Green Pepper Thai

343 High Street, Northcote, VIC 3070

This is the 6th Thai restaurant now along High Street between Northcote and Thornbury (all within 7 - 10 minutes drive of each other). In terms of all the Thai restaurants along this stretch, Green Pepper Thai is probably the most cafe style with a strong take-away vibe in terms of its set up. Of course, I encourage healthy competition but I think each of these Thai restaurants will find their own niche in the area.

The Place
It does have a strong take away vibe with the basic tile flooring and simple decorations. The open kitchen is situated within the dining space as well, which therefore, relies heavily on the industrial gas hoods to do their work effectively. If you are sitting facing the kitchen, you get to watch the chefs at work which might be interesting for some. When it does get busy, it will get pretty loud as there is no real sound insulation here.

What I really like about the set up is the fact that they do not cramp diners in really closely to each other. There's plenty of space and you don't feel like sardines!

Things to do Nearby: The shops of High Street, Northcote are blooming and upgrading with the continued gentrification of the area.

The Food
The food here is not bad but Melbournians are pretty spoilt for choice in terms of Thai food. It is not strictly authentic and is pretty watered down in terms of intensity. That doesn't mean it is not nice. In fact, I think it works quite well if you are looking at catering for diners who can't take really spicy or hot dishes. The dishes tend towards sugar and sweetness. I tend to prefer more tang in my Thai dishes but I have lots of friends who would love the sweetness to lighten the intensity of flavours.

So, what were the highlights for me? I liked the Tom Yum Soup above all the other dishes I ordered. Why? Because it was clearly not concocted from a commercial soup base and had been done from scratch with lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves and enough Assam (Tamarind) and they didn't hold back on the chillies either but it wasn't overly greasy like how they tend to serve it in Bangkok. Nice clear hot and sour soup.

Really nice tangy hot Tom Yum Soup

The other dishes were also all freshly made which I really appreciated and although the balance of flavours tended towards sweetness, I did enjoy most of them. The one dish I was disappointed with was the Larb which again was sweet rather than sour (perhaps I would have like more lime or fish sauce - but that's just me). They also love using long beans in all their dishes... most of the dishes we ordered had these :).

Green Papaya Salad with Yummy Crisps

Larb

Pad Met Marmuang - Beef with Cashews

The Service
It is rare to ever get bad service at a Thai restaurant. This is no exception. They were attentive, timely and friendly. It's what you would expect from a good suburban restaurant and I really like the down to earthiness of the service. The food came out in a timely manner and even when it got busier and when there was takeaway orders, they still paid us enough attention where needed.

Overall
This is a good place for a quick week night meal without being overly fancy. I would likely go again to try more dishes and try more of their curries.

Cultural Moment
I want to talk SOUPS. In many parts of Asia - soups are a whole table event. One soup is ordered and everyone shares it. It very much a collective experience. When I was growing up, we even all drank from the same bowl - dipping our spoons into the central bowl. It had been this way for hundreds of years (no I am not a hundred years old - I am talking about the practice - rude!).

With modern day health consciousness and sensibilities, this practice of double-triple dipping with personal spoons into a central bowl has changed for the most part in many countries (but not all). However, the practice of the whole family or table having the same soup hasn't changed. In many restaurants in Asia, they still bring out a central bowl and then smaller bowls for individuals and a large ladle - makes a lot of sense and lots of restaurants have done this for a long time. This practice is starting to spread to homes so that it's become the norm. There are some things you can't change - and the practice of sharing soup (the modern way) continues to thrive. This sort of sharing collective dining is a practice to be celebrated.

In Australia, our more individualistic dining habits have led to individual serves of soup so you can decide what you want and there is no need for collective negotiation. It's just the way it is. So, when one travels to Asia and Southeast Asia - when you order soup - be aware - it might be a BIG BOWL meant for sharing - not one of those tiny individual bowls. I know this because I sometimes forget this when I am travelling - like the time I had a BIG bowl of Tom Yum with my main in Bangkok and that other time when I had a BIG CLAYPOT filled with Szechuan Hot and Sour Soup in Hong Kong, with my fried noodles. DUH!

Ying Thai 2 (Thai Restaurant)

110, Lygon Street, Carlton, VIC 3053


There are so many Thai restaurants in Melbourne and so many Aussies are now 'experts' in Thai cuisine, with their own preferences in terms of flavours. This is not surprising as other than Chinese Cantonese cuisine, Thai cuisine is probably one of the most familiar to Aussies.

Ying Thai 2, in many ways satisfies a broad range of tastes, and is one of the increasing number of non-Italian places on Lygon Street, which seem to congregate in the section south of Grattan Street.

