Pacific Rim Thai

It was no surprise to me when I heard our neighbouring table comment "no need to see the menu" as we sat down to eat at this Albert Park institution.  Situated on the corner of Ferrars and Vic Ave for as long as I can remember, there is a reason why the locals keep coming back to Pacific Rim Thai - and no, it's not just because the food is fresh and full of flavour - Pacific Rim Thai is proof that you don't have to go to a fine dining restaurant to get top quality service.  Not only were the staff incredibly friendly and attentive, they made sure our water carafe was never empty and asked questions such as "are you ready for your mains, or would you like to wait a while?".

Offering all the usual Thai culprits, on this occasion we couldn't go past the vegetable curry puffs, the roti with peanut sauce, the Pad Se Ewe and the Penang Beef Curry.  The thing that really sets Pacific Rim Thai apart from the rest is the freshness of their food and the inclusion of vegetables.  For instance, the vegetable curry puffs were filled with actual chunks of real vegetables (not a blended paste like you get at some places), and the Penang Beef Curry, which is usually served up with a token potato or carrot, was stuffed full of grilled vegetables including capsicum and zucchini - delicious!

Pacific Rim Thai's roti bread is also some of the best going around - crisp and buttery, it is served with a very generous portion of peanut sauce.

Offering a byo policy, Pacific Rim Thai is definitely my recommendation for Thai restaurants if you're in the Albert Park/Middle Park area.

Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Venue: 3/5
Total: 11/15
Verdict: Love - get around to trying it soon

Gru Thai

They say that you should never judge a book by its cover, well when it comes to Gru Thai, you shouldn’t judge a restaurant by its shop front. Looking cheap, dark and dingy from the outside - you’d be forgiven for thinking this place doubled up as a brothel. However, on walking through Gru Thai’s doors I was surprised to find a light and bright restaurant brimming with patrons.

From fish cakes to Thai green curry, Gru Thai has all of usual culprits. The drunken noodles with minced pork and green beans however was by far the highlight of the night, and definitely a dish I would go back to Gru Thai to order again.




The pad chicken satay was also on our menu for the night.  The chicken was cooked well, and the vegetables remained crisp, however the sauce was verging on watery and lacked any depth of flavour.

 

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the service was petty dismal - not only was it slow, they forgot our entrees, served two of our mains without rice, then served the last main about 45 minutes later. But service aside, the drunken noodles were enough to make Gru Thai a contender for takeaway.


Food: 3/5
Service: 2/5
Venue: 3/5
Total: 8/10
Verdict: like - get around to trying it at some point - but perhaps stick to take out

Okra

On dining at Okra in Hawthorn East, it quickly becomes apparent how they came to be awarded an elusive Chef Hat.  Set across two levels (a general dining area down the bottom and a function space at the top), Okra's menu blends Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian cuisine.

It's the little touches that turn a good restaurant into a great one, and for Okra this included serving its Khanom Jeep steamed chicken dumplings with yogurt, soy and aioli in a saucer of hot water to keep them warm, and the baked tangy oysters on a fiery Moroccan-esque plate to add an element of theatre to the night.

Okra's Thai Green curry is the stuff that dreams are made of - rich, fragrant and creamy, paired with Okra's homemade buttery roti Chanai bread, it's one of the best dishes I have had all year. Also showcasing Okra's exceptional curry skills is their whole snapper  - whilst a whole fish may be intimidating to some, the snapper was cooked to perfection and the curry sauce was bursting with flavour.

Unfortunately the okra (their signature dish) never really stood a chance with me - as much as I appreciated the flavours and the way it was cooked, I have never been an okra fan and Okra's Tumis balachan okra with chilli shrimp paste still didn't manage to change my mind. 

Whilst it's impressive that Okra makes their own durian icecream (and I'm sure it's a flavour that would entice some) I couldn't go past the coconut or green tea icecream - a must if you still have room after your decadent feast. 

Whilst the food and the service was absolutely exceptional, there are a few (inexpensive) touches to venue that could be added to take it to next the level (for instance, some nice soap and/or greenery in the bathrooms).  

Otherwise, Okra in Hawthorn East is definitely worth the trip - even if it's just to try a serve of their dream-worthy green curry and roti!

Service: 5/5
Venue: 3/5
Food: 4.5/5
Total: 12.5/15
Verdict: Love - get around to trying it soon

159 Camberwell Road, Hawthorn East, Melbourne

The New Fave dined courtesy of Okra
 

Mr Nice Guy

Mr Nice Guy is a café-style restaurant which just oozes with character. With its mosaic tiled tables, assorted coloured chairs and rustic mirrored walls, the venue dishes out a funky vibe as soon as you walk through the multi-coloured panelled front door.

