Chat Thai. If you haven’t been, you don’t know what sumptuous food twelve dollars can get you. From the street, Chat Thai is very easy to miss, and unless you knew about it, and how damn good it is, you wouldn’t give it a second glance. The only thing that may clue you in is the line of people waiting for tables at any given hour. There is always a wait. Even if you reserve a table as my wonderful dining companion did for us this evening, there is still a wait. But it is worth every minute.
The food is authentic Thai street food. It strays from the usual suspects of traffic light coloured curries and Pad Thai, although those are all on the menu too.
I have a favourite. A favourite that I used to order with extra chilli, but then realised it seemed to have been made in Hell’s kitchen and really did not need the extra dose of sadism, I mean chilli. It is Ki Mao; a stir fry of thick rice noodles with dark soy sauce, chilli and holy basil. Absolutely delicious.
Tonight I ordered the favourite, and we shared Goong Yang – char grilled prawns with a chilli relish (pictured above). It was indeed a relish to relish. A sublime arrangement between piquancy, freshness and subtlety.
Another fabulous thing about Chat Thai aside from the food, the price, the convenience (it serves food well into the morning) is that it’s BYO. You gotta love that. Tonight’s feast was washed down with a light and vibrant Pinot Gris from Pipers Brook Vineyard, Tamar Ridge Tasmania. The delicate musk balanced out the spice of the food perfectly.
With great conversation* to boot, an evening at Chat Thai is an absolute must.
*You must provide your own conversation, despite the restaurant’s name.
