Thursday, January 01, 2009

Patee Thai

Brunswick Street in the suburb of Fitzroy is another of Melbourne's main streets with a diverse range of eateries and bars along with the odd bookshop. I was hoping to have dinner at St. Jude's Cellars which is a wine shop, bar and restaurant all in one. The place apparently does some great grazing dishes made for sharing but was closed on this New Year's Day.

Not to worry though there were plenty of other places to choose from. A little Afghan was a surprise find but Patee Thai caught my eye enough to warrant walking back to it. It has a traditional dining area where diners can sit on the floor against Thai triangular cushions. That was more than enough to get me in the door!

Inside the restaurant was doing quite a brisk trade for a New Year's Day with most tables occupied and quite a few young families. The lighting was noticeably dim and whilst not quite dining in the dark it was the dimmest place I've dined out in a while. This made me appreciate the sleek interior more with its spread of Thai ornaments as opposed to the rather generic interiors offset by a token Thai artifact in some places.

After some a bit of overindulgence the night before light and refreshing was the order of the day. Luckily Patee Thai was more than able to accommodate with dishes a cut above the standard popular "Thai-style" restaurants that are beginning to spread. Service was warm and friendly and dishes arrived promptly.

The prawn crackers in the mix entree platter were quite a pleasant surprise, the first time I've had a prawn cracker that did not resemble styrofoam. Rather these crackers were rather thick and solid, but still delightfully light without the greasy aftertaste. The fishcakes were delicious, I can taste them just thinking about them. They were perfectly seasoned and just right in terms of texture without the excessive greasiness of other fishcakes I've had.

The combination seafood soup with lemongrass, galangal, basil, chilli and lemon juice was just the right mix of flavours and heat to soothe the insides after overindulging the day before. With its tang and hint of sweetness it was enough to awaken the tastebuds from their coma. The Thai beef salad also helped ease a sore body as well with its refreshing tanginess. There was a perfect balance of flavours in the chilli bean dressing without the excessive sweetness that can rear its ugly head with this dish.

Overall Patee Thai was a great place to dine with a lovely ambience from dining whilst seated on the floor. The dishes were authentic and well balanced with just the right combination of flavours to excite the palate. For a great dining experience and quality the price was very reasonable. Definitely one of the best places for Thai cuisine in my experience.

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