House Thai - Surry Hills

House Thai has been there for ages, its my bad that I didn't visit it for so long. The team from Spice I Am takes you on a culinary journey to experience the flavours from North-Eastern Thailand. Do not expect the run of the mill Thai food (might get some if you are lucky), instead expect remarkable house made sauces, fermented and spicy flavours.

Dinners at House Thai are great. You can chill and relax under the lights of paper lanterns in an ample courtyard. Big groups are seen to keep this place chatty and busy. A big group also ensures that you can get adventurous with the dishes you order.

Salad can be great palate cleansers and the 'Green Papaya' salad is one of them. With five different varieties available, we decided to go with a hot mixture of dried shrimps, beans, cherry tomatoes, peanuts, garlic, chilli and lime.

'Moo Ping' was another spectacular dish made of char-grilled skewers of marinated tender pork and served with a sweet and tangy Jim-Jaew dipping sauce.

From the special menu for the day, we ordered the 'Massaman' curry. A spicy curry with slow cooked beef. You really can't go wrong with this one.

Another great dish from the special menu was the 'King Prawns' curry. The prawns were perfectly cooked and the dish had an awesome WOW factor.

An interesting dish was the traditional Isaan salad of cooked young jack fruit with Thai herbs. This is definitely for the adventurous ones.

Among the soups we went for the Chicken curry with dill, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, galangal, garlic, eschalots, shallots, Thai eggplant, pumpkin, Thai lemon basil and choy sum.

A gorgeous dish with equally enticing flavours was the deep fried marinated 'whole snapper' with garlic and pepper served with a jim-jaew and tomato based chilli sauce.

The best is alway left for the last, specially when the dish is called 'Better than sex'. It's a thick slice of fluffy eggy and toasted brioche that is served with pandan coconut gelato topped with a caramel sauce and sprinkled with roasted black and white sesame seeds. Simply delectable!

I have found my new favourite Thai place in Sydney. How about you?

House Thai

202 Elizabeth St
Surry Hills NSW 2010

Tel No: +61 2 9280 0364

Website for more info: House Thai

The Copper Mill - Alexandria

Coffee, brekkie or brunch, Sydneyiders know how to live their weekend mornings. Everyone seems to be tapping into this market. Some have failed to make a mark and the others have succeeded. The Copper Mill falls in the later category.

All the new cafes in Sydney seem to have embraced the concept of a warehouse type meets industrial architecture. Shades of grey on the wall, copper pipes, teakwood furniture, colourful crockery and to combine it all, a raw and blithe appeal. Despite being no different, The Copper Mill has found its unique place in the hearts of many locals.

You can even stroll to the restroom to check out papered walls that depict American horror movie and villain history.


For the lovers of filter coffee, Copper Mill handpicks single estate beans from boutique roasters across Australia.

Definitely try their 'coconut hot chocolate'. An amazing combo that most cafes don't dare to offer.

Suffering from a cold and want something to soothe your senses and clear your palate, so you can taste the delicious dishes on offer, try their 'get better tea'. It is a curing blend of honey, ginger, garlic and lemon.

The 'Peruvian Roll' with pork chicharron, sunnyside egg, salsa criolla, kumera and lemon mayo was fresh, mouth-watering and an excellent take on a traditional bacon and egg roll.

'Everything bagel' with beetroot, cured salmon, poached eggs, fennel and capers slaw was an healthy but bland option to go for. I found the bagel to be extremely hard to cut through. I would personally have liked it on a more resilient plate.

The dish of the day for me was the 'Beef Hash'. Simply loved it! It was a great dish with loads of flavours from the caramelized onions, poached eggs, za'atar and baby herbs. Undoubtedly, the best I've had.

A big thumbs up! If you witness any exhausting queues at 'Grounds", don't forget that The Copper Mill is not far away.

The Copper Mill

338 Mitchell Road
Alexandria NSW 2015

Tel No: +61 2 9517 3214

Rajasthan Delights - Thornleigh

Rajasthan Delights is one of the unexposed Indian restaurants in Sydney's North-West. Apart from offering a variety of famous North-Indian dishes, it also offers some authentic but little known dishes from Western India.

