If
we told you this is the best Thai restaurant in Sydney, you wouldn't
believe us, right? And yet there are many out there who are professing
such a statement, and when they include other Thai chefs who have been
known to ask chef/owner Siriwan 'Yai' Srisiwanuwat to cook at their
own personal events, then we can only bow to opinion. Directly across
from Newtown's Marlborough Hotel (very handy bottleshop as Yai's Thai
is BYO only) this pretty large and largely pretty restaurant attracts
a mixed crowd of all ages, all cultures and all genders
(it's the Inner
West after all) united in their appreciation of some very fine and
generously-sized cuisine. This reviewer being a bloke, I can report
a new love affair with the Pla Muk Yad Sai, which is Squid Stuffed with
Minced Pork, Pepper & Coriander, Steamed then Stir-Fried and Served
with a Mild Home-made Sauce (pictured top-right). Boys, if you think
you've had every Thai dish on offer in Sydney, and you like a meaty-but-moreish
hint of bbq in your mains, then this is for you - the girls love it
too though so be prepared to share! Another ripper dish if you're hungry
is the Penang Seafood,
a Penang Curry of Prawns, Mussels, Calamari, Fish and Octopus in Coconut
Milk with Fresh Chilli & Kafir Lime Leaves. Yai's substantial menu
includes Stir-Fries, Salads, Soups and BBQ selections, but also vegetarians
will be impressed with a full two pages devoted to their caring and
honourable ways. Entrees are exceptional (not that the rest isn't!)
with a very lush Thai Fish Cake Salad (slices of fishcake mixed with
capsicum, ginger, cucumber, carrots, shallots, coriander and roasted
peanuts all soaked in Yai's amazing homemade dressing) and Yai's Prawn
Satay Sticks whetting the appetite. Indeed a truly integral component
of the Yai's Thai adventure is the fact that most of Yai's curry pastes,
sauces, marinades and salad dressings are created in-house, making this
a very attractive point of difference. After all, King Street in Newtown
is a highly competitive dining scene: the diners reap the rewards with
this area being a leading foodie hub in Sydney - people are virtually
guaranteed consistency every night. In Yai's case, she's blessed with
a talent for cooking and a love of food which just noses her in front
of most of the other cafes and restaurants in the area. This is Thai
food which is not just as authentic as you'll get, it's got Yai's indelible
inflections of flavours happening within it, the subtle tweaking which
separates a master from the apprentices. Extra perks? It's open for
functions,
and there's something lovely
about the atmosphere here, the orange-glow ambience seems to calm
the spirits of the diners, so it's not too noisy like so many Sydney
restaurants at the moment.
|
