I was afraid to eat MORE Thai food after my trip to Thailand, don't think I can look at another Pad Thai for a while frankly. But when my friends suggested to try House, I did not hesitate. The dim lit outside area created a peaceful atmosphere, even though the place was packed out that Friday night. The Thai north-east street food restaurant is head cheffed by Sujet Saenkhan - head chef of Spice I Am. House taps into the hotter, spicier food of north-east Thailand - the Isaan Food. The dishes are, of course, westernised and is an interpretation of Isaan food.
The menu is manly different types of salads, grilled dishes and soup. Unlike typical Thai restaurants, don't expect to find Pad Thai or Pad See Ew here. You can get rice noodles as a side, similar to sticky rice ($5). The strange thing I found was that they didn't serve 'normal' drinks such as Coke etc. It was either alcohol or water.
Som Tum Lao - $8
Or often referred to as Paw Paw Salad. Many offer this done two ways - Thai or Lao style. We opt for the latter. The Lao version is usually made shrimp paste, rather than dried shrimp in the Thai version, that gives it the distinct taste. Much more fishier and flavoursome. We opted for medium hotness to test the waters. I ate all the roasted peanuts in it, which gave it a nice crunch and saltiness. Unlike many in my party, I love chilli - the spicier the better! This was quite mild for me, however the other were reaching for their glasses.
Larb Ped - $18
Traditional Isaan salad of minced duck, with eschalots, shallots, Vietnamese coriander, mint, ground roasted rice, ground chili and lime. I was very eager to try this dish, as I usually order rare beef larb. The duck was very nice, with a great balance of flavours - spice, salt, sour. The spice creeps up to you, rather than burning your lips, but I found it the right amount for me without having to reach for my glass as well.
Tom Yum Goon - approx $15
Served in an impressive copper pot (would serve 2-4) with a burner to keep it warm throughout your meal. Would be a great winter warmer. Good balance of sour and spice - a mix of galangal, lemongrass, tamarind, eschallot, Vietnamese coriander, chilli, kaffir lime leaf and holy basil. The only let down was that it seemed to have more bits and pieces than soup in it. It's like when you buy a drink and half of it is ice.
Eggplant Salad (forgot name!) - approx $12
This was by far my favourite dish. My friend, who's husband is Cambodian, said there's a very similar Cambodian dish. The 'salad/dip' was very salty and flavoursome and you can't eat it on it's own, which is why the side of greens is for. Served with raw green bean, cucumber, and what was either Chinese broccoli or Spinach... Unsure what that green fruit was, but had a nice sweetness to balance the saltiness. I also ate it with sticky rice, which I thought went well together.
Pin Lin, served with Jim Jaew - approx $10
The thought of eating ox tongue may scare a lot of people, however it's always a must for us when we eat Thai. A bit disappointed to how chewy the meat was, to a point where I couldn't swallow it and spat it out. However I like how it didn't have a burnt taste like many other places I have eaten it.
Kati Num Kang Dai - $5
Shaved ice, with taro, pineapple, ruby chestnuts with a swoosh of this toffee coconut milk syrup thing. It may look like your average Joe, but I was fairly pleased with this dessert. It is simple and not too sweet.
BTS - $15
The highly raved about dish that is a must try. A thick slice of deep fried brioche bread, topped with a scoop of pandan ice-cream, drizzled with palm sugar syrup, and sprinkled with toasted white and black sesame seeds. The panda ice-cream was excellent, not too sweet with a good hint of pandan flavour. The bread, warm from the fryer, in all it's buttery goodness was heavenly. The combination of sweet cold ice-cream and crispy warm bread was a great way to finish off all the salty and savoury dishes. I do think the dish could of gone without the palm syrup, as it tasted a bit burnt and was very overwhelming. At $15 it's is not a cheap dessert for what it is, but definitely a must try. Now, the question begs - is it really Better Than Sex?
The entire meal (including sticky rice $5 per serving) costed around $90 feeding 6 girls, approx $15 each. I was very satisfied and my belly could only have been described as what is known as a food baby.
Have you ever eaten something so often, the thought makes you sick? What was it?
Food: 4.5/5
Service: 3/5
Atmosphere: 4/5
Interior: 3.5/5
Revisit: 4/5
House (Thai North-East Street Food)
202 Elizabeth St
Surry Hills NSW 2010
(02) 9280 0364
Labels: food