Caulfield East, VIC 3145
Exam Lunch
Number Two. As nice as Uzu is, I
am glad not to be braving the crowds there today. Instead, we are at Derby Thai, an equally small but
slightly less busy eatery right next door. Most people are here for takeaway
(which happens to be a dollar or so cheaper than eating in), but the small handful
of tables there are have a rapid turnover, ensuring that a seat was available within
a matter of minutes of placing our order. It’s impressive how friendly the staff
manage to be despite the busyness of the lunch hour traffic.
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| Chicken Pad Thai ($10) |
It just ain’t Thai without Pad Thai (chicken,
$10), which had a pleasing lick of fire from the wok, and noodles as
gratifyingly chewy as well-cooked rubber bands, in the best way possible. The
chicken was cut up into large, manly chunks that were well-marinated and
trimmed of all fat. However, the flavours in this dish were much too
westernised, being excessively sweetened and lacking in sharpness, though it was infinitely improved by
the freshness of the sprouts and lemon. At any rate, Chris enjoyed the
sweetness, so I suppose they have their target audience right.
 |
| Seafood Fried Rice ($12) |
Unfortunately I had broken my tongue on some m&ms earlier in the week, so I was forced to steer clear of the spices and fun. The Seafood Fried Rice ($12) seemed like a safe bet, as it was described to be ‘soft’ by another blogger. It was indeed soft and comforting, with a generous serve of seafood (calamari and prawn and mussels and scallops and fish balls) and crispy veggies. It was thankfully less sweet than the Pad Thai, though another notch (or two) lower would have been much appreciated.
Derby Thai doesn’t so much serve the authentic Thai
cuisine they advertise; rather, they are more of a Thai take-away spot that’s
westernised to cater to the masses. That’s not to say the food isn’t nice
though. It is, and the portions are generous, especially the amount of seafood
you get in the fried rice. You’d be better off going elsewhere if you’re after
the spices and heat traditional Thai cuisine offers, but this hits the spot as
a quick pre-exam feed.
Rating:
12.5/20 – westernised thai.
Well according to Kat from Spoons, Spatula and Saturdays most Thai places are "westernised" already because she explains how real Pad Thai has no meat at all. And the fact that we've got chicken n stuff in ours is already "bastardised" in that way HAHA. I don't mind, I find that it's the same with Chinese and most other cuisines. You have to adapt to the local taste and preference. As long as it's yummy, I guess haha,.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree, westernisation (or asian-isation - I had a pizza that had sausages and corn on it in china - YUCK!) is bound to happen, though some cuisines to more of a degree than others. It being yummy is definitely a priority though :)
DeleteI would never have thought of having Thai food in Caulfield, but that Pad Thai dish looks SO good! I'm getting so hungry looking at your photo..one of my favourite Thai dishes. :)
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, me too! I only had thai in caulfield because it's one of the only few places to eat there haha!
DeleteYou make everything look so awesome here is another example just lovely!
ReplyDeleteBawww thanks so much :)
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