If you want to taste Indian food with a difference, then Rajasthan Delights is worth trying.

'Daal Baati' is indeed the most famous and staple Rajasthani Dish. 'Baatis' are flaky round breads baked over firewood or in a tandoor or even a conventional oven. They are also soaked in ghee before being served with 'Daal' (yellow lentil curry). The 'Daal Baati' version at Rajasthan Delights was on par with some of the other ones I've tried back in India. The garlic chutney served as an accompaniment was to die for.

'Laal Maas' is a lamb curry dish that hails from Rajasthan. Its a hot and spicy dish and for years has found admiration in the dining halls of the Royal families. For the lovers of red chillies, this dish is not to be missed. For the people on a diet, the picture below depicts that there is not much for you to enjoy.

'Paneer Tikka' was blessed with smoky flavours. Cottage cheese marinated with herbs, spices, capsicum and onion is skewered and then char-grilled in a tandoor. It is served on a sizzling hot plate.

'Jaipuri Seekh Kebab' is another mouth watering dish from the kitchen of Rajasthan Delights. Minced lamb is infused with chopped chillies, ginger, garlic, coriander and then skewered and cooked in a tandoor.

To balance out the spice factor, we ordered the lightly sweet and creamy, the 'Resame Malai Kofta'. Croquettes of cottage cheese, potatoes, cashew nuts and spices are simmered in a tomato based sauce, almond meal and cream. A luscious and delicious dish.

To accompany the dishes above were 'Rotis' (flaky breads) and 'Poppadums' served with a fresh mint and coriander sauce.

Experience the food of Rajasthani Royalty in a suburban setting.

Rajasthan Delights

280 Pennant Hills Road
Thornleigh NSW 2120

Tel No: +61 2 9481 8241

Website for more info: Rajasthan Delights

Subsolo - Sydney

When it comes to restaurants, all hidden gems have an uncanny resemblance. Dim lighting, designer dining rooms, leather chairs, glittering curtains, a relaxed atmosphere and to encompass it all, a sense of sophistication and an aura of romance. Subsolo, belongs to the club of these cool and classy eateries.

In Spanish, 'Subsolo' means "underground". The restaurant is based underneath the hustle and bustle of Sydney CBD and is a stylish and sexy Spanish-New Yorker themed tapas bar restaurant.

Before you tantalize your taste buds, start the proceedings with the best Sangria you will find in Sydney. 

Once you have sipped and feel merry, order a diverse range of tapas dishes from the menu.

Sauteed Garlic Mushrooms served with Haloumi & Spinach had the right amount of saltiness and distinctive flavours. The mushrooms were deeply flavoured, browned and glazed up.

Sautéed Garlic Prawns in Creamy Verdejo Sauce were slightly over-cooked. Despite of this minor flaw in the dish, the creamy Verdejo sauce was to die for. 

Zucchini Flowers with Valdeón & Manchego Cheese & Salsa Verde was one of the better looking dishes. The zucchini flowers was crunchy with the first bite oozing tons of cheese. The salsa verde had the freshness from basil and parsley.

Patatas Bravas with Fiery Tomato Sauce is one of my favourite dishes that I happen to order everytime, I visit Subsolo. The rightly spiced tomato sauce running over the potatoes had some tongue popping flavours and a titillating kick in it.

Seafood with Clams, Mussels, Squid & Prawns - Every element of this Paella worked on its own. However the combination of flavours lacked both the exuberance and the spice factor that a great Portuguese paella is bound to offer. 

The best dish of the evening was the Portuguese espetada. Jaw dropping skewers of shinning Chicken fillet which swing loosely from stands on your table and are rubbed with a honey and peri peri sauce to provide you with a delectable dish.

An experience you want to experience again.

Subsolo

161 King St

Syndey NSW 2000

Tel No: +61 2 9223 7000

Website for more info: Subsolo