville SA 5031
(08) 8352 8888
Open Wed-Fri for Lunch, Tues-Sun for Dinner

Wow, you guys probably thought that it was the end of Thai review! I don’t blame you … it has been a while I know, and I apologise for being on the other side of the world during this time … but fear not! We are back to finish this mammoth of a task off properly, this week with a popular little place on Henley Beach Rd. Thai your taste buds down as we’re about to take off once again!

Final Score: 8.125/10

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Delectable Tamarind Poussin

Again, apologies for the lengthy absence, but now that I’m back from holiday and lief is starting to get back to normal I guess it’s time to keep on trucking. Silk and Spice has been around for quite a few years now, even my dad knew about this place in his early days in Adelaide. Given the experience they offer I think we are in for a treat!

This restaurant was once an old early 20′s or 30′s classic shared-wall double brick house that you will see around the Torrensville and Mile End suburbs of Adelaide, and from the outside the typical 1930′s front-porch architecture still exists. Once you push open the front door however, the place has been nicely renovated with polished floorboards but still keeping with the traditional homely theme. There were plenty of Thai artifacts to interest you in the main hallway, a fitting reflection of the nationality of the owner of this restaurant who kindly serves you from behind the bar. Neat tables, chairs and cutlery that matched the interior design were a pleasant surprise too. The only downside I have to add is that as soon as I walked in I noticed the air was very stale … consensus with other reviewers admitted it smelled a little like a public toilet.

I’d have to say the staff here are friendly and very enthusiastic … we had two waitresses pouncing on our table at one stage, and when we weren’t quite yet ready to order I knew that someone was watching and waiting (which is a good thing). What I did like tonight was the hassle free recommendation the waitress made on their best dish, which incidentally was also the most expensive but I am guessing you get what you pay for! Normally I spend a long time trying to convince the waitress that I eat anything and that I just want their best dish offered, but tonight’s order was over in a flash! Unfortunately the food service was really slow, it took about 40 minutes for mains to come out, and I finally got my dish in front of me after 45. So a bit up and down here, let’s hope the food can be better …

Poussin : The surname of a French painter in the 16th Century, but also the technical name for “baby chicken” … yup, that’s right a baby chicken, get in my belly! I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to be served little chicks straight from a hatched egg but then again, I have seen that served up as a delicacy in Asia (like a raw embryonic mess I might add). The dish came out and I was relieved to find it was just a small chicken, and a little impressed that I got a whole one. Larger than a quail, this was only just enough for me but if you are sharing this dish don’t expect too much to go round. First impressions reminded me exactly of roast duck with orange glaze, and upon tasting I wasn’t too far off. The flavours were superb, a sweet and savoury glaze on crispy skin, and all the meat was tender and juicy like I was eating thigh meat the entire time … one might say it was delectable! If I closed my eyes it would have been just like a roast duck! The deep-fried shallots on top added that extra savoury crunch that went well with the coriander. I ended up eating this thing with my hands so I could get all the meat off (a complement to the taste, but unfortunately not to the quantity!).

It’s good to be back. Australia sure has a good array of cultures and foods to match. This place is presented just how a restaurant should be with great waitresses but disappointingly slow food. Prices here are a bit on the upper scale, and I am guessing that baby chicken is hard to come by as I paid the highest price. I can see Silk and Spice being a great place for a special celebration and for those who can afford it, a regular dine-in delight. Overall there’s cheaper for the same quality out there, but this place is still impressive in its own right.

• Service [7.0/10] : Great service when ordering but slow food, sorry guys…
• Quality [9.1/10] : Super tasty baby chicken, crispy skin very more-ish!
• Venue [9.0/10] : Almost fancy, neat and well presented, lots of knick knacks!
• Value [7.4/10] : Average to high prices, there’s better value out there.

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Shop 18, 13-23 Unley Rd

Happy New Year guys! … yeah I know, it’s like March now and New Year’s was three months ago, but hey, we’re back! After a few months off doing things other than Thai Reviews, I thought it was about time the ball got another push down the hill and our tongues got to hit the streets again. Pira Thai is on the city end of Unley Rd right next door to one of our previously reviewed favourite curry restaurants!

