William Chong

Website: http://www.spiceiam.com; Ph: 92800928; 90 Wentworth Ave, Sydney 2010; lunch from $7.90, mains $14-26.

Rating: A
(A=return customer, AA=worth every cent, AAA=someone else must have paid for it)

Taking my now-usual route home from work, I chanced upon a small, well-presented restaurant – no fancy tables, plastic chairs packed in front of a small but bustling kitchen. Staff run between tables and clear them fast for the queue of patrons waiting outside patiently for a place. Apparently the foodies share this sense of regard, the LA Times rating it “one of the best 10 restaurants in Sydney”; the Morning Herald naming it “Sydney’s best Thai food – don’t go unless you expect the real thing, chillies and all”.

As most of you are well aware, I’m not a chilli aficionado – their dishes included basil pad kra prao (stir-fried with chilli, vegetables and Thai holy basil), their famed crispy pork belly (either in a pad prik king or with chinese broccoli and oyster sauce), and even signature dishes such as hoy tod (pan fried mussels with bean sprout and crispy flour served with chilli sauce) and whole fish dishes with even more spice.

I was in a hurry so I tried the safe option of chicken praram (stir-fried chicken and steamed kangkong vegetables topped with satay sauce, $13.90). The food came presented in gourmet-style plating removed from its hawker-table feel. The speed of delivery was amazing too – highlighting the amount of customers that come through each service a la wagamama. The satay flavour was delicious, not too peanuty – and the portion was large enough to eat without rice. The staff were a bit touchy about photos, but all in all the place was bubbling with a lively atmosphere. Probably would need to have spent more time (and money) to affirm without doubt its reputation, but overall spice i am was impressive nonetheless.

Incidentally, a table next to me had patrons matching a marvellously-presented whole fish main with an Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc all the way from good old New Zealand. Good to see some solid proof our savs are exportable.

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