Chon Thai
I first came across Chon Thai on an episode of Food Safari - my introduction to the vast and varied treasure trove that is Australia's ethnic dining scene. Intrigued by the delicate handmade dumpling shaped like a flower, I knew I had to give this modern Thai restaurant a try at the first opportunity.
I have always loved Thai food - during my undergrad years I would often go to the famous Newtown Thai restaurants for cheap-as-chips lunch plates - but Chon Thai is rather a different breed of Thai food: more refined but just as flavourful.
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| Betel Leaf with Smoked Trout, $5 each |
Those were the very things that I saw on TV and intrigued me. Google tells me betel leaves are used as a stimulant, an antiseptic, and a breath-freshener; but in my limited experience with them, they are purely a vessel in which flavours are transported from the plate to my eagerly-waiting tummy. The smoked trout is boneless and melt-in-your-mouth; the flavours are just incredible: my words are too pale to describe how delicious and complex these bite-sized parcels are, you will have to try for yourselves.
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| Chicken peanut dumplings, $5 each |
Aren't these beautiful? Almost too lovely to eat, the blue colouring of the petals are derived from butterfly pea flower juice (yes, the same thing used in my latte at Two Sis). The interior is a nutty mixture of chicken and peanuts: a satay in a bite, if you will. The black vinegar adds a wonderful tang to the salty-sweetness of the satay filling.
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| Duck breast with eggplant and holy basil, $28 |
The eggplant used in this dish is not the eggplant we are used to in the supermarket: it is green, firm and mild in flavour. The duck breast is well-cooked, but for me, the real MVP of the dish is the fried-until-crunchy holy basil.
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| Wagyu green curry, $28 |
If you are not a huge spice-lover but are still a lover of full flavours, the green curry might be the one for you: mild, creamy and subtle, it lets the protein shine. In this case, the protein is wagyu beef chunks. They are cooked until lovely and tender - and you also have some roti to soak up the wonderful soup.
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| Coconut tumeric rice (2 servings), $10 |
When you have curries and wok-fried dishes, you of course need rice. Don't settle for boring white rice: try this golden, flavourful, gently sweet (from the coconut) rice that adds more depth to what are alrady extremely complex dishes! Mild enough to compliment any curries or main dishes you choose; tasty enough to stand on its own.
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| Daily Pudding Selection Part 1, $14 |
If you, like me, adore Asian puddings and cannot make up your mind, Chon Thai has you covered: it offers a daily pudding selection. Treat included are this purple sticky rice goodness that is topped with coconut cream, and ever so slightly salty in taste. Rich, comforting and warm, a few small bites goes a long way.
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| Daily Pudding Selection Part 2, $14 |
A fresh, creamy scoop of coconut ice cream takes you right to the Thai beachside. What I love most of this ice-cream? That it is not overly sweet or sticky. It just glides on the tongue, occasionally adding interest via some kernels of sweet corn.
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| Daily Pudding Selection Part 3, $14 |
The final part to pudding is a tapioca pudding coloured vividly green by pandan, a fragrant aloe-like plant that has a lovely, gentle sweetness. The texture of tapioca can be divisive: some (such as yours truly) love the fun slippery blobiness; others think it's rather like frog eggs.
Chon Thai also offers a range of beautiful cocktails and mocktails. Mocktails are served with the works: umbrellas and all, and they are at the $10 range. Cocktails are around $20, and they come in all sorts of fun, breezy, tropical forms.
Score: 4.5/5
Cost: approx $50pp
Address: 300 Darling St, Balmain NSW 2041
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