by Tim Blight | Oct 7, 2015 | Lounge (The City Life)
Good Thai, Sydney
The owners of Good Thai, or G Thai as it is also known, must be pretty confident about their product to name their restaurant so. Built underneath the town square development in the northern Sydney suburb of Chatswood, it is in one of the shopping hubs premier locations. But does it live up to its name?
Soft shell crab, Good Thai, Chatswood, Sydney
When I visited with some friends a few months ago, I was excited to actually dine in or around Chatswood’s madeover town centre. G Thai would be my introduction, and I’ve never made any secret of the fact that I love Thai food.
While the decor and service at G Thai are contemporary and lovely, the food (a kind of blend of street and restaurant favourites) is not so spectacular. The impressive golden wall sculpture at the entrance is about as close as I came to having my G (Thai) spot hit.
Good Thai, Chatswood, Sydney
It’s not that the food is bad – it’s fine in fact. The Massaman curry was deliciously rich and spicy, the rice fragrant and the soft shell crab tantalisingly tangy – but I was still waiting for the rabbit to be pulled out of the hat. The Pad Thai was not too bad, but the noodles were slightly squidgy, and the serving size a bit too small for the price we paid. This was one of those cases where fine is not quite good enough, especially when there are so many other good Thai restaurants in Sydney.
Pad Thai, Good Thai, Chatswood, Sydney
The best part about my Good Thai experience was the Thai iced milk tea – sweet, creamy and refreshingly chilled. However we came for the food, and considering the effort that has gone into making G Thai look so good, one would think that some effort could be spared on the food.
Massaman Curry, Good Thai, Chatswood, Sydney
Ultimately, G Thai is one of those restaurants that seems to be counting on its location more than its reputation to draw in customers. How long this lasts is yet to be seen; people vote with their feet, but with a great location and great first impressions, there might be enough foot traffic to give it time to improve.
Thai Iced Milk Tea, Good Thai, Chatswood, Sydney
Details
Food: 5/10
Ambience: 7/10
Service: 7/10
Cost: Mains $11 – $21
Shop 2, The Concourse, 405 – 409 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood 2067
(02) 8971-3268
www.goodthai.com.au
Monday – Sunday: 11:30am – 10pm
by Tim Blight | Aug 19, 2015 | Lounge (The City Life)
Umi Sushi
At risk of turning my blog into a sushi review site (after my many reviews from Sydney, and my last one from Lahore), I am pushing ahead this week with my review of a lovely Japanese restaurant in Sydney’s Darling Harbour; Umi Sushi.
Umi Sushi is a great place I came across while searching for a reasonably priced, tasty and pleasant sushi joint in the entertainment precinct. Umi Sushi ticks all these boxes.
The contemporary, Japanese-inspired setting is the perfect place to chow down on classics like prawn, salmon, tuna and California rolls. However we decided to sit outside, dining alfresco and watching the world go by – highly recommended.
The plates are colourful, sushi-train style servings, but the service is top-notch; restaurant style and courteous.
There’s also a range of ‘creative rolls’ – think the ‘Sydney Roll’ (salmon, cream cheese, avocado and cucumber with seared salmon belly) and the ‘Ayres Rock Roll’ (seared scallop on avocado and cucumber).
There’s also Karaage Chicken on the menu (see above), and a whole bunch of udon dishes, salads, sashimi and even dessert (black sesame pudding, anyone?). The food was all delicious, and at these prices, and near the heart of Sydney’s CBD, this might have been one of my best finds yet!
Details
Food: 7/10
Ambience: 7/10
Service: 7/10
Cost: Rolls for $2.60 – $18, mains $7 – $19
Darling Quarter, 1-25 Harbour St, Sydney, facing Tumbalong Park
(02) 9283 2006
www.umisushi.com.au/#!darling-quarter/c1xbt
Sunday – Thursday: 11:30am – 10pm
Friday and Saturday: 11:30am – 10:30pm
by Tim Blight | Jun 11, 2015 | News and Opinion
Camille Parkinson seems to love being a tourist in her own city; her conversations are littered with recommendations of places to go, things to do or sights to see. Sydney is of course the type of city which lends itself to excursions like this, and because she laps it up, Camille was the perfect choice for this video. While shooting the video she took us Cockatoo Island on the Parramatta River, and of course gave us a guided tour of one of her favourite places at home!
To watch Camille on YouTube, click here, or for Vimeo, click here.
Lebanese-background Australian Dib Taleb runs a Chinese restaurant and has been known to attend sporting matches where Afghanistan is playing. The manager of China Bowl in Punchbowl, a halal Chinese restaurant in Sydney’s south west, is the perfect candidate to sum up how multicultural Sydney works, lives and breathes. Sydney is a melting pot, and my friend Dib knows it like the back of his hand.
To watch Dib on YouTube, click here, or for Vimeo, click here.
by Tim Blight | Jun 10, 2015 | Gallery
Vivid Sydney 2015
With Vivid Sydney over for another year, it’s time to look back at the fortnight that brought the harbour city to life!
by Tim Blight | May 27, 2015 | Lounge (The City Life)
Top Speed Thai
It’s not hard to find a good Thai restaurant in Sydney. Parts of the city are overflowing with eateries offering the popular South East Asian cuisine, and a few years ago, it was difficult to understand how some of them were turning a profit, such was the market saturation.
Top Speed Thai (Image: Aussie True Blue0
Top Speed Thai is one of Sydney’s better Thai options, and on the North Shore, which traditionally has lagged behind the eastern suburbs and inner west in terms of quality Thai restaurants.
Top Speed Thai (Image: From dimmi.com.au)
The food is as delicious as it should be; when we visited we ordered some favourites (chicken stir fry and Tom Yum Goong), along with the more interesting-sounding ‘Heavenly Beef’
Chicken Oyster Sauce Stir Fry at Top Speed Thai
The beef was indeed heavenly – served sizzling on a hotplate, tender and infused with just enough savoury vegetabley flavour and a hint of spice – it reminded me of some delicious Chinese dishes I’ve eaten.
Heavenly Beef at Top Speed Thai
The Tom Yum Goong was done properly – it was certainly one of the better renditions of the classic sweet/sour/spicy soup that I’ve tasted outside of Thailand itself.
Tom Yum Goong with Coconut Rice at Top Speed Thai
The place itself is surprisingly comfy – it’s not much to look at from the outside, but on the inside it’s sleek yet homely. The service is friendly and obliging – waiters were more than happy to help us out when we asked to be moved to a quieter table.
All in all, a pleasant, good-value, and lip-smacking night out on Sydney’s North Shore!
Details
Food: 8/10
Ambience: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Cost: Mains $10 – 25
331 Penshurst Street, Willoughby North
(02) 9417 7500
topspeedthaiwilloughby.com.au
Lunch: 11am – 3pm daily
Dinner: 4pm – 10pm Sunday – Wednesday, open until 10:30pm Thursday – Saturday nights.