Final Score: 6.175

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Chilli and Garlic Pork

So one of the reasons (apart from being socially locked down for months) that Thai Review wasn’t on since the New Year was I went on a bit of a diet to shed some fat for the summer. Now eight kilos lighter, I can safely say Thai Reviews can resume as per normal! Pira Thai is a quaint little shop which seats about 30 people inside (reminded me of a classroom actually) and about 15 outside on the cafe style tables out the front. As with all the other restaurants in this little nook, things need a bit of a renovation to get rid of the 70′s corporate office design. I remember as a child this group of shops were here and that was 20 years ago!

From the inside things aren’t fancy, but I guess can easily point my vocabulary to the word “cornershop”. There were lots of little Thai ornaments and religious bits and pieces around, but things were very cluttered and the counter looked a bit like an unorganised fridge with so many things blu-tacked on. It seems that this place is now more suited for takeaways as the decor is just too outdated compared to what many other places have to offer. Nevertheless, our table was nice and clean and all the basics were there (erm … chair, table, cutlery … tick!) and the dining area was pretty clean.

The last thing I have to mention about the venue is the toilet. To put things briefly, it’s weird to have to walk through the kitchen, right past/through the raw food, to get to the toilet which is right near where they plate up. Secondly, don’t be alarmed when you see the sign “Please put all tissue (toilet) paper in the bin”. I’ve been told that this is fairly common in Asian countries where plumbing isn’t the best. So to put a positive spin on things, I guess they’re giving me the true Thai experience?

I booked a table for only 12 people tonight, so not a huge group as a few avid Reviewers were busy. The waitress was quick to recommend their best dish the Chilli and Garlic Pork, which made me kind of sigh inside, as I was looking forwards to something more exciting. This is probably the 4th or 5th time I’ve had to review this unexciting dish. It took over 40 minutes for entrees to come up from start to finish (which was very stop and start too). 20 Minutes later the first main came out … hooray! But by the time the last dish came out it was another 30 minutes down the drain. After going to the toilet (through the kitchen) I could see why they were so slow. The kitchen was tiny, and I reckon there were only 2 cooks for the whole place.

Anyways you’d be wondering, how was the dish?! Tasty strips of fried pork with lots of chilli and garlic balanced with some sweetness from the sugar made this pretty good. In all my other fried Pepper/Chilli/Garlic/Meat reviews that I’ve done I have to say this is the best! There were lots of caramalised pieces of chilli which was very crunchy and added that extra kick, plus fresh coriander on the top made it into the mix. In my previous reviews, I have said this dish is too much like what you get from a dodgy Chinese takeaway restaurant minus the sweet and sour sauce, but this was unique enough for me to rank it into the Thai division. It was nice, and don’t get me wrong, it had lots of flavour and again I’d rate this the best of all my reviews of this type of dish, but still this recommendation is too disppointingly safe when there was a myriad of dishes with more complex and fuller flavours.

So there you have it. The first review for the calendar year. Summing it all up, it’s obvious that Pira Thai isn’t the nicest place to sit and eat compared to everyone else on Unley Rd and the service needs improvement. Although I admit the food is pretty delish, unfortunately everything else was a bit of a let down and I’ve got to take the whole experience in as it comes. I saw that they have awesomely cheap lunch prices for takeaway so if you’re in the neighbourhood I’d suggest doing the pick-and-run dance back to the office.

• Service [3.5/10] : I wasn’t the only one to comment on how slow the food was…
• Quality [8.4/10] : The best Chilli/Pepper/Garlic dish out of all the ones so far!
• Venue [5.8/10] : Clean and tidy setup inside but otherwise needs an overhaul.
• Value [7.0/10] : Reasonably priced, but I don’t come to sit and pay for slow service.

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165 O’Connell St

It’s been a few weeks since the last review,  it’s the annual Christmas rush to catch up with people before everyone floats away on whatever holidays they’ve got so I’ve been a little busy! No matter, tonight’s review had to happen as it was the last one for the year, and lots of people were keen to make it. I think we’ve got a few more to go on O’Connell St but I’ve heard some good things about Regent! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone who reads this!

Final Score: 8.85/10

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Crispy Barramundi

Mmm … Christmas is the time for joy and happiness. For me, Christmas is the time to take a break from the gym and let my body heal properly whilst also eating about 10kgs of turkey, pork, chicken and ham goodness … not to mention all the delicious Port and Wine to come! This year’s review tour has been great, and just like my other reviews I have to thank everyone who came and submitted their two cents and joined me in all the Thai delights we’ve had!