The Place
This 2-storey restaurant is really comfortable and also has seating outside on the foot path. The multicoloured plastic chairs and table complement the murals of kids playing traditional games. The dominant colour is bright green and it does get very busy at lunch and dinner time. It does feel a bit like a student hang out at night, though it attracts a large number of office workers around lunch time. It's not exactly kid-friendly because of the limited space.

The Food
This is Thai food the way I like it - intense flavours with a kick. This is really authentic Thai street food with all the usual suspects but there are some highlights for me here that are not usually available in the most Melbourne Thai restaurants. Of course, they have the usual Pad Thai, range of Thai Curries, Fresh but Intense Salads, various Thai Stir Fries, and Fish Cakes. However, what I want to highlight here are the more unusual dishes which I really like.

Kao Pud Nam (That Fried Rice with Pickled Pork) - I like sour things and the Thai pickled pork bits in this dish is perfect for me. If you like sour and chilli together, this is like fried rice from heaven.

Kai Jeow Poo (Omelette with Crab) - Here's one for the crab lovers. This is really tasty and goes really well with rice. However, sometimes, it is a bit dry though mostly, it's just full of yummy goodness. They do a version with minced meat too (Moo Sub) which is tasty as well.

Guoy Teow Nuer (Beef Rice Noodles - pictured above) - Yummy peppery beef soup with flat rice noodles and tender beef as well as liver. I love this dish which is a traditional road side dish in many parts of Thailand. I wish more Thai restaurants in Melbourne served this.

Sai Oua ( Northern Thai Pork Sausage) - If you like pork and kaffir lime, you will like this sausage. It's probably a bit dry for Western sensibilities but should be dipped in Thai Sweet Chilli sauce to round off a really tasty entree.

The Service
The service is really casual and harried. They always seem to be under staffed or a bit disorganised, even during the quieter periods. However, they do get the job done but don't expect great service. I have to say that most Thai restaurants in Melbourne provide great polite service which makes this place a stand out for the wrong reason.

Overall
It's a bit of a student joint which is perhaps why it is so casual. However, they do serve some great dishes that I can't get anywhere else and their dishes have the level of intensity I expect from authentic Thai restaurants. Some might not be used to such flavours, being more used to the more watered down flavours of the many Thai Take-aways around town. One thing though, and as many other reviewers of Urbanspoon seem to agree, this place used to be a much stronger performer (and what's with the use of crab sticks fish extenders?).

Cultural Moment
There are many Thai Restaurants now in Melbourne and as I said at the start of the entry, many in Australia now like Thai food their way. I have been to my fair share of very popular Thai restaurants all over restaurants and many of them have somewhat different balance of flavours which might be characterised as follows;

Sweetness - where most dishes seem to be dominated by a sweetness of sugar, sweet chilli and even honey. There are some who do like these restaurants where the dishes are not too sour, not too hot and spicy and while the food still has a kick, it  usually tampered by sweetness.

Minimised Spiciness - these places capitalise on really fresh salads and mild dishes that hint at Thai flavours without the intensity of most places you would find in Thailand. The highlights here tend to be more delicate flavours and the use of lime to replace fish sauce in some dishes. Many like these places for their freshness.

Intense Flavours - where the dishes are more unadulterated and might be too sour, too hot and spicy and too much fish sauce flavoured. However, this is how I have found many places in Thailand to be. Even the fresh salad like Som Tum can be intensely flavoured with hot chillies, fish sauce and lime juice. Nothing subtle about the dishes offered in these places.

So, take your pick - I do like all of them at one time or another, but my preference is for the intense flavours. What is great about Thai food is that the there are so many options now in Melbourne and whether it's salad or noodles or soups that you like, Thai cuisine probably has something for you.

Brunswick Mess Hall (Lucky Panda Kitchen)

400, Sydney Rd, Brunswick, VIC 3056

http://www.thebrunswickmesshall.com.au
This is a great find on Sydney Road and a great addition to the area. There is also a bar for a few drinks, a great buzz, all in a mess hall environment. This is a good revamp for the Brunswick Mess Hall and I am looking forward to more visits.

The Place
The Mess Hall is beautifully set up and appeals very much to my aesthetics - high ceiling, wooden beams and flooring, plants every where and a general feel of a chilled space. The big windows let a lot of light in. There is also quirky video projections on the back wall (that's not a giant puffin in the picture below). It does get noisy in here but I like to call it a nice buzz.

There is also a full bar here and what really excited my good friend Caroline was that they gave away free soda water!

Possibly the only thing that I didn't like about the place was the high tables and chairs. I like eating with my feet on the ground.

The Food
There is a variety of Asian dishes served up from the Lucky Panda Kitchen. There is a mix of Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese and Thai dishes here. We tried a range but the real highlights were the following;

Vietnamese Coleslaw was really fresh with the right balance of acidity, fish sauce, sweetness and lashings of freshness. This was one of the best dishes of the dining experience.

