Spice I AM - Balmain

Anzac Day, after a hard day of two-up and Golf, it was time to eat some dinner.  So a mate recommended the traditional style Thai - Spice-I-am . We visited the one in Balmain, my friend had been to the one in Surry Hills, so we thought we would give Balmain a go. 

As usually i went in disparagingly as spice and me don't agree with each other.  However I ordered my usual accompaniments of Iced water and heaps of napkins, because when I eat Thai, it looks like I have sprinted 1000 meters, not a sight to behold, although my mates think it's the funniest thing on earth ...  ha ha  - not!

Entree:
Mieng Kuay Teaw  + Burnt Rice Tea- ($8)

For an entree we had a combination of sliced pork, bean sprouts, carrot and mints wrapped in a flat rice noodle.  The noodles we fresh and soft.  The pork was a little dry, and the carrot was a little overpowering.  However, a dish worth a try.  The dish came with a green spicy sauce, however was needed if you decided to eat the red spicy chilly on top.  It was hot for me, however my friend could eat it without too many issues.


Mains:
1. Pad Prik King - Stir fried curry paste with green beans, sliced kaffir lime leaves and pork rind. ($15)

2. Red Duck Curry - Roasted duck in red curry with pea eggplant, apple eggplant, kaffir lime leaves, chilli, cherry tomatoes, lychee, pineapple and Thai basil.  ($29)

The Pad Prik King was accompanied with 1 serving of rice.  I ordered the pork dish, the dish has lots of mouth texture and the ingredients are coated with a custom thick curry past.  The combination of curry, line, and beans, makes it quite an enjoyable dish.  I could even eat it without too many issues. 

The Red Duck Curry was a saucy and spicy dish.  A little too spicy for me.  However it was filled with a plethora of distinct flavors, and traditional Thai spices.  The duck was a little tough and the dish was a little hard to handle, however the presentation was excellent.  I loved the little tiny mini eggplant pea's (never tried them before) and the strong kaffr line flavors.


Desert:
1. Pandan Gelato - topped with Thai caramel sauce and roasted black and white sesame seed. ($5)

2. Khao Neaw Dum - Warm black sticky rice with Thai smoked coconut cream and pandan gelato.($10)

If the Pandan Gelato, looks massive in the photo, it because it was, I asked for one scoop, and it was big enough to feed a family... WOW.  The pandan flavor was quite unique, kind of tasted like a cross between lime, caramel and creamy milk.

I didn't taste the Khao Dum, however my friend said it was quite good.

Ok so how would I rate the food out of 6?

1. Mieng Kuay Teaw  + Burnt Rice Tea - 3 stars
2. Pad Prik King - 3.6
3. Red Duck Curry - 4
4. Pandan Gelato - 3.6
5. Khao Neaw Dum - NA

Average Overall - 3.6 stars

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