When the mercury rises, dive into this amazing Thai dessert bar for one of forty-odd sweet fixes (that’s got to be a Sydney record). From a delightfully tart Kensington Pride Mango with Sticky Rice ($8) to a salty-sweet bowl of Black Sticky Rice and Coconut Cream Pudding with Taro and Young Coconut Flesh ($6), there’s a lot to love! The throbbing womb is a hive of activity – they’re “either busy, or very busy” according to our engaged but breathless waitress. Never mind – the superb caramelised tamarind sauce with juicy Roasted Duck Breast ($18) can make even Steamed Jasmine Rice ($3) delightful. It’s a godsend against a spicy serve of Stir Fried Fish Dumplings with Chilli, Ginger and Apple Eggplants ($18). If the air-conditioned bubble of Westfield Sydney doesn’t fix things, take down your temperature with a signature BS 101 ($14) cocktail – it’s ultra-fragrant jasmine syrup was a shock, but we melded as it melted. Well-chosen wines like the Jim Barry Lavender Hill Riesling ($37) suit standout dishes like a Banana Blossom Salad with Poached Chicken, Prawns and Smoked Chilli Jam ($24). Don’t get so tipsy that you forget karmic law, which dictates that to reach nirvana, one should refrain from pocketing a hardcover menu…

Chat Thai Westfield Sydney
Shop 6002, Level 6, 188 Pitt Street, Sydney
Ph: (02) 9221 0600 www.chatthai.com.au
Thai $$$

It’s Monday night, and only the tenth time this Balmain newbie has opened. Unlike other restaurants I passed on my way down Darling Street, this one’s full. The menu reads like the greatest hits of Sujet Saenkham’s three other ventures. From the northeast street food of House you’ll find Sai Krok Isaan ($10) a mellow pork sausage stuffed with herbs and rice. Team it with a crisp taste of southern Thailand, Bour Tod ($12/6pieces), betel leaf fritters topped with nuts and prawns. From the Surry Hills flagship you’ll find my favourite, Moo Pla ($15), an intensely hot, coconut-free curry with apple and pea eggplants, and meltingly thin pork belly. Contrast it with Yum Hua Plee ($29) banana flower salad to give your mouth some sweet relief. Unwrapping Homok ($8/each) parcels is always a pleasure, but here the tasty basa fish curry within surpasses all I’ve tried. In fact, I’m prepared to call this the best Thai on the peninsula, if not the inner west. Wines are well priced (there’s no BYO) with the 2007 Grande Maison Monbazillac ($49) coming up trumps. It’s a perfect match for the must-have Thai happy ending, Better Than Sex ($15) with brioche, pandan gelato, Thai caramel… wow!

Spice I Am (Balmain)
237 Darling Street, Balmain
Ph: (02) 9555 9224 www.spiceiam.com
Thai $$-$$$

The team behind the popular Let’s Eat in Marrickville have brought their tasty Thai to Neutral Bay. Despite a ritzier, texturally rich fit-out, diners on the north side haven’t been asked to fork out more than a couple of dollars per dish over the super-reasonable Marrickville prices. So locals bearing BYO are already flocking in, three weeks after opening, for heaped plates of Yum Mamuang ($25.90), a flavoursome salad of soft shell crab and green mango. Whilst Gui Chai Tod ($7.90/4 pieces) aren’t much to look at, the pan fried garlic chive dumplings are packed with flavour. Koong Kra Beung ($9.90/4 pieces) could do with more marinated minced prawn, as the flavour gets lost in the crunchy spring roll pastry. For a healthy choice, the Tofu and Vegetable Pad Khing ($10.90), arrives speckled with fungus, shallots and thinly shaved Chinese celery, gently flavoured with fresh ginger. Watch your deep fried whole baby snapper with tamarind and fried onion or Pla Ma Kham ($29.90) make its rather grand procession from the brightly lit kitchen windows to your table in the moodily lit dining room. End with layered green balls in a glass of Sago in Coconut Milk ($4.90); while it might have you thinking frogspawn, it’ll keep your spoon dipping back in!