Roast Pork Belly on Asian Greens was really well done and I just wished there was a whole lot more of it. It was definitely crispy crunchy on top and tender where it needed to be. They managed to achieve the crispiness without being overly salty.

The Steam Fish Fillet in Soy and Ginger Broth here was excellent with fresh fish and steamed just right. The delicate flavours was how it should be for this dish. This is also done with preserved plum and the fresh lime and herbs really helped the dish.

The flavours here are traditional and true to their roots. For example, even their Pad Thai which I didn't rave about used fresh uncooked bean shoots, which is the way it should be. They have stuck to their guns with the flavours and this means I am likely to be back soon.

Compared to similar trendy places, the dishes here would be considered smaller. This means some might consider it not value for money. For example, places like Tom Phat and Palookaville have much bigger servings. This is why it is not a cheap place to eat. Nevertheless, I will definitely be back .

The Service
You write your order down on pieces of paper and order at the bar and they bring out the food. What is great about this place is that they are very attentive about the dietary requirements of their diners. So, this was a real positive.The food also came relatively quickly and the wait staff clearly know the food. The bar staff are also very friendly.

Overall
This is a nice trendy place that serves pretty good food. It's not a family restaurant although it is family friendly. This place works well because of the space, ambience, service and food. That sounds like it's something everyone would like but that is not necessarily the case. Not everyone would like the trendy bar setting with minimal service and too cool for school feel. I did though and so, I will be back for more but will probably order more dishes this time.

I am impressed with a kitchen that can served authentic dishes from four different cuisines. Therefore, in theory, this place should work. However, I am not entirely sure that a pub going drinking crowd is quite necessarily ready for this type of food because other than the gyoza and spring rolls, the other dishes are not really pub food. In addition, it's pricier than normal pub food, even for those who are looking for a cheap eat at a pub. Therefore, it might take a bit of getting used to. 

Cultural Moment
Pub Meals in Asia are not very common (other than in Japan). Some would call it 'drinking food' which is food you eat while you are drinking (alcohol). While there has been a longer tradition of this practice in Japan which is what Izakayas are. Therefore, common pub meals in Japan might include yakitori (skewered marinated chicken), karaage (fried chicken), gyoza (dumplings), edamame (soybean pods) and even sushi.

The rest of Asia however, is just starting to build this trend because for a long time, pubs in SEAsia tended to serve no more than peanuts, fried achovies and maybe some other 'small dishes'. Drinking establishments were never really known for their culinary experiences until recently when modern trendy clubs are starting to offer innovative small dishes and tapas to attract more clients. Certainly, in most parts of Asia, people don't think of a pub / night club as their dining option and most would eat in the street stalls before proceeding to drink and party into the night.

Mr Nice Guy

Shop J, Little Lonsdale St. (Healeys Lane) Melbourne, VIC 3000

This has been one of the most enjoyable dining experience I have had recently! Having anticipated this visit for a number of weeks, I was trying not to get my hopes up to high in case I started to expect too much. Well! I had nothing to fear. The atmosphere, service, and food were great and my only regret was I couldn't eat more. This is a licensed restaurant with contemporary Thai cuisine. If you are looking for classical Thai, you are barking up the wrong tree. If you are looking for something innovative dishes with Thai sensibility, this is the one for you. I can't wait to try the other dishes. So, in short, I will be back for more.  

 

The Place

The place has a funky vibe, supported by funky music. It has a great atmosphere and buzz. It is tastefully decorated with quirky lights and great colours, making the place look really bright and cheery without being tacky. It is well set up with just enough space between diners, and has pleasantly big tables.

It would also be a relatively child friendly space with enough room for prams. Parking is of course, a pain in this part of town especially during the day, but I suspect that day diners would already be in the city, and if you are coming in specially for dinner, there should be parks on Lonsdale most evenings.

 

Things to do Nearby: This is not far from Flagstaff Gardens, Southern Cross Shops and also Melbourne Central is only about 10 minutes away.   The Food The contemporary dishes here are really tasty with great balances of Thai flavours. The portion size are also pretty big and so, while it is more expensive than your suburban Thai, it is certainly worth it. The Mushroom Spring Rolls (pictured below) for entree was also a touch of genius because it is so flavoursome and unexpected. The crunchy spring rolls on the outside with moist mushrooms in the middle, served with thick sweet chilli sauce was a great start to the meal. It is served with a fresh bean shoots, cilantro salad with a chilli lime dressing.  

The highlight of my experience was definitely the Mr Nice Guy Famous Chicken (with Spicy Cauliflower, Leek and Jus), which was been poached in coconut juice and oven baked to perfect SEAsian tenderness. This means that the chicken is cooked just enough and might still be a bit red at the bone... come on! It's perfectly fine! Millions of SEAsians eat their chicken like this everyday and survive just fine. The spicy cauliflower had a great kick to it and the leek balances the crunchiness of the cauliflower nicely. Finally, the savoury jus provided just the perfect finishing touch, and I wanted to just drink it up!

