Herald rating: * * 1/2
Address: 311 Parnell Road, Parnell.
Phone: (09) 373 5247
Cuisine: Thai
From the menu: Hoy yang: grilled marinated scallops topped with chilli tamarind sauce and lime leaves $9.50. Pad Thai: stir fried noodles with chicken, shrimp, bean sprouts, spring onion, crush peanuts $16.50. Gra Pong Padd Prik Tai Dum: crisp whole snapper topped with cumin sauce and seafood $25.50.
Vegetarian: A whole section of the menu dedicated to this.
Wine list: short and sharp, BYO an option.
I am currently living somewhat vicariously through friends travelling in South East Asia. While I battle through the icy cold to get to my desk each morning, they are lapping up the balmy climes, and indulging in delicious cuisine. Bali, Malaysia, Thailand...
Enough, I declared. In honour of their exotic travels we too shall eat Asian.
Thai is my favourite cuisine. So, understandably, I was salivating in anticipation.
Situated in the middle of Parnell's historic village, Thai Friends is a little like turning up to someone's old villa.
We had booked, but the only tables for two were by the kitchen door or tucked in the corner. We chose the latter.
Service was prompt. Would we like water? Yes, please. Would we like a drink? Yes, please.
Would we you like to order? Love the enthusiasm, but we're still deciding.
And it's hot. Really hot. I know I wanted to feel the balmy heat of Koh Pang Nan, but this is ridiculous. A quick trip to the loo to remove some layers is top priority.
Like an old friend, Thai Friends' menu is familiar, safe, reliable. All the traits you'd expect - unlike that new friend who introduces you to new experiences, is a little thrilling and unpredictable.
In an attempt to spice things up we avoided the usual starters i.e. satay chicken, Thai fish cakes... and opted for Hoi Yang - the biggest and juiciest of grilled marinated scallops coated with chilli tamarind sauce. Delicious. Unfortunately, the Plah Tuna was a little less inspiring. A pile of tinned tuna served on a bed of lettuce, saved only by the lime juice and chilli paste which packed a punch.
Our plates were swept away, and large dollops of rice piled on to our main plates. Around us our tiny table filled up with choices and we balanced our glasses on the windowsill.
In the left corner: Northeastern Thai dish Larb Gai. Consisting of chicken breast that is minced and cooked with chilli paste, lime juice and fresh herbs (a popular combination here) it was, according to the menu, supposed to be hot. Disappointingly it was lukewarm and mild in flavour, lacking any personality.
In the right corner: Gra Pong Pad Prik Tai Dum - a whole crispy snapper topped with cumin sauce, mussel, squid, prawn, chilli, garlic and black pepper. Again, this lacked personality.
Squeezed in the middle: Pad Thai. At last, something that hit the mark. But then again, this stir-fried noodle dish is a basic that shouldn't be hard to get right.
The restaurant was popular. As soon as the table next to us finished, new customers moved in. But, where we wondered, was the freshness and taste-tingling flavours we associate with Thai cooking? I asked for a side dish of fresh coriander (something I often do in Thai restaurants), and even this felt a bit tired and did little to enliven the food on the table.
When I go out to dinner I want to experience something better than what I get at home. And I did here, just. But with the ability to now buy authentic ingredients and the proliferation of good cookbooks where chefs espouse the importance of fresh products, our expectations and experience of foreign flavours is much higher. As with good friends, it's important to keep growing and evolving in order to keep the interest alive.
