Cheap and Cheerful

KRATIAM THAI CUISINE 180 Victoria road Drummoyne Tel - 9719 8841 www.kratiam.com.au Review # 1 FOOD Kratiam means garlic in Thai so you wont be surprised to find chef K,s signature dish is wok fried marinated chicken in a spicy garlic and pepper sauce. Other standout dishes include pad thai with prawns in a thick tamarind sauce and crispy skin roast duck rice paper rolls with plenty of cucumber and coriander.

CHILI FACTOR Keep away from the jungle curry, SERIOUSLY. Im the kind of foodie who cant live without dried chili on my fried rice and pad thai so you have been warned. SERVICE Always polite and deferential. Their attentiveness can wane if they are bombarded with takeaway and internet orders. ATMOSPHERE Music can range from those traditional rice barge instrumentals to Katy Perry or whatever is on the waitresses Ipod. The impromptu floorshow is provided by five year old Janice, the owners daughter who only knows one English word - "takeaway!" which she can be seen spruiking on the footpath. Her favourite trick is to sit opposite you and sketch your portrait if she finds your farrang face particularly appealing.

PARKING Plenty of side streets and unlimited parking on Victoria road after peak hour. FACILITIES Outside and around and back in the same building so as to avoid the busy kitchen and Janice,s chillout room. No real disabled access but being Thai they will find a way to wheel/carry your elders down the side of the building. VALUE A lot of bang for your baht. A small plate of seafood dumplings start from $6.90 and I paid $14.90 for a large Pad Thai with prawns and dried chili flakes. The roast duck rice paper rolls cost a measly $6.90 ! Voucher and internet offers every month so check online before you book.

NOISE If the front door is shut, you cant even hear the traffic on Victoria road although the phone and fax are constantly ringing. Plenty of soft Siamese decor so conversation levels are clubbily pleasant . RECOMMENDED DISHES Their pad thai is one of the best Thai staples in Sydney. They dont stint on the tamarind like some I can shame. Anything with their deep fried tofu is chewily scrumptious and if you choose their crispy skin roast duck you will be very popular. FOOTNOTE The cheap in the title is pretty obvious but the cheerful reference is directed at chef K. You wont have any trouble recognising him, hes the one with the permanent Thai smile and a cute portrait on the back of his crisp white uniform sketched by young Janice. K has plenty to smile about .

Lunch time in Petchaburi

After an extensive look around the Petchaburi temple caves you need to head back into town to eat anything halfway tasty. There is a very average looking diner on the main street . Its on the left hand side if you are coming from the main highway that runs from Bangkok to Phuket. Its family run and I managed to get a nice snap of the disabled old matriarch who still slaves over a hot wok every day for her loyal customers. I ordered the fried rice with prawns and of course Tuk had me try all the other dishes. A thin foreigner is considered bad publicity . Cheap and cheerful.

Hualamphong railway station canteen

This is one of those places where you go to a cashier and she doles out a bunch of printed vouchers of different denominations. The food is surprisingly good and not at all expensive. I spied some good looking fish on one of the chefs personal plates but when I tried to order the same no dice and lots of embarrassed smiles all around. Oh well- you cant blame a guy for trying. 

My first breakfast in Thailand

Sunday 17/01/2010

Known internationally as the Isaan holy trinity , i am hoeing into kai yaang

 ( grilled chicken) ,  som-tam ( hot and sour papaya salad) , khao niaw ( sticky jasmine rice) and a healthy drizzling of red and green bird shit chilies in a fish and soy sauce combo. I found this street hawker opposite Latkabang soi 24 not far from the airport . Most helpful and very yummy. 

Home Cooking at its Best !

Talee Thai
1/700 Victoria road
Ermington

Review # 1

Let me start this review by saying I have eaten over twenty five different dishes at this Bangkok style roadside diner. Its legendary in these parts because of its machine like chef Bun who abuses one very dependable wok with only the aid of her sister in law Fong. The business is primarily takeaway although there,s room for maybe twelve diners if you are prepared to sit on cushionless aluminium chairs.
From their tiny kitchen Bun can whip up a choice of eighty six Thai dishes in a matter of seconds such is their military preparation.For first timers I would recommend an entree of either chicken satay or their deep fried fish cakes made from finely minced fresh fillets and served with sweet chili sauce.
Mains are a little more difficult to select as I have three favourites I alternate with alarming regularity. Their signature dish Talee chicken are tender chicken fillets marinated in Isaan style spices . You will recognise the garlic and coriander no doubt.
Most Thai expats I drag out from the CBD claim the Pad Thai is the best they have ever tasted since leaving home. Your toughest call will be choosing either chicken or prawn( my current favourite is Pad Thai Goong).
Another staple dish for the locals is Spicy Fried Rice but if you are an inner city adventurer or a veteran Thai foodie you wont find it pet mark at all.
If you are a fan of Thai style curry you cant go wrong with either Mussamun beef or red curry chicken cooked in coconut milk with bamboo shoots , vegetables and Thai basil of course.
Entrees start from six dollars and mains between eleven and fourteen dollars.

Thai Bamboo Wollongong -4th of July-early dinner

Food
Authentic Thai cuisine refined to perfection with generous, farrang sized helpings.

Chili factor
Too subtle to worry either of us.

Service
Attentive and politely inquisitive.

Atmosphere
Suburban rustic with the usual traditional Thai folk C.D. skipping in the background. Tiny room as the owner is the chef and she works front of house. Talk about industrious! 24 diners max.

Parking
Plenty behind Crown street mall.

Facilities
Unisex outdoor toilet. Toilet paper proffered every visit. Cute or theres a dunny paper thief on the loose in the Gong.Child friendly too.

Value
If you throw in the complementary entree of curry puffs- worth the drive down Bulli pass.
$25.50 for both of us and full as the proverbial tick.

Noise
Just the sound of utensils scraping against china.

Recommended dishes
My pick is the Penang chicken curry . It comes with mixed veggies and is smoothed using a thicker coconut cream. Dreamy! Alex kept coming back to the Nua Yang . A huge pile of barbecued slices of grilled, marinated beef accompanied with a wonderful home made dipping sauce.

Footnote
No M.S.G.
The Penang curry was so mesmerizing that I only thought about pulling out my camera when I contemplated the Nua Yang. There,s always next time.

Newtown Thai- Saturday 4th of July 2009- late lunch

Food
Fast , student quality , regulation fare. Vegetable content is higher than normal as this is the vegetarian capital of Australia. The pad thai is way too sugary and the prawns are undercooked which is not unusual for for Sydney Thai cuisine. The fish fillets have been dipped in flour before being deep fried( coeliacs beware!).

Chili factor
From mild and sweet to pungently explosive.

Service
Rushed and business like. My Thai companion knew our waitress but her colleague had misplaced her Thai smile until the grey haired farrang ( Mick) started speaking in his pigeon Thai .

Atmosphere
Packed to the rafters and not because of its canteen like ambiance. We had unexpected company in the form of a curious European cockroach perched at eye level on the side wall. He appeared to be a big fan of Thai cuisine.

Parking
Impossible.

Value
$20 for two dishes including a small rice and gets as low as $6 per plate for the lunch time specials.Great for the budget conscious. My companion is here on a student visa . My first choice was Thai Pothong.

Noise
Normal King street racket.

Recommended dishes
Neither of these. Would give it another go if I were in the neighbourhood and Thai Pothong was full.