Whole chicken with the jus on the side

The Som Tum here is of the variation that uses peanuts and relies on a balance of fresh flavours. The twist here is that they add a protein of your choice to it to make it more of a meal on its own. However, what it also does is to add another whole layer of flavour to the som tum... some yum!

Som Tum with Pork Belly, and Sticky Rice on the side

The Service Unfailingly friendly and attentive service, personable engagement with diners, and dishes that are served in a timely manner. There's really not anything I could complain about because even compared to the usual excellent polite and friendly service you would get at many Thai restaurants, this one still stands a head above. Well done and I hope it continues as the restaurant gets busier.    

Overall
I look forward to going again and really enjoyed my first outing. I would recommend it to all my friends. The only thing they probably need to work on a bit is the ventilation as the kitchen is in the same space as the dining area and like all places with that sort of set up, one might come out smelling like the kitchen if the ventilation is not quite right.    

Cultural Moment
Som Tum is your classic Green Papaya Salad which is one of the more famous Thai dishes around the globe. Not all som tums are created equal. Of course there are a number variations around Thailand but also in Laos and Cambodia. Some people are going to claim that the som tums you find in Melbourne are not authentic. That is strictly speaking, not true at all.   Back in Thailand, there are versions of som tum which are served with lashings of dried prawns and anchovies, or with brine preserved raw crab meat. Let's just say it does get pretty intense and it's not for everyone. These are also served with really hot bird's eye chillies. Even Mum who loves spicy food finds the raw crab meat in brine a bit too full on. Needless to say, I prefer the more tame balance of fresh flavours, typical of the som tums served around Melbourne.

Ruby Thai

837 High Street, Thornbury, VIC 3071

http://www.rubythai.com.au/

A newcomer to High Street, Thornbury and a welcome entrant in my opinion. It's still very quiet and they do brisk takeaway and delivery trade. It's no wonder as the food is pretty good. I am looking forward to visiting more to try the range of dishes on offer. This is a licensed restaurant.

The Place

This is a small place that seats about 30. Although it's small, there's actually quite a bit of space and they don't cramp their diners together which makes for a pleasant change. However, as a result, it oddly feels like there is a lot of empty space. I would classify the deco as contemporary with an ocassional nod to Thai artwork. It's a simple set up and I think just needs time to sort out how to use the space.

Things to do nearby: Due to the fact that the restaurant is only open for dinner - there's not a lot to do around here.

The Food
For a first visit, I am highliy optimistic and am looking forward to trying more dishes. I was impressed with the Curry Puffs (pictured below in the background) above all else. You know how sometimes, when you go to Thai restaurants, their Curry Puff has more air and curry inside the pastry? This is certainly not the case here. The serving portions are generous and there are chunks of minced meat and potato in this. This is the real deal - maybe they will eventually serve it with peanut sauce rather than the extremely sweet sauce at the moment - that would make it perfect.

The Deep Fried Wontons (above in the foreground) and the Wonton Soup (pictured below), with generous lashings of vegetables were also winners, with very generous servings and lots of meat in the wontons. Yummy. I have also had the Tom Kha (with chicken) which is not bad though I like mine with more sourness generally.

Gang Keow Wan - Green Curry with Chicken, nice thick sauce, a generous serving and not overpowering. This is not bad at all and what I like most about it is that it is not sweet. It has a very home-cooked feel to to it and would appeal to many people. I ocassionally would prefer my Green Curry to be more pungent - but tonight, this was just fine.

I have also had the Larb Gai (Minced Chicken Salad) and have to say this was probably the most disappointing dish of all as it did not have enough lime and acidity for me, and there was not enough crunchy roasted rice that I look for in Larb.

The Service
Really friendly service and most attentive. This is good and although some of the wait staff are still in training, they did a really good job. There doesn't seem to be any teething problems with service, which is great to see.

Overall
This was a really pleasant experience. Being the only diners at the time, it did feel strange but that wasn't the restaurant's fault. I look forward to trade picking to help create a bit of an atmosphere. Meanwhile - it seems that their delivery trade will keep them busy.

Cultural Moment
I want to talk about Hot Asian dishes - Chilli Spicy Hotness that characterises iconic Asian dishes from different regions. Many Asian cultures would claim to have hot dishes that they think others won't be able to cope with. So then, who has the hottest dish in Asia? Which culture trumps the others in terms of ability to induce tears, numbness and towel madness to wipe away the perspiration?

The reality is that most cultures in Asia have some pretty hot dishes, but also different types of 'hotness' I will elaborate on. So, let's start from the furthest east.

Japan - While Japanese dishes are generally not well know for spiciness, they do have the iconic Wasabi paste. Try a small teaspoon of this without tearing up and burning up all your sinuses. While this is not Chilli hot, it is intense and though it does pass one quicker than Chilli hotness, it's intensity can make anyone cry and is most felt in the nasal passages.

