Thaila Thai

82 Lygon St 

Brunswick East, VIC 3057

I had a long day at work looking after patients and studying ridiculous amounts of pharmacy law, and all I wanted was 5 o’clock to roll around and to go and get some simple, hearty food with my other half.  Despite it being a cold and rainy Melbourne day, I was keen for a comforting plate of stir-fry alongside a bowl of rice, so Chris and I trammed out to Thaila Thai to check it out.

From the front, Thaila Thai looks like no more than a take-away shop, with half a dozen chefs frantically flipping woks, though one did have time to flash a toothy grin at us. The downstairs portion of the restaurant is – there’s no nice way to put this – kind of gross. The dim fluorescent lighting cast a sickly glow over ancient furniture, and the only people there are the ones waiting for take away. Everyone else knows that upstairs is a much cosier place to be dining, and won’t leave you smelling like wok for a week afterwards. 

Chicken with Basil Leaves and Chilli ($14.5)

As I had expected, our stir-fry of Chicken with Basil Leaves and Chilli ($14.5) was far from authentic, more Chinese in style with only a hint of spice. On the other hand though, it was bursting with flavour from the wok, and the portion was unbelievably enormous, chock-full of a variety of fresh crunchy vegetables, and smoky chicken.

Beef Yellow Curry ($14.5)

Our Beef Yellow Curry ($14.5), served over an order of Rice ($2pp), was thick, rich, and the spices hit all the right notes. But it was way too sweet; in fact, even Chris would’ve preferred it to be less saccharine. All that said though, it was surprisingly moreish, and I found myself going back for seconds and thirds. Coconut milk can be very persuasive.

Thaila Thai follows a simple formula of protein plus stir-fry sauce/curry, with a smattering of the usual suspects like spring rolls and pad thai. The food here isn’t all that amazing; I would probably never think of it again unless I was after a cheap, simple Asian meal. It does taste good though, and sometimes, that’s all you need.

Rating: 12.5/20 – what a girl needs.

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