Bo Thai is a small and beautiful restaurant nestled within all the eateries that litter the streets of Crows Nest. As you enter, the restaurant was a breath of fresh air with accents of yellow and mellow green amongst the clean white panelling setting a nice mood and clean atmosphere for dining. Bo Thai emphasises the importance of quality ingredients and genuine Thai recipes and food further enhanced by the all-Thai staff.
The evening began with a better rendition of the simple tempura prawn. The little shot glass with big flavours had a perfect balance between salty, creamy and kick. The crumb certainly had that crunch as expected from a tempura and wasn't too thick or overpowering to block the natural briny flavour of the fresh prawn. The creamy sauce had a fantastic balance to mellow out the spicy chilli and brought out another dimension of flavour. The little shot glasses of deliciousness were garnished with fish roe full of pops of briny surprise.
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| Meing Kum - Diced salmon and fresh lime served in betel leaf |
To counter the rich fried taster we were shortly served with a fresh one. Fresh salmon was beautifully wrapped in betel leaf accompanied with salmon roe, ginger and lime juice. The fatty salmon was a great base as its accompaniments provided explosions of flavour; pops of fish roe, the sourness of the lime and the sweet combo of ginger and palm sugar all came together on a fragrant betel leaf wrap. Personally, the combination was a little too sweet for my liking, and the lime juice and salmon roe didn't have enough substance to counter the sweet flavours that came through. I loved the concept however, I think all the flavours were there to make something beautiful but not necessary balanced to my liking.
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| Satay Chicken |
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| Moo Ping Pork Skewers Dusted with Roasted Rice Powder |
Mountains of skewers graced the table in two forms; satay chicken and 'Moo Ping'. The skewers were pre-marinated and were full of flavour enhanced by a mysterious sauce that added the final glaze. The pork was moist and tender with the perfect amount of char that gives that really authentic street-food vibe.
The chicken satay (a popular dish ) came in generous piles early in the evening and accompanied by a gorgeous aromatic satay sauce. The chicken itself was lightly flavoured and perfectly cooked without going dry as can happen with BBQ chicken. The real highlight was the satay sauce. It was wonderfully thick with pieces of crushed peanuts mixed through it. The sauce wasn't overly sweet, as many satay sauces can be, and had a complex balance of spice and peanuts.
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| Cap Moo - Pork Crackers with Spicy Chicken Mix |
Paparazzi flashed as the contender of the spiciest plate of the night entered the ring; pork crackers with marinated chilli chicken mince. Innocent at first glance, the lettuce cups packed a good punch. The lettuce served as a little wrap and although fresh, it provided no respite from the spicy mince. The mince had a great sauce too it but Mister_Eats found the whole concoction far too spicy. In saying this, the spice was awakening and flavoursome, igniting our taste buds for the following courses.
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| Gai Yang- Thai grilled chicken with Thai herbs and sauce. |
This dish was as pretty as it was delicious. The grilled chicken was gorgeously juicy and succulent, and accompanied with a crunchy and crisp skin it was a textural masterpiece in the mouth. The sauce wasn't overly sweet as I had expected but had that great combination of salty and sweet without compromising the flavour from the chicken itself. Amongst everyone the chicken was a crowd pleaser both visually and taste-wise.
We were treated to a cooking demonstration of two dishes: Som Tum (Green Papaya Salad) and Po Taek (Thai Spicy Clear Soup). Chef Of, head chef of Bo Thai, was kindly spoken and taught us the recipes with ease. He made short work of what are seemingly complex ingredients and turned them into beautiful dishes.
Such simple ingredients with strong overpowering flavours can be pure harmony when put together in a bowl. The salad was a terrific palate cleanser, full of freshness and just the right amount of chilli. Papaya salad is always so flavoursome and a seemingly simple to make if you know your balances right.
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| Po Taek - Hot & Sour Seafood Soup |
At first glance, the soup looks bland, and I thought perhaps it'll taste a little bit like a dull fish stock. However, the punchy flavours that came out of such an innocent broth completely livened your taste buds. It was not unlike a Tom Yum soup but didn’t have the tamarind flavour that gives it its orange colour. This was a personal favourite as every part of the soup was devoured with glee. The chilli was just enough that it didn't completely burn your taste buds. Fresh and perfectly cooked seafood gave it a real depth of flavour.
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| Lardb Lamb |
The chef is highly protective of his secret recipe for the delicate crunchy lamb crust. However we found the lamb was slightly overcooked as the meat was a little tough. The centre was quite dry and lost that beautiful tenderness that lamb can have. The crust was okay but we found it a little too peppery which blunted the more subtle spices that could have been enhanced. Although the lime added some flavour, it wasn't nearly enough to offset the sweetness of the crust either. Overall, probably our least favourite dish of the evening.
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| Morning Glory |
An interesting rendition of Morning Glory (otherwise usually served as stir fried water spinach), took the dish to a completely different angle. Tempura water spinach added a huge amount of flavour and texture bringing out the earthy flavour from the spinach. Combined with tiger prawns and salmon roe, the dish was a dream in your mouth. The tempura was light crunchy and not heavy or oily, like so many fried dishes. The tiger prawns were cooked ever so lightly and had a gorgeous silky texture that sang with the pops of fresh salmon roe. This dish was a crowd favourite and a must order for following visits.
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| Khao Tom Mad