Korea - Korean cuisine is filled with all sorts of very spicy dishes, including chilli laden kimchis, and hot chilli soups. On average, there's quite a bit of spice in this cuisine but there's one dish that makes me want to run for a cold drink just thinking about it right now. That's Jjampong - a seafood chilli noodle soup.  It is hot hot hot with intense chilli and the spiciness is in the soup which burns your entire mouth!

China - Ok, instead of talking about it, I should show you the picture in another blog entry. This Hot and Spicy soup is a northern Chinese delicacy. The one in the picture is supposed to be 'medium spiciness'. Northern Chinese cuisine is laden with dried chillies, in ther stir-fries, soups and just as a side dish. Also, because these dishes are usually quite oily, they coat your mouth with a layer of chilli oil that's not easy to get rid of. In addition, not only does this dish use chilli, it also uses the mouth numbing Szechuan peppercorn, which adds another level of 'pain' for the willing.

Vietnam - Vietnamese cuisine doesn't believe in numbing the diner but gives the option through the chilli sauces and fresh cut bird's eye chilli which is pretty naturally vicious. Feel free to add to your Pho and turn it into a bowl of really hot soup.

Thailand - The Thais eat some really hot dishes that are chilli based. Even the innocuous Tom Yum Soup can be cooked with a level of chilli that would make the most experienced chilli eater sweat. You just have to be clear the level of spice you can take. There's no one dish that's particularly vicious but many Thai dishes have the potential for killer chilli levels.

Malaysia and Singapore - Like the Thais, the Malaysians and Singaporeans do eat some really hot dishes, with chilli infused into every day dishes. There's also usually a side serve of chilli sauce, or fresh cut chillies. They do add a range of chilli varieties more liberally to many of their dishes. They also have sambal chillies which they use in their stir fries and curries.

Sarawak - Notable mention because this is where I am from. Like other Malaysians, Sarawakians do like spicy food but there's an added dimension in Sarawak. They produce pepper (not capsicum) which adds a different level of spiciness to many dishes. I am one of those people who can take the intense heatiness of the pepper spice even though my tolerance for chilli is relatively low, compared to the rest of my family. The intensity of pepper spiciness creates a warmth in me which I love in winter.

Indonesia - The range of spicy dishes here is pretty prolific and the Indonesians also like adding chilli pastes to their dishes. Their sambal chillies can be pretty intense and if you are looking for a bit of an adventure in Melbourne, try the sambal at Warung Agus. It's not for the faint hearted. Again, like her other Southeast Asian neighbours, the level of chilli can be introduced to everything from your basic noodle dish to your curries. Sometimes, the chilli is nicely tampered with the sweet sauces that Indonesians love so much.

Sri Lanka - Sri Lankan sambols and intense chilli infused dishes are probably some of the hottest in the world without numbing the mouth. The high chilli content also serve to preserve some of the condiments and dishes, which when used as an accompaniment, will probably drive you to tears. Unlike places in Southeast Asia and China where many dishes are not hot at all, in Sri Lanka, the opposite is probably more true.

India - With Indian cuisine, the more south you travel, the spicier and hotter the food, or you could say - the closer to Sri Lanka, the hotter the food. Some of the curries in South India are really intense and would be impossible to eat without lashings of rice or roti.

So, I hope you have enjoyed reading about hot dishes around Asia - who wins? I don't know as I am not chilli crazy... I like to actually enjoy my food without tearing and worrying about how I look as my glasses collect my dripping perspiration, as I eat. Having said that, I do have a tolerance for chilli but it should be a joy - not a pain.

Ghin Khao (Thai)

242 Swanston St, Melbourne, VIC 3000

This restaurant is usually full in the evenings and even at lunch. Yet, it has a really low score on Urbanspoon with quite a bit of displeasure focused on the service and authenticity of the food. It is in a prime location on Swanston Street to attract passing trade, workers around the area, students and tourists. Perhaps it is just trading on location. However, I do know that the previous restaurant in this exact location didn't do as well because it was pitched at the wrong level. Ghin Khao has clearly got something right from the crowds it attracts. So, what is it all about?

The Place

Pretty Lights

This two level space is tastefully decorated and contemporary. It is an attractive looking restaurant though like many places in the area, they do seat the diners a bit too close to each other. However, it's no where near as squishy as some of the others withing 100 metres. It's not bad at all as far as sound insulation and ventilation goes. So, it's actually well set up across two levels. I have seen groups of up to 10 dining here with ease.

Things to do Nearby: Set right on Swanston Street where much of the action is, and a block away from QV in one direction, and Bourke Street Mall in the other, there's plenty to see.

