Longrain
44 Little Bourke St, City
Price: bit spendy
OMIGOD this is the best food I've had in years. From the little piles of goodness on betel leaves (think prawn, peanuts, toasted coconut & ginger), to the sublime fresh oysters with chili, lime & fried shallot, until you finally commence on the superb mains (twice cooked duck with tamarind & mandarins, soft shell crab in a red curry, pad thai worth ordering and savouring, wagyu beef cheek, and a totally amazing 'eggnet' wrapped around a salad of pork, prawns, bean sprouts & ginger). Without doubt the most delectable birthday feast I've experienced in years, and perhaps ever (though that 10-year-old birthday at Chez Carie in Orange County was also highly memorable).
Sukhumvit
Malvern Rd, Malvern
Price: Medium
This little old favourite in the Melbourne Thai food scene is still turning out some of the best gaeng kiaow gai (chicken green curry) in town. Lovely intimate setting with great service and reasonable prices.
Thaila Thai
Lygon St, East Brunswick
Price: Cheap
Instantly recognised by anyone who's ever lived up this way of town, Thaila Thai is the place you go for reliably fantastic and fresh food in huge servings (enough to take home for tomorrow's leftovers). It's a bit noisy and not your place for intimate dinners, but who cares when the food is this good? If you've been too ambitious on the chilli, you can then pop down the road to the Gelo Bar for some of Melbourne's best gelati - get in the queue early on a summer evening.
Cookie
Swanston St, City
Price: Pricey, for Thai food.
My partner lived in Thailand for about three years, and when he suggested we go to Cookie for Thai, I thought he was having a laugh. It turns out, however, that the owners (I think?) are Thai, and as a result, the food there, although significantly more expensive than your average Thai restaurant, is full of vibrant flavours, mixed and matched with expert knowledge. A jungle duck curry with a couple of lychees thrown in is a good example. And the spiciness is set on challenging, but not overwhelming. Just as good Thai food should be, I think. The only problem I had with Cookie was the overwhelming popularity - we had booked for 8pm on a Friday night, and weren't seated until almost 9. billyl
Comments (1)
Billy said
at 9:05 am on Jan 9, 2008
I finally went to Longrain last night, and I must say, I was disappointed. The food was alright, but I guess the restaurant's reputation precedes, and somewhat outshines, the actual dining experience.
First off, I had been led to believe that the dishes were of an overwhelming large size - a la Thaila Thai - and they seemed to be of just decent size. We ordered the Massaman curry lamb, which came out seeming a lot more like a Chinese hoi-sin-and-peanut braised lamb than any sort of curry. There was NO heat to the dish at all. Extremely disappointing. The som tum, however, was fantastic. As was the green curry chicken and the stir-fried rockling. I think perhaps it would have been better had we ordered more salad-y dishes?
It was a food experience, all in all, but somewhat overpriced, and given the hype, a little disappointing.
You don't have permission to comment on this page.