Unfortunately the food on this occasion was not as memorable as the décor.  To eat I had the Thai Green curry with brown rice.  Whilst the curry sauce itself was delicious and fragrant, the vegetables were undercooked (anyone have a steak knife handy?) and the chicken was terribly gristly - overall, a very average dish! Although, kudos on having the option of ordering brown rice over white (hint...hint fellow Melbourne Thai restaurants).

Whilst I have never had been to Mr Nice Guy for dinner, word on the street is that it is a very different dining experience to that of the lunch sitting. Lifting the menu to the likes of crispy pork belly with oyster sauce foam (that's right, foam!), it is definitely on the list to try in the future.

Service: 2.5/5
Décor: 4/5
Food: 2/5
Total: 8.5

Verdict: Like - get around to trying it at some point (but perhaps stay away from the Thai Green curry and opt for their delicious take on Pad Thai!)

Jinda Thai 

It's no secret that Jinda Thai is one of Melbourne's best Thai restaurants. Nestled in an alleyway near North Richmond station, it would be easy to blink twice and miss this bustling Thai establishment.

With its exposed brick walls, large white wooden framed windows, packed share tables, and modern open steel kitchen, this industrial style venue has a homely but lively dinner vibe. 

Filled with popular Thai curries, stir-fries and rice noddle dishes (all at a very reasonably price), the menu itself is what you'd expect from a traditional Melbourne Thai restaurant. But the food itself was far from the every day Thai - fresh, vibrant and just bursting with flavour.

Whilst a curry puff is generally just a curry puff - Jinda Thai's curry puff ($7.90) took the dish to a whole new level.  Crisp on the outside and delectably spiced on the inside, the little puff was far from oily and was complimented beautifully with its accompanying peanut sauce.

 

For mains we shared the Thai green curry ($16.90) and the chicken and cashew nut stir-fry ($16.90).  Whilst the stir-fry usually came with 'crispy' lightly fried chicken, the staff didn't hesitate to accommodate my fellow diner's gluten intolerance, replacing the chicken with a non-fried version.  The fried chicken, however, definitely was not missed, as the crispness of the fresh vegies added the needed dimension of texture to the dish. 

The Thai green curry was up there with one of the best I have had in Melbourne - fragrant and deliciously creamy, (but not overpoweringly so) with the perfect amount of heat that was left lingering on the tastebuds.

 

Jinda Thai is famous for its pandan and milk tea cakes ($8.50).  Considering that I wasn't even sure what pandan was (I have since discovered it is a tropical plant), I thought I should definitely give it a try.  Accompanied by coconut ice-cream (which was actually my favourite part of the dish) the cake was soft and gooey with an interesting, almost green tea like flavour.  I enjoyed it, and admired it for its uniqueness, but by no means am I in a rush to go back to try some more.

Bucking away from the Melbourne trend, Jinda Thai takes bookings for lunch and dinner sittings.  As the secret has long been out as to the quality of its food, I would highly recommend making one if wanting to avoid the long line of people queuing out the door.

Service: 4/5

Venue: 4/5

Food: 4/5 

Total 12/15
Verdict: Love - rush out and try it soon

St Hotel

To sum up the St Hotel in one word - 'nice'. The old St Hotel has been resurrected by the duo behind Hanoi Hannah, Saigon Sally and Tokyo Tina. Offering modern Thai cuisine, the venue has been decked out with indoor plants, wall / ceiling art and eclectic furniture, creating an overall funky vibe.  

The staff were incredible - friendly, attentive and helpful - definitely the highlight of the night. Unfortunately the food was, well, just 'nice'. To eat we had the pork ribs, corn on the cob, sweet chilli chicken stir fry, beef stir fry and smashed Papaya salad. 

The ribs had nice flavours but were quite fatty and the corn on the cob was ok, but lacked any sort of flavour punch or wow factor.

The stir fries were the best dishes of the night - fragrant, fresh and well cooked. Unfortunately the flavours were still lacking that wow factor that makes me come running back through a restaurant's doors. 

The papaya salad was the most dissapointing dish of the night. Papaya salad is one of my fave salads - I could easily chow down on a bowel from Chin Chin any old day of the week. But this one, although not terrible, lacked texture and complexity in flavours (which wasn't helped by a lot of the papaya not being shredded properly) and the crackling on the side was described by my friend  as "smoky tasting bubble wrap". 

Whilst the food didn't blow me away, due to its impressive décor and incredible staff, I would be happy to give St Hotel another chance to impress in the future. 

Décor: 4.5/5

Service: 4.75/5

Food: 2.5/5

Total: 11.75/15

Verdict: Like - get around to trying it at some point

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