Crocodile Senior Thai, Haymarket Chinatown

Grilled marinated pork with sticky rice $8.00

Crocodile Senior Thai?

The restaurant name always stops people mid-sentence. It makes a little more sense when I explain that there's a sister restaurant called Crocodile Junior Thai in Bondi Junction.

Ah. I see. Um, kinda.

Chilli basil stir-fry with roast duck $10.50

We head here for a weekday lunch, noting the restaurant rapidly filling to capacity by 1.00pm on a Friday.

Grilled marinated pork arrives as two flattened skewers garnished with a saucer of zingy fish sauce studded with garlic and chilli. The accompanying bamboo basket contains a sandwich bag filled with sticky rice, a huge favourite of mine although I notice our rice is a tad on the gluey side, not quite dry enough to shape into traditional balls by hand.

Chilli basil stir fry with roast duck is available mild, medium or hot, but our hot order is disappointingly meek. A jumble of carrots, beans, broccoli, red capsicum and onion make up the bulk of our dish, but the duck we do find is tender and succulent.

Massamun curry beef $8.50
with potato, coconut milk and peanuts

Massamum curry beef is a little too sweet for our tastes, but the caramelisation of barbecue marinated pork neck is a winner, cubes of sweet charred pork marrying deliciously with the crisp coolness of lettuce and a generous dunking in more of that chilli garlic fish sauce.

BBQ marinated pork neck with chilli sauce $10.00

We finish things up with barbecue chicken salad., another refreshing combination of sweetened caramelised chicken tossed through with lettuce, cucumber, tomato wedges and a dressing of fish sauce, coriander and lime.

BBQ chicken salad $12.00
Spicy Thai salad with BBQ chicken and
salad dressing with lemon juice and mint

Crocodile Senior Thai
768 George Street, Haymarket Chinatown, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9211 6630

Open 7 days 11.30am - 10.00pm

Related GrabYourFork posts:
Thai--At Bangkok, Haymarket
Thai--Chat Thai, Haymarket
Thai--I-San City, Sydney
Thai--Saap Thai, Sydney
Thai--Satang Thai, Haymarket
Thai--Selina, Fairfield
Thai--Spice I Am, Surry Hills (Aug07) and (Nov05)
Thai--Sumalee Thai, Bank Hotel, Newtown
Thai--Thainatown, Sydney (Mar07) and (Jan07)
Thai--Uni Thai, Glebe

10 Comments:

At 3/07/2008 8:26 pm, Anonymous said…

hi, im a big fan of thai food with its various flavours, textures, colours and smells..
crocodile senior isnt too bad..
next time you fancy thai food again, u may try
1. thai on wok in glebe - beef pad thai, stir fry no.29 (cant recall the name), mixed seafood salad n the curries are the best
and/or
2. benjarong in bondi - rice noodle in gravy, fried rice noodle and rice with crispy chicken are the yummiest lunch dishes

let your tastebud n tummy be the judge :)
At 3/08/2008 4:43 pm, Y said…

I've always been puzzled by the name, and doesn't the crocodile wear a sombrero? For awhile, I thought it was Senor Thai, which was even more confusing to me. I mean, Mexican Thai? Never actually made it inside though. When you're that close to Spice I Am, there's no going elsewhere!
At 3/09/2008 9:41 pm, Anonymous said…

The name of this place always makes me do a double take. Glad you have finally explained why it's called senior!
At 3/11/2008 10:14 pm, Helen (Grab Your Fork) said…

Hi Anon - Thanks for the restaurant ideas. I haven't been to either, and I love that you remember Stir Fry #29 but not the name :)

Hi Y - lol. One must never question Asian decor, logos or tag-lines. Your head might explode otherwise. And I'm finding more and more great Thai restaurants in Sydney these days. I think Chat Thai, Thainatown and I-San City are all great.

Hi bettylovesblogging - But does it explain why they called the Bondi outlet Crocodile Junior?
At 3/15/2008 11:24 am, Anonymous said…

Hmm, the SMH has just reviewed this place too. Coincidence? Is Good Living stalking Helen? Who knows!

http://www.smh.com.au/news/restaurant-reviews/crocodile-senior-thai/2008/03/14/1205126184300.html?page=1

Z
At 3/16/2008 1:07 pm, Anonymous said…

Hi, love the site, but have a question. Is this Helen Greenwood, from the SMH? Because you post as 'Helen', and there's a review of Crocodile Senior Thai in yesterdays Spectrum, where they have very similar dishes to you. And it's definitely not the first time there's been a review here, then that weekend the same place was in the paper.
Maybe you have a fan?
At 3/16/2008 4:15 pm, Helen (Grab Your Fork) said…

Hi Z - lol. I noticed that review too :) A happy coincedence methinks, but yes, it was amusing.

Hi Mike - No, I'm not Helen Greenwood, altho' I wish I had her job :) Sometimes our eating paths seem to converge, but then more often than not we're eating at opposite corners of Sydney - more fooding fun for everyone, I say!
At 3/16/2008 5:17 pm, Anonymous said…

This place is great. I came here once long ago looking for Ploy Thai, which sadly had moved to Parramatta Rd, but was enticed by the many different som tums. Some good stuff here, although it's all very sweet. But impressed they offer som tum puu pla raa (water crabs and unpurified fish sauce), not many places would bother. Definitely a cut above.
At 4/14/2008 6:17 pm, Rojo said…

its great that you reviewed this place, i always walk past it!!
At 4/20/2008 9:28 pm, Helen (Grab Your Fork) said…

Hi Edward - Ploy Thai is now three blocks up the road, in the Sutherland Hotel on the corner of Parramatta Road and Harris Street (near Railway Square).

Hi Rogerho - Glad to be of service :)