Regent Thai has been around for a few years now and has been given positive praise ever since it opened. Since there are quite a few other Thai restaurants along this busy street it can be tough competition! The place itself is nice and modern, and there was plenty of walking space in between tables which means they don’t cram people in. Some arty bits of Asian pictures were around the place too to spice up the plain brown walls, but unfortunately still had that very commercial feel about it. We had 18 people turn up to this event and the staff warned us with a smile that since there were so many people ordering individual meals, which I thought was a nice thing to do. There were at least 4 waitresses floating around to serve everyone too, so glad to see they were on the ball … it did take a while for the waitress to recommend a dish but apart from that no major worries at all! Our food came out really quick, no problems in handling all 18 of our meals plus extra entrees like they warned us about!

So all good so far, now onto the main event! I’d always wanted to have a whole fish to myself, mainly because it looks so impressive on the plate. One problem with restaurant fish is that it can be quite fishy meaning that it’s not very fresh, but this piece of marine was not fishy in the slightest! The fish wasn’t too large, perfect to share between two people (or one of myself) and tasted superb. Deep fried with a coating of Chili and spices made for a tasty crispy outer shell whilst keeping the meat nice and moist, then covered in mild Thai red curry sauce and topped off with sliced red chili and coriander just made this look as nice as it tasted. Flavours of the spicy chili and creamy red curry sauce isn’t complex but just blends so well with the fish … the waitress even offered to fillet it for me!

So good service, great food, nice and neat venue … all very positive so far. This fish was right up there almost with the Tongue Thai’d Eggplant which is really saying something! A good end to the year I think, I highly recommend trying this dish and if you’re after somewhere to hold a dinner party, this could be your best bet!

• Service [8.8/10] : Good friendly service, quite quick to get all our meals out!
• Quality [9.2/10] : Great flavours and fresh fish, simple in theory but works so well!
• Venue [8.3/10] : Nice and neat and modern, could use a bit of a homely touch.
• Value [9.1/10] : $25 for a nice two person Barra is pretty cheap!

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83A Gouger St

Another week on Gouger St, this time right next to last review’s venue at Lime and Lemon. It’s always good to know which of the rivals are the best, cos why bother choosing something less than best! As always the restaurants and the busy market scene were at it’s peak, so let’s review this tasty treat!

Final Score: 7.525/10

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Green Chicken Curry

Thailand is pretty famous for it’s transvestite culture and every year a lady-boy is crowned the new Miss Tiffany Universe in Pattaya. They might not have named their restaurant after this event, but it kinda makes sense!

The first thing I’ll mention is that this place is twice as nice as last week’s review at Lime and Lemon. It was almost a relief to be in here! The interior is modern and updated with a very attractive bar/counter area towards the back. A chocolate brown colour scheme with plenty of Asian themed decorations including a very large red bamboo ladder on the wall. Along the right side was a wall-length cafe style padded bench and just made the place that bit more classy. The lighting at Lime and Lemon was very “fluorescent” but here at Tiffany it was very mellow, perfect for a dinner! The only downfall was this place is very cramped, it was most probably breaching all the fire safety rules.

So this place is good to look at but how do they run the place? There were lots of ups and downs, but unfortunately it weighs down on the poor side. Good service initially from the waitresses and it was good to see there were plenty of staff floating around. Our orders were taken quickly and with no trouble. It was good not to have to go through the charades of explaining why I want their best dish. After this is where the service started to fall … now this place isn’t huge, maybe 40 people in where at most, but we waited a very long time for our main meals to appear. My friend Jason was very late, almost 2 hours late and we only just got our meals! Rice was another problem which definitely shouldn’t have been in an Asian restaurant … they ran out of cooked rice! This would be incomprehensible to anyone! I know I ate probably 2 cups of rice on my own, but for a restaurant to run out is crazy. I was one of the last 3 people to finish eating because there wasn’t enough rice for us, and we eventually left after 10pm. The waitresses did acknowledge their error though which was good I guess.

On the plus side, their green chicken curry was pretty good. One of the better dishes I’ve had lately which was nice to look at (err, my phone probably doesn’t do it justice) and was full of flavour. I had a taste of Alan’s Red Prawn curry and my dish was definitely better! Again, another relief was to see veges back on the plate … lots of tasty chicken as well, but I was glad to find Thai eggplant, carrots, bamboo, capsicum and onions! Plenty of spice and combos of ginger, basil, hot chili and tastes of sweet and salty made this dish stand out. I must add, that even though I had to wait ages for rice to complete my meal, the bowls that they came served in retained heat very well, and was not cold by the end, keeping the full experience alive!