Let’s Eat
Shop 1 & 2, 48 Yeo Street, Neutral Bay
Ph: (02) 9908 8990
Thai $$-$$$

If the idea of pan Asian fills you with fear, you’re not alone. I dined here with a little trepidation, but I can now happily assure you that the South East Asian dishes of Chef Danh Cao (ex-Blue Ginger) are, for the most part, bang on the money. From a punchy bowl of succulent Braised Prawns with Chilli, Pumpkin, Lemongrass and Coconut Milk ($18.50), to creamy, coconut-rich Malay Chicken Rendang ($14.50), there’s a lot to like. The Thai Braised Pork Belly with Green Papaya Salad ($12.00) is gentle, winning me over with sticky, pork chunks balanced by fresh mint and coriander. A French-Vietnamese Bo Luc Lac ($16.50) is notable for tender, good quality beef. I did wish that the diversity of cuisines had resulted in a more exciting list of starters; but there was nothing actively wrong with the Steamed Pork, Shiitake Mushroom and Water Chestnut Dumplings ($9.50) I tried. So now I’m a convert; and a little perplexed as to why the good folk of Marrickville haven’t flocked to this brightly coloured restaurant on Illawarra Road in the nine months since Kim Nguyen and her husband opened it. The prices are low, the room’s nicely decorated, it’s BYO ($3/person) and you can park close by. Reservations not required – yet.

Lotus Asian Restaurant
393 Illawarra Road, Marrickville
Ph: (02) 9559 8895 www.lotusrestaurant.com.au
Pan Asian $-$$

This small and unassuming Marrickville restaurant boasts food that’s anything but. The chef, Polawat Danphasukul, has Thai mover-and-shaker Spice I Am in his pedigree. Here he manages to demonstrate that Thai authenticity doesn’t need to equate to a challenging dining experience. Guided by another Spice I Am graduate Phannisa Sricharoen (who warms the floor with her bright smile), I begin with an all-natural blended ice beverage – Lime Refresh ($4). My palate invigorated, I advance to superbly tender Grilled Pork Skewers ($5.90/4) – apparently overnight marination is the secret! Swayed by the exciting house specialities I proceed through Nam Khao Tod ($13.90), a texturally enjoyable crispy rice salad amped by sausage and coconut; and tenderly stewed beef shin in a vibrant green house-made curry paste called Neu Pad Cha ($15.90). Pea-sized baby Thai eggplants burst on your tongue beside their larger siblings. The juicy lime-green beans in the Pad Prik King with Crispy Pork Belly ($15.90) are equally amazing; suggesting daily market visits by someone with an eye for excellent produce. This is further confirmed by a wonderful seasonal dessert of Sticky Rice with Mango ($7.50), balanced so beautifully I’ve craved it ever since. Under-priced, over-delivers – Marrickville’s suburban gem (with whispers of a second store)!

Let’s Eat Thai
352 Illawarra Road, Marrickville
Ph: (02) 9558 9508
Thai $-$$

This week Alex Harmon, a 27 year old doing her Masters in Writing by correspondence at Swinburne University, will fill my column inches with a piece on eating well in Newtown. The suburb’s dining outlets have been getting a bit of a bad rap of late, particularly in other publications, so Alex is geared to defend it. She’s loved writing about food ever since she exposed the terrible cafeteria practices at UNSW as a writer for Tharunka. Her current project is a novel about food, music and sex that isn’t set in South America – rather it uses suburban Australia as its backdrop. Let me know if you’re keen to hear more from her…

By Alex Harmon

Newtown has more diversity than the Brangelina family, and like them, it just keeps growing. Ever since Clover Moore said “small bars”, Newtown sprouted them in every crevice. Corridor, as its name suggests, is a cosy bar with one prized table at the front that you won’t want to leave. Sitting there makes you feel like you’re camping out for concert tickets, except that you’re being served Mojitos while you wait. As it goes, ‘Moore is less’ so food is small and utensils are sparse – I recommend the Mezze Plate - artichokes, marinated mushrooms, stuffed tomatoes, chorizo and dips washed down with a Coopers Long Neck. I’m going to let Newtown take the credit for lifting long-necks out of the gutter and onto the menu.