The Food
Firstly the portions here are very generous and they don't hold back on relatively fresh ingredients. The food is actually not bad at all but it is watered down considerably for Australian tastebuds. This is not to say it doesn't have authentic flavours - all the basic tastes are still there but they don't have the intensity you might expect, if you are comparing it against the food in Thailand. Some would argue that the lack of intensity renders the food here inauthentic. Yet, having been a Thailand a number of times, I know that not all Thai dishes have to be that intense and not even all Thai places serve food with that sort of richness - which some might even accuse of being bland.

In fact, there're few things more authentic than a dish like Khao Pad Naem (see above) - which is Thai Fried Rice with Pickled Pork (or they call it fermented pork here which sounds just a tad unsavoury). This is one of the few Thai places in Melburne that serves this dish. Their version lacks a kick but the flavours are not bad at all so that even the novice will find the spice level very manageable.

Rather average Chicken Curry Puffs with Disappointing Peanut Sauce

Chiang Mai Noodles (with soft and crispy noodles) Yum but not for the vegetarians :)

The Service

This is where it all falls flat. This place doesn't have the expected friendly Thai service that one has come to expect. When they serve the food without even looking at you, it starts to grate badly. When it gets crowded, the pressure really gets to them and their service becomes very brusque, hurried and definitely non-personable. Also, they have trouble keeping track of who's sitting where so that when you want to pay the bill - it, usually takes longer than necessary. Finally, diners in the same group are very unlikely to get their food at the same time. So, unlinke most Thai restaurants where service leaves little to complain about, this place really doesn't seem to put in much of an effort - but with a location like this and the continued crowd, I am not sure they care.

Overall
I would go there when it is less busy to try a range of different dishes, and perhaps when they are under less pressure.

Cultural Moment
As they say on the menu, Ghin Khao literally translates to "Eat Rice" - a call to let others know it's meal time. In most Asian cultures, meal times are still family events and the traditional basic rituals are still very much intact. Mostly, it's set around inviting elders to eat, or waiting for them to start, and then inviting peers to eat. The call to eat, therefore, is not unusual and happens in most parts of Asia.

I am not going to write a piece here on dining etiquette - the fact is, it's different in different parts of Asia and maybe I'll do it at some point, but not here. For now, what's important is to remember to 'invite' hosts and elders to partake before you dig in, or even better, to wait for them to be seated and start. However, in some places, it's just as likely that the Host will want you to start and insist on it - go with the flow.

Paladarr Thai Issan

7 Rowe St, Alphington, VIC 3078

http://www.paladarr.com.au/
Upmarket Dining in the suburbs is rare but when it is done right, is always a treat. Paladarr Thai has all the trappings of a potentially good restaurant other than its relatively obscure location. It has some really lovely offerings which is topped with attentive and friendly service. While it is not perfect in all things, there is a lot to like about Paladarr Thai Issan.

The Place
This is a very nicely decorated restaurant with the right balance of traditional Thai paraphernalia and contemporary sensibilities. This is a really well set up space with heaps of room between groups of diners. There are also private dining rooms here for larger groups. It is a fully carpeted and curtained restaurant, which means that you are very likely to get a nice quiet meal and be able to hear the conversation without having to raise your voice. They also don't feel the need to play loud distracting music, which is nice. Parking is usually ok in the evenings around the restaurant and where the Alphington Train Station is.

Things to do Nearby: This is a first so far - there's NOTHING to do nearby.

The Food

There is a lot to like about the freshly cooked dishes here. The ingredients are really lovely and the only issue for me is the portion size - they tend towards the smaller size. Otherwise, most of the dishes are really quite lovely and meant to be shared. There are not a lot of very spicy chilli offerings on the menu. They have gone for the lightly spiced range of Thai dishes. The one real disappointment for me here is that they don't serve Thai tea! Here are some of the highlights for me;

Creamy Crumbled Pork in Coconut Milk (pictured above) is a lovely starter and really delicate, great with the pieces of roti, and fresh vegetables.

Northern Thai (Lean) Pork Sausages (pictured below) here have a really lovely taste but because of the use of only lean meat, it tends to be a bit dry. However, I am happy to put up with a little bit of driness for health because the flavours are atill there.

They also do a spectacular Deep Fried Whole Fish with a salad. It's simply beautifully balanced in terms of both flavours and textures. The green apple, green mango and cashew salad is completely refreshing but tangy, to balance out wiht the savoury crispy fish. So Yummy!

Their range of curries are never over spicy and may not have enough kick for the diehard Thai chilli fans. However, even for the diehard fans, the Mussaman Curry (pictured left) is a hard to criticise, as the curry which usually has the least chilli. The Mussaman here is really tasty and the beef is close to melting in your mouth. They tend to add the nuts in at the end so that they are still crunchy.

