EDIT: Muay Thai has closed and has been replaced by Kin Senn Thai Street Food.
The decor is the first thing you notice. Thainatown's newest addition, Muay Thai, has taken over the former Shalom site on Pitt Street, bringing new levels of fancy with printed wallpaper, quirky seating and a bling bling chandelier that dominates the room.
Muay Thai menu and decor
The restaurant only opened in the first weekend of May, combining girly glam with a Muay Thai boxing theme. Boxing gloves and prints hang on the walls, and flat screen televisions -- set behind heavy gilt frames -- play a non-stop broadcast of Muay Thai boxing matches. It's like they've tried to design the perfect venue for date night - everybody wins!
The fanciest chair in the house
Boxing gloves and prints
We arrive for lunch and I'm excited when our waitress recommends the Khao Man Kai Tod Hadyai deep fried chicken ($10.90) as one of their specialties. I'd automatically presumed this would involve chicken wings or chicken pieces. Instead it's more like a chicken schnitzel, coated in a seasoned batter that is impressively crispy, but still lacking the juiciness and flavour you get from chicken on the bone.
Som Tum Poo $8.90
Thai papaya salad with raw pickled crab
The som tum Thai papaya salad is a clear example of the difference between most Australians' idea of an appropriate chilli scale, and the thermonuclear heat tolerance that exists in the alternate Thai universe. We deliberately ask for mild and then receive a salad that sends us breaking out into an eye-watering sweat at the first mouthful.
Once you manage to get past the realisation that your tastebuds are on fire and rapidly being incinerated, there's much to love about this salad. The raw pickled crab adds a fermented fishiness that amplifies the sweet fish sauce dressing, macerating the strips of papaya and carrot, bruised tomato pieces and crunchy lengths of green beans.
Kuay Tiew Reu Ton Tam Rab $9.50
Original special noodles in black original Muay Thai soup with chicken or beef,
bean sprout and Chinese broccoli garnished with crispy pork crackers
The G Man suggests trying the Kuay Tiew Reu Ton Tam Rab, a dish that is often incorrectly described as laksa on some Thai menus. It's more of a gravy soup, thick and hearty, that is lightened by the self-administered addition of pickled vegetables, raw red onion and a generous squeeze of lime. Beneath the pile of crackers is a huddle of noodles and chunks of chicken.
Muay Thai boxing bout on the tv screen above the kitchen
Khao Rad Kanaa Moo Grob $10.90
Crispy pork belly stir-fried with Chinese broccoli, chilli and garlic served with rice
My choice is the crispy pork belly - although the crackling isn't as crispy as I would have preferred, the vegetables are bright and fresh and the sauce is pleasingly sweet.
The menu runs across a broad range of dishes, from Sai Ouah northern-style sausages to the ubiquitous Massaman curry and an intriguing-sounding Sup Noor Mai bamboo shoot salad with smoked chilli and fermented fish sauce. And if you're up for a couple of rounds of punishment, there are six variations of som tum salad too.
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Muay Thai (CLOSED)
EDIT: Muay Thai has closed and has been replaced by Kin Senn Thai Street Food.
Tel: +61 (02) 9212 0721
Opening hours:
Monday to Sunday 11am-11pm
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Ooh another decent Thai by the look of it. Pity the Indonesian closed before I got to try it. Looks like I may just have to reserve that pretty chair when I decide to give Muay Thai a go!
ReplyDeleteNot a fan of that pickled crab at all but place looks nice - another option in Thainatown ;)
ReplyDeleteShalom is gone already? Luckily there is one in Kingsford for you John. :-)
ReplyDeleteThe Thai boxing theme is pretty strange but the food looks cheap and good. Might be a goer for a quick lunch.
That firecracker som tum must be mine.
ReplyDeleteWhat a strange concept - girly with muay thai!
ReplyDeleteLove thai food and especially love that pork belly dish... order it everytime I see it on the menu. Must give it a shot!
Weird concept of boxing and food, but if they do properly spicy Thai food, then who am I to judge?? :)
ReplyDeleteThat pork belly looks delish. And only a stone's throw from my office too! Dinner plans sorted now ;)
ReplyDeleteGood looking Thai. I want the fancy chair!!
ReplyDeleteLove the name & the theme. Food sounds good (as a good South American I love heat, too!), will give it a shot.
ReplyDeleteThe decor looks interesting. The som tum makes my mouth water, just thinking about the heat.
ReplyDeleteOooh was talking to a random stranger at the pub last week and he recommended this place (his wife is Thai)! The papaya salad sounds interesting though my chilli scale is close to nought :(
ReplyDeleteFood looks great...It's on my list to try when I'm next in town!
ReplyDeleteI want that pod armchair!
ReplyDeleteI go every Friday for lunch.The food is excellent and reasonably priced. Miles better than any of their next door neighbours (I've tried them all). Highly recommended!
ReplyDelete