If you’re after something a little less hip, Thai La-Ong has been feeding Uni students for years and their menu, prices and décor have never changed. Because there’s no corkage charge, the college kids have taken this literally, rolling up with casks of wine, bottles of vodka and their own selection of mixers. They don’t really care that the Pad Kee Mao is the most flavour-packed plate of noodles in Newtown for under $10, but it’s worth mentioning.

Like a Che Guevara T shirt, Newtown is socially aware but it appeals to the masses. It boycotted McDonalds in the 90’s, which paved the way for burgers with heart. Moo Gourmet Burgers is the third gourmet burger joint to hit King Street in recent times, but this one doesn’t feel like you’re eating in a waiting room. You may think there’s not much else you can do between two buns, but think again. The Duck and Bacon Burger is a winning combination. Spiced duck (make sure you’re a coriander lover) mediates the saltiness of the bacon and the sweetness of the orange jam. Fries are served in an old fashioned cone – I recommend the aioli and the sweet chilli jam sauces- and mix them together for the perfect blend. Finish it off with one of the many shakes that cleverly combine your favourite chocolate bars – I like the Just Nuts (think a Snickers with chocolate and caramel syrup.) Service is warm, as are the brightly coloured walls and the mismatched furniture.

African Feeling is the St. Peters end of King Street, which still has the old-Newtown feel to it. It’s fluorescent décor and African artefacts on the wall make it look like a souvenir shop, but the food means business. Start off with the Taste Bud Safari For 2 so you can try a selection of entrees. The plantain chips are a good staple, the African cigars – Moroccan spiced mince in deep-fried pastry, similar to a Lebanese ‘lady finger’ only smaller – are delicious. A decent goat curry is a rarity these days, but the Bua here, from Ghana, is spicy, rich full of garlic, ginger and tomato and comes recommended by the native Ghanese Chef, Hudu. Cool yourself down with an African Spiced Ginger Beer – the perfect digestive aid for those seeking dessert. Personally I’d like another cigar.

Like the out-dated wedding tradition, Newtown covers it all- new, old, borrowed and the (out of the) blue – hello Gloria Jeans. But they exist side by side on King Street, the colourful prayer flag that throws commercial caution to the wind and unites us all.

Corridor
153a King Street, Newtown
Ph: (0422) 873 879

Thai La-Ong
89 King Street, Newtown
Ph: (02) 9550 5866

Moo Gourmet Burgers
232 King Street, Newtown
Ph: (02) 9565 4001

African Feeling
1/501 King Street, Newtown
Ph: (02) 9516 3130

Reckon you’re bored with Thai food? Take your palate on a trip to North East Thailand as you sample the spicy chillies, fermented anchovies and sour tamarind notes of authentic Isaan food at Sujet Saenkham’s (Spice I Am) newest restaurant. In a setting reminiscent of a Bangkok market, begin by unwrapping a fragrant package of Mok Gai Hua Plee ($12), a gentle, chicken curry infused with galangal, kaffir lime and lemongrass. Then plump your lips with the fiery Larb Ped ($18) minced duck salad. A bowl of steamed rice noodles Sen Loak ($5) and a smoky plate of chewy Ping Lin ($10) provide necessary relief (I never imagined I’d call ox tongue ‘relief’!) After a positively pleasurable plate of sun-dried pork strips Moo Daed Deaw ($8), I embark on the protein-rich Egg Embryo Spicy Soup ($16). The intensely hot and sour combination makes my eyes water and my nose stream. I am instantly convinced it could cure any illness. It’s challenging food – exciting and entirely unfamiliar – even to someone who’s visited (Southern) Thailand. Even Som Tum Thai ($8) green papaya salad is a shock of green, vegetative, salty and hot – where’s the sweetness we’ve come to expect? Sujet keeps that for the dessert menu… and you’ll need one!