I have to say though that they do serve a range of 'Thai inspired' desserts which do not necessarily appeal to me. I prefer my Thai desserts more traditional but the ones here are completely contemporary, including Rickett's Point icecreams, coconut panacottas and of course the lemon tart pictured here.

The Service

Basic flavoursome Pork Belly and Chinese Broccoli

The service here is what you would expect from a fine dining restaurant. They are very attentive, friendly and most willing to explain how things work and what the dishes are. The food comes out in a timely manner and different courses are very well timed. The hot towels at the very end is such a lovely touch.

Overall
When I feel like a nice relaxed meal where I won't be hurried and can expect great service and am happy to pay a little bit more, but can't be bothered going into town, this would be my go to place. For a bit of a special meal, without worrying about having really spicy food, this is not a bad place to go back to.

One of the few places in Melbourne that serves Betel Leaves

Cultural Moment
There is a range of Thai curries and I am going to be talking about them here. In many Thai places in Melbourne, you could have any of the styles of curries with any protein. I just don't think that's quite right because each of the curries have quite a specific flavour that does go better with a particular protein.

Gang Keow Wan (Green Curry), green from the additional coriander, green chillies, basil and kaffir lime, this is probably the most famous ad popular curry. Usually meant to be a bit sweeter and less hot than the red curry. The best meat for this is chicken pieces (not necessarily breast meat only).

Gang Phet (Red Curry), is supposed to be a whole lot hotter with red chillies (fresh and dried) being the main event of the paste. The paste here is also used for Tod Mun Pla (Thai fishcakes). This strong curry tends to be good with red meats, especially roast duck or sliced beef. Sometimes, fruit is added here for natural sweetness to tamper the hotness of the chillies.

Gang Pa (Jungle Curry) from northern Thailand, with no coconut milk to tame the chillies here. This is a watery curry and it's like chilli soup, perfect with wild boar or pork.

Gang Mussamun (Peanut Curry), is introduced by the Muslims to Thailand, and is a less chilli hot curry, but uses quite a bit of cumin, coriander seeds and usually includes star anise. This curry is mild and works really well in combination with potato, nuts and chunky pieces of beef, or tofu.

Gang Som (Sour Curry) is another curry which generally doesn't use coconut milk, but fish stock and some tamarind would be perfect, as well as pineapple in the soup. You can probably guess that this would be great with talay (seafood) and any number of fish.

Gang Kari (Yellow Curry) uses tumeric and both coconut cream and coconut milk, making it a very rich curry - not always thick like mussamun but the coconut milk does make it rich. It's also usually a bit less spicy than the other curries. Chicken on the bone goes really well with this.

Gang Panang (Penang Curry) is influenced by the northern Malaysian Penang region, and uses coconut milk It also uses cumin and is a lot less sweet than Mussamun curry. Usually suits chicken pieces.

Thai Tiki Hut

571, High St, Northcote, VIC 3070

Opened in early 2013, this place is still doing a roaring trade with its fun set up in a relatively small space. It is helping to provide new life to a couple of quiet Thornbury High Street blocks. While it is currently a relative unknown, I suspect it has the potential to become one of those famous suburban restaurants that people will travel to in the near future. It's of course, going to depend on how well Thai Tiki Hut caters to the wider audience in the medium to long run. This is a fully licensed restaurant.

The Place

Nice huh? I quite like it.

This is a fun set up with booths (set up like huts) to one side of the restaurant and moveable chairs and tables on the other side that can cater to groups of different sizes. It has a great atmosphere though I think eventually, they will have to turn the music down a little as the volume of the bustling crowd rises. The noise ventilation isn't great and it does get loud in here. One complaint I have is that the ration of plate size to table top size is not great. The tables are rather small at best but the big dinner and serving plates do not help the situation. Otherwise, I do like the space as there's a lot to see. Parking shouldn't be too bad in the evenings in this area, and there's always on street parking on Darebin Road too which is close by.

Things to do Nearby: While there's not a lot to see in this area of High Street, Thornbury - back tracking a couple of blocks back to Northcote will find you in the midst of the High Street shops of Northcote which are both charming and quaint.

The Food

The food is not bad but there are a few things that I think they are still adjusting to. Firsly, they served slightly overdone rice, and I am a firm believer that if you are a restaurant for which rice is a staple, you need to get this right and if this is wrong, you have to start again. I am hoping this is not a natural occurence and that it was a once off mistake. Otherwise, I am going to list here one highlight and one let down.



Pad Med Marmuang

 The highlight for me was the Pad Med Marmuang (Beef Stir Fry with Cashews) were better than average for a number of reasons. It's not overly sweet like some of the other places around town. The beef is really well marinated, fresh and tasty.  You can also tell from the picture to the left that tt was not greasy which is always good. It could do with a bit more black pepper and chilli but otherwise, it's pretty good.

