@Bangkok Restaurant- Haymarket, Sydney.
Waiting in the queue for a restaurant is a test on your stomach and irritating on the nerves for patrons that are unfortunately seated at the closest table to the door as you have people eye-balling you to hasten your meal. You would rarely have to wait every meal as almost every restaurant allows for bookings, but if you visit places such Chat Thai, Musashi and Ayam Goreng 99 during the times when bookings can’t be made, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
It was suggested to me that if Chat Thai is full, as it normally is, head across the street into Capitol Square to an authentic Thai restaurant called @Bangkok. This restaurant at first sight had a cozy atmosphere: tv screens on the walls that were playing karaoke, a performance stage where shows are held on Saturdays, specials on a blackboard, stool-cushioned seating on the centre of the room and chair seating on the tables against the wall.
Here Comes The Food
Thai Milk Tea: Armed with my refreshing milk tea I’m ready for the spices ahead.
Som Tum Thai ($12.90): This is a papaya salad with spicy, sweet and sour taste served with tomato, cashew and dried shrimp. One morsel of the salad was enough to cause me to lunge for my milk tea. In a word – explosive. As soon as it hits you tongue there is a slight tickle on the tastebuds, within seconds the spicy had me sucking in cool air as the flavours startle my expectations. I momentarily escape from my situation by looking across the table at my dining partner, and I thought I had it bad, beads of perspiration were forming on her forehead and she was uncontrollably wiping her nose, I can’t but help to find relief at the cost of someone else experiencing the same strangely satisfying suffering that I am going through. Reading other people’s experiences, it seems they didn’t react to the spiciness of this dish as I did, some even expressing wanting more spice: perhaps the spice levels varies depending on the mood of the chef?
Green Curry ($13.90): Thai green curry cooked with roast duck, thai eggplant, vegetables and basil. The creaminess of the curry cools off our tongues and brings us back down from spice heaven to warming flavours. The roast duck pieces are generous and meaty with the flavour of the curry immersed inside the pieces. The serving is pretty big and is packed with a variety of vegetables: carrots, baby bok choy, green beans, capsicum et al. Although not as spicy as red curry, the green curry I would rank as border-lining medium from mild.
Khai Yeaw Ma Kra Prow Grob ($15.90): 1000 years-preserved eggs topped with stir-fried minced chicken, chilli and garlic. At the recommendation of my cousin who also recommended me this restaurant I order this. The dish actually is served with minced pork, however we substituted it for minced chicken and it worked out well. The minced chicken was a bit too salty for me but was a good accompaniment with rice. The preserved eggs were crispy on the outside and had a silky texture on the inside, they preserved egg taste that you would normally expect wasn’t as obvious as it would normally be, but nevertheless hints of the delicate texture were there.
Sticky Rice Durian ($7.5): Sticky rice cooked in durian and coconut milk. Am I the only person that reads the dessert menu first? As soon as I saw this I know what I wanted it. I’m a hard person to impress when it comes to dessert and the simplicity of this dish and its resulting flavours met that mark. The pungent flavour of the durian that either makes your deliriously giddy or wrinkle your nose in disgust worked well with the sticky rice and coconut milk. Every spoonful was infused with rich aromas and equally delectable combinations of durian flesh and toothsome clumps of sticky rice.
@Bangkok in my opinion is a contender that could easily substitute Chat Thai with the variety of dishes offered on its menu and the fact that you can book it. The pricing is pretty reasonable for the sizing of the portions you get. The attentiveness of service is more than acceptable and I would happily go back again.
@Bangkok Thai Cuisine Restaurant
Capitol Square Building
Shop G11, 730-742 George Street
Haymarket NSW 2000
Phone (02) 9211 5232
posted by D
February 10th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
I’ve never been to Chaat Thai as I heard it is almost impossible to get a seat – good to know I can now go elsewhere.
February 10th, 2010 at 9:45 pm
I ended up here after seeing the long line at Chat Thai, totally agree with your review. Except I can always do with more chilli
The durian dessert looks so good, I want to try that!
February 10th, 2010 at 10:26 pm
A place to keep up my sleeve when Chat Thai is bursting at the seams. Better not let my husband know there’s durian dessert though…
February 10th, 2010 at 10:49 pm
Sounds like a worthy candidate for Thai in the area, we’ll have to check it out. Have you tried the Capitol Thai (just next door) evening hot pot buffets for $21? It’s not bad value at all, though perhaps not akin to any Thai food I’ve tasted before, much milder.
February 10th, 2010 at 11:18 pm
thanks for the tip. i’ll keep in mind. i’ve yet to try chat thai in haymarket at the moment.
February 11th, 2010 at 4:59 am
I’ve always wondered what this place was like, so thanks for the review. I’m always looking for an alternative to Chat Thai, and this looks quite decent indeed.
February 11th, 2010 at 9:08 am
oh lol i look at the dessert menu first too! good to know they have durian + sticky rice when chat thai is too packed to eat at
February 13th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
i usually browse dessert menu first, my friends always comment on that “omg how can u decide on dessert before main? i thought uw ere hungry!” hehe
that green curry looks mean, and yummy durian and sticky rice mm. cravings for thai now
February 14th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
haha yess the dessert menu is the most important section !
that durian sticky rice looks so ugly but I bet it tasted soo goood ahaha
April 13th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
Have they changed the phone number?
I’ve been calling them to try book a seats for a social event with my friends, and it continues to go “Sorry we cannot take your message rightnow , Thank you for calling & goodbye”