A bit of a mixed bag, Tiffany Thai delivers on various fronts but falls flat on it’s face on others. Good place to be in, and pretty decent food, but I hope that their service isn’t like this all the time! Being honest as always, would I come here again? I would say so, but on the proviso that their service (and rice supplies) are back up to scratch … pity because this could have been a very high scoring place too!

• Service [3.8/10] : Points for the initial stage, but very poor by the end.
• Quality [8.6/10] : One of the better dishes of late, good mix of tasty meat and veg.
• Venue [8.7/10] : Better than last week, lots of nice touches around the place.
• Value [9.0/10] : Pretty cheap prices! great $22 dinner deal (entree + main).

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89 Gouger St

Lime and Lemon, nice name for a Thai restaurant! Makes you think of juicy and tangy things that are included in many Thai dishes. Situated in the heart of Gouger St, Friday nights are always packed due to after-work shopping at the Central Markets and people wanting to get cheap eats after a few pints. This place is in the Entertainment Book too so make sure you get a bargain for hopefully some nice food! Onwards!

Final Score: 6.225/10

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Beef Panang Curry

I’ve been here before and I think it was a pretty nice place to eat at, but I can’t remember for sure as it was over a year ago … lucky I’m reviewing this place tonight to refresh my memory! This place isn’t the biggest, probably only seating around 50 and I had trouble getting 12 seats booked, so obviously it must be a popular place to eat. Right next door is another Thai restaurant so the competition out here is pretty fierce, but I would say they all have no problems getting customers.

The seating and tables spill out onto the bustling sidewalks do many of the cafe’s here, and yup, don’t expect anything too fancy for the limited amount of space. A  bar and payment counter at the rear is the main feature, plus some nice paintings and big chalk boards with chef specials on the wall, so not too bad in the decor department. Space wise, there’s only just enough room for the waitresses to walk around, and you’ll find yourself trapped in some spots especially when the place is full. Unfortunately for them, the hot topic for pre-meal munching was the roach trap in the corridor on the way to the toilets. Not the nicest thing to find unless your name is Bear Grylls, but I guess they are doing the right thing and killing them before they land on our plates … reminded me of those “A Current Affair” specials about food inspections and levels of cleanliness, mmm crunchy…

Speed of service is good, but we had quite a few minor things go wrong with our orders throughout the night … a few missing drink orders, a very confused waitress who brought out empty plates then later removed them for some reason, and there were many mix-ups with food orders too. Not a great start to the night, but at least the food came out quickly.

So, hopefully the food will blow me away with some tasty unique flavours and make this Beef Panang Curry their real best dish! The waitress said that this was one of the most popular dishes and recommended this dish along with the Phad Thai. Upon delivery, the first thing I noticed was the layer of oil on the top. Now as everyone knows, fat equals flavour but it was a bit off-putting to see your meal swimming under 5mm of red oil, but I knew this was to be expected as you get this from any commercial curry paste. The meat was really tender, and I have to say I was very satisfied with the meal size … plenty of meat! But that’s about all the good I can say about my dish. The sauce was nothing special, just your average-Joe Panang Malaysian curry paste that didn’t really capture my taste-buds’ attention, and every scoop was an oily mess. I expected more than just carrots and meat on my plate too, and thinking back to all the other curries I’ve had so far on this tour, this is definitely the most boring … apart from Chili, I can’t really pick apart any specific flavours.

Everyone else had pretty nice looking dishes and I would recommend the Phad Thai very highly. It was full of different seafood and vegetables and tasted great … I guess it’s the risk I take when I leave my food choice up to others. Not a bad looking place if you ignore the roach traps, and I got a good amount of food for my buck but for a good value score I want to be able to enjoy the large portion too! There are plenty of other Thai places on Gouger street to try in the upcoming weeks, and I’m hoping that I’m a bit more lucky next time!

• Service [6.1/10] : Quick cooking time but a few lost orders and mix ups don’t fare well.
• Quality [6.0/10] : Tender meat but this isn’t an exciting recommendation for taste or looks.
• Venue [6.0/10] : Nice in general, but it’s not nice when customers see roach traps.
• Value [6.8/10] : $2 rice per person is good, but I wish my mound of meat was tastier.

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