House
202 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills
Ph: (02) 9280 0364
Thai $-$$

This little white box in the budding Llankelly Place dining precinct offers an idiosyncratic take on Thai cuisine that reflects the influences and interests of owner/chef Bee – Walailak Tantisak. The dishes come from her Southern Thai farm heritage, but she’s enamoured with some unconventional Aussie produce too. She unites them into tasty dishes like Lamb Panang Curry ($19) with nicely handled lamb cutlets that are not overpowered by creamy Panang curry, and balanced by coconut rice and an unusually gentle papaya salad. The delicate egg-net wrapped Ruum ($6/2 pieces) is an underpriced and enjoyable entrée; ditto for the tender, tasty chook on the BBQ Chicken ($7/2 skewers) garnished (and accentuated) by long ribbons of cucumber. Her Garlic Prawns ($20) are exactly what Thai people mean when they order prawns! They’re massive and suit the garlic, black pepper and chilli-flake treatment; with crisped carrot shreds adding welcome sweetness and crunch. There’s even vertical integration on the small, unique wine list – hubby’s brother is a Brother at the only commercial vineyard in the world owned by the Catholic Church. Their Sevenhill Riesling ($30/bottle) is simple and soft for a year old Clare Valley offering. Layered Coconut, Caramel and Pumpkin Custard Cake ($7) with ripe mango sorbet seals the deal – bargain fusion that works!

Amaya Restaurant
Shop 7/ 24-30 Springfield Avenue, Potts Point
Ph: (02) 9331 3993 www.amayarestaurant.com.au
Thai/Modern Australian $$

Full of good cheer from a stellar Sunday show at the Sydney Opera House, I directed my party to the chilly Republic 2 courtyard, determined to finally try Lucio’s Pizzeria. My beautician Vera from the neighbouring V Beauty reckons his Chocolate Tortino is one of the three best things “you will ever have in your mouth… it saves you a trip to Italy!” Sadly Owner/Chef Lucio De Falco is presently in Italy, so we diverted to the new Thai next door. With barely a night under their belt here, the kitchen produces an excellent signature Crispy Fried Pork ($17.90). The pork belly pieces are crunchy against a salty oyster sauce with the intensity broken up by Chinese broccoli. It goes well with a gently garlicky bowl of Garlic Fried Rice with Egg ($5.50). After one plate of Pad Si Iew with Tofu ($14.90) I am prepared to never order Pad Thai ($12.90-$18.90) again! The short fat rice noodles are soft and fresh; the tofu squares are ethereally light; the perfectly blanched vegetables are crisp, with juicy zucchini pieces bursting on the palate. It’s all pulled together by a compelling (almost meaty) sweet black bean sauce with egg – very satisfying on a cold winter eve.

Wow Thai
Courtyard, Republic 2, 50 Burton Street, Darlinghurst
Ph: (02) 9331 3525
Thai $$

Sujet Saenkham’s spin-off restaurant eliminates the cramped surrounds and no reservations policy of the (justifiably) popular original. Instead it’s elegant up-lighting, raw bricks, soft timbers and Thai-inspired cocktails, like the lovely Sixteen Degrees ($18) flavoured with kiwi fruit. Staff are engaging; Coco in particular is preppy and pro-active, confidently recommending the 2008 Gregoris Pinot Grigio ($9/glass, $42/bottle) for a good food match. The Yum Pla Dib ($18), a Hiramasa kingfish carpaccio with clean, bright flavours and vibrant chilli, proves her right, whetting my appetite for more. The Pad Pik King Moo Gob ($34) is a triumph of beautifully rendered pork belly pieces in a sticky chilli jam. My dining companion mutters something about “bland food for bland people” at the suggestion of Pad Thai Goong ($30), but is floored by the dish itself. Fresh and well presented, Sujet’s signature Pad Thai lets you create your own balance from mounds of chilli powder, nuts and white sugar; but I’ve found a better Yum Hua Plee Jay ($22) or banana flower salad elsewhere in Sydney. While the Khao Naew Ma Muang ($20) seems pricy for a dessert, the green sticky rice is a textural revelation against fresh nam dok mai mango and smoky coconut sauce.

Spice I Am, Darlinghurst
296-300 Victoria St, Darlinghurst
Ph: (02) 9332 2445 www.spiceiam.com
Thai  $$$$