Thai'd Up

Regent Thai (O’Connell St, North Adelaide)

If you’re cashed up, this is the pick of the bunch for Thai restaurants in Adelaide. I hear the décor has been majorly overhauled recently into some sort of stainless steel wonderland, but as long as the food is the same you’re going to be in for a treat. Order a plate of the best pad thai in town or take some friends along and enjoy a whole steamed barramundi with spring onions and ginger. Their Mussaman Beef Curry is also a must.

Café Michael 2 (Rundle St, Adelaide)

My favourite Thai place in Adelaide’s CBD. I have begun many an enjoyable evening out on the town at this excellent restaurant which is right on Rundle St. If you’re on a tight budget follow my lead; order Tom Kha Gai soup (chicken and coconut soup) with a side of steamed rice ($8.90 and $2.00) and choose whether you want it mild, medium or hot. Be warned though, the chilli factor can differ significantly in dishes; I didn’t realize that the coconut milk in the Tom Kha Gai mellows the chilli so much until one night I ordered a medium level Tom Yum instead of the usual medium Tom Kha Gai. I nearly had to be rushed to the RAH choking and coughing by my amused dining companion. Quirky but attentive wait staff are very accommodating and helpful. Be warned though; the spring rolls are nothing to write home about, especially for $7.90.

Thai Gourmet (North East Road, Collinswood)

This tiny shop faces some heavy competition from Andy’s Yiros and the takeaway chicken shop which sandwich it at the Collinswood shopping centre. However, a few years after opening the takeaway, run by an Australian man and his Thai wife, is still turning out delicious spicy noodles and curries for the locals. Drop in on a Friday for freshly made cold rolls. Although they have a table or two inside, it’s really a takeaway with prices to match.

Tiger Lily Café (Melbourne St, North Adelaide)

Admittedly I’ve only ever ordered some takeaway pad thai from here, but I’ll be back because the minute I walked into this place the staff were on top of their game, having everything organized and waiting for me as promised in exactly the five minutes they said it would take. The atmosphere was really cosy with several young professional-type couples relaxing in their seats as they perused the menu. A good alternative if you’re sick of all the regular Melbourne St hotspots and can’t be arsed going into the city. There’s 10% if you get takeaway too.

Suree’s Thai Kicthen (Unley Road, Malvern)

I’m not sure if it was the rather attractive Thai man who served us, the food, or the attention to detail (like putting our takeaway order in a cardboard box to reduce risk of container explosion en route home) but they’re doing something right at Suree’s Thai Kitchen. You can eat in or takeaway at this medium sized restaurant which is almost too Thai for its own good with advertising for ‘discount massages’ by the door.

Lime and Lemon Thai Café (Gouger St, Adelaide)

I used to go here a bit, but the food’s on the average side and the service can be very patchy. For a restaurant which is a stone’s throw from Chinatown, this isn’t good news for the Lemon and Lime as punters including myself are likely just to head across the street and get a bowl of soup or noodles for half the price and at twice the speed from the hole-in-the-wall food stalls at the Central Market, where service is friendly, fast and no fuss.