Chat Thai

20 Campbell St 
Haymarket, NSW 2000

http://www.chatthai.com.au/

Remember what I said about the perks of Sydney? Well aside from ramen, the other thing Sydney does way better than Melbourne is Thai food. After an agonising night trying to decide between two of the most popular Thai restaurants, I settled on Chat Thai, located right near our hotel, in Thai Town.

Considering how busy it was, Chat Thai really should be bigger. But I was happy to be seated in the cosy restaurant within 40 minutes, perusing their extensive menu consisting of a selection of authentic Thai street food.

Fresh Spring Rolls ($12)

Fresh Spring Rolls ($12)

I’m not usually one to order spring rolls, but I’ve heard good things about the Fresh Spring Rolls ($12). It certainly was something different – a cylinder of fish sausage, crab, and chicken, wrapped tightly in fresh rice paper and covered in sticky tamarind relish. It wasn’t mind-bendingly good, but it made for a promising start to the night. 

Nahm Drok Nuea ($14)

Nahm Drok Nuea ($14)

I held my breath as I put the first piece of Nahm Dtok Nuea ($14) into my mouth, and hallelujah it was delicious! The salad of succulent grilled beef was garnished with herbs, onions, and generous lashings of lime and chilli that woke my tastebuds up with a bang. It was a beautifully vivacious dish, overcrowded with a myriad of Asian flavours. 

Grapao Gai Sub ($14)

Equally as delicious, though perhaps not as confronting, is the Grapao Gai Sub ($14). The simple stir fry of chicken mince and holy basil, interspersed with chopped chilli and garlic, had layers of flavour and plenty of spice, yet was still comforting and immensely satisfying eaten with a bowl of Jasmine Rice ($3).

I’m not usually one for Asian desserts, but the menu at Chat Thai had me salivating. Unfortunately most of their vast dessert menu was subject to availability, so we had to make our choices from a smaller pool of treats.

Sticky Rice and Mango ($8)

I haven’t had Sticky Rice and Mango ($8) for a while, usually deeming it too simple to be worth my time and money, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t one of my favourite things to eat. The combination of slippery-sweet mango and sticky rice was a timelessly moreish pairing of sweet and salty, and soft and chewy, all drizzled in a thick coconut cream.

Tao Tang ($6)

We finished our meal with a light bowl of Tao Tang ($6), a refreshingly sweet bowl of herbal longan juice ladled over a cornucopia of Asian jewels, including dates, lotus seeds, tapioca balls, and dozens more. Topped with crushed ice, this was a restorative palate cleanser that made for a perfect ending to our sumptuous feast.

I could not find a thing to dislike about Chat Thai; well, there was the wait, and the service wasn’t crash-hot, but I’d happily eat off the floor if the food is going to be this good. Chat Thai is so scrumptious that it makes me cry. Or maybe it’s just the chilli.

Rating: 16.5/20 – on-de-palate-dance

This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.