The Larb (Warm Pork Salad) on the other hand was a let down. While the balance of flavours was there, the issue was that the meat was dry (as if it was pre-overcooked in stock/water) before being mixed in to the salad. Therefore, instead of juicy bits of mince, it was dry mince and this made for a less than ideal dish. If they can fix that, this would be a go-er.

The curry puffs here were not bad either here, served with the light peanut sauce, rather than the usual Sweet Thai Chilli Sauce.

The Service

Understated and polite service, this place works well when it is not too busy. However, I think they need more than 2 wait staff even on a busy Monday night when the restaurant was more than half full to take the pressure off. The area for improvement here is in the timing in which the dishes were served. At the moment, I think the kitchen is struggling to get the dishes out at the same time for each table. Ours was not the only table where one main came a good 7 - 10 minutes before the next. If you were sharing dishes, this would be fine but if you were not, then some are going to have to either wait a while or start first. They need to get all these kinks right to truly sustain its current wave of honeymoon popularity.

Overall

I liked this place and am looking forward to going again to try a range of other dishes. I look forward to it growing though I suspect I will be annoyed when I can no longer just walk in without a reservation on a weeknight when I feel like it. In the mean time, I have a hangy take away menu.

Cultural Moment
A Tiki Hut is a Polynesian inspired hut with the whole straw roof and outdoorsy feel. It became very popular in the 1950s and 1960s around the same time as that famous cocktail - Mai Tai (which has nothing to do with Thailand). I am not sure what the connection is between Thai culture and the Tiki - it seems to be a theme running through a few restaurants in Melbourne that combines Thai and Polynesian themes (usually Thai food with Tiki deco and cocktails).

Bangkok Rain

176, Rathdowne St, Carlton, VIC 3053

http://www.bangkokrain.com/
What a treat! More people need to get here and enjoy the offerings of this under-rated Thai Restaurant. It's not even that far from the city and is probably one of the best Thai restaurants in the inner north region. This is authentic 'home' cook to order Thai and you can actually let them know how spicy you want your dishes. It's a great family run restaurant. If you have not been there, I suggest doing so now. The flavours are well balanced, the ingredients are fresh and it's not over powering like some Thai places can be.

The Place
This is a small cafe that has a really amazing mural, feels really cozy, and is always clean. It's a bit dark inside but that's part of the ambience. They usually have jazz music going too. I really like the space even though you tend to be seated rather close to other diners. It's also a child firendly space. The one thing that is somewhat difficult is probably the parking around the space - there's not a lot of it and you have to park on the street (Rathdowne and other off streets close by).

Things to do Nearby: Lygon Street is not too far and a 15 minute walk gets you to Brunswick Street. This is close enough to Cinema Nova (no more than a 10 minute walk).

The Food

Yummy Fish Cakes

They have a great selection of curries, stir fries, appetizers, soups and they are good for vegetarians too.

The highlights amongst the appetizers are the Thai Fish Cakes and Curry Puffs with their generous serves of Thai sweet chilli sauce. The Thai Fish Cakes are freshly cooked and balances the fish paste with the crunchiness of the snake beans. The Curry Puffs come with light pastry and yummy filling.

With the stir fries, the various Fried Rice offerings are really yummy without being greasy like so many other places. The other dishes such as the Cashew Stir Fry and the Basil Stir Fry are also good to sample. They are not too sweet and are cooked to order. They can go from really mild to seriously hot - you just have to know how you like it.

I have also had the Tom Kha Gai here which is love, fresh, and authentic (though I would like a bit more tanginess). I have to say that the ingredients are really fresh. None of that pre-cooked meats coated in sauce business that you might find in some places. Therefore, you have to be prepared to wait a bit more than some of the quick and fast food type places.

Fresh Tom Kha

The Service

This family run restaurant it very down to earth with a no fuss attitude. They are always happy to engage in conversation and to explain the dishes. It's all a bit casual and might put off some people but really, this is all very informal and relaxed and I suggest that if you are going there, you need to take that on too. Despite the casualness, I have always found them to be most attentive and willing to help out. If you are lucky, the chef herself might bring her proud creations out to you.

Overall

I like the informal feel and the authentic food. It's a place that I am proud to recommend and even most of Urbanspoon readers love it. All the comments seem to be favourable. So, give it a go.

Cultural Moment

Ok - this is a cultural moment with a difference... it's not very cultural but I am inspired to discuss it. The quandary of whether one should highlight a hidden gem and share it with everyone - at the risk of diluting the experience for one self. Should this be done? Should we let everyone know? So, if after reading this - you all start going and everyone has to line up to get in because it gets so popular, then I have just spoilt it all for myself, haven't I?

However, that's not in the spirit of this blog or of sites like Urbanspoon. I think a hidden gem, when shared can become more polished rather than diminished. Here's hoping that they continue to do well and continue to improve and flourish. I look forward to many more outings in the hidden gems I have discovered around town and to share them with you.