Chat Thai, Haymarket

Chat Thai on Campbell Street

View from the second floor.
Got to love high ceilings!

Well, if you've read the about Thai Dara, you'd know that I'm really starting to like Thai food. They've got fresh salads mostly hit by sour notes in the form of green mangoes, and on the other hand,  they've also got savoury rich thick curries which I'd love to have on a cold winter day.* There's such a great range of food, and I'm sure you're bound to like something even if it's just dessert. Chat Thai makes awesome ones!

Fresh Spring Rolls $10
Filled with smoked fish sausage, shredded poached chicken,
cucumbers and shallots wrapped in rice paper.
Dressed with a sweet tamarind sauce.

Fresh spring rolls are one of my favorite things. I never skip them whenever I'm in a Vietnamese restaurant. And they had it on the menu, I decided that it was only fitting to give it a try. The Thai version had a flavorful cured fish that imparted great smokiness, there was tofu**, and your usual vermicelli. The rice wrapper had a bite to it! Thank God it wasn't one of those flimsy ones- those are just annoying cause everything just starts popping out after your first bite.

Thai Dara: Bangkok Street Food, Gilmore

That night, there was a lot of fuss that night about where we were eating, I felt like a hearty steak while my sisters argued that they wanted Japanese food, Omakase specifically. We couldn't, in any way, reach a decision, so I told my mum that it's best if she's the one who made the choice. She said she's heard of a small Thai restaurant in Gilmore which is rather pleasant and authentic. I, for one, was never a big fan of Thai food, but since I can't think of any place in particular where I would want to dine, I agreed.*

Dad with the lemongrass iced tea.
HAHA

We all started off with some Lemongrass Iced Tea. It was pleasantly and thoroughly infused with lemongrass leaving just the slightest hum of tea. It was a bit sweet for my taste though.

Pad Thai, Pad Thai, Pad Thai!
Chloe loves Pad Thai.

The Pad Thai had perfectly cooked noodles. It was really nutty and you could obviously taste the hints of tamarind that ultimately gives the dish that depth of flavor. 

The Rice Den

It was one of those I'm so out of it Sundays up until The Rice Den. 

I love the chalkboard wall.

Wood panels and a rather unusual resort to lights

The ambiance projected a rustic cool image with the black hues, contrasting red bricks, and the warm panels of wood. I have to admit, it was a BOLD move opening this sort of restaurant considering the location it was in.

Steamed Cheong Fun- $8
Silk smooth steamed rice noodle rolls
served with our nutty sweet sesame and Rice Den sauce
topped with fresh shiitake mushrooms

For starters, we had the Steamed Cheong Fun. Cheong fun is one of my favorite things, especially when there are fried donuts inside! This one was just a plain one, but the rice noodles were really silky smooth. They were evenly rolled out as well, don't you just love obsessive compulsiveness? The sesame- peanut sauce wasn't something they skimped on, it was abundant in flavor and quantity as well. I'd just say that I want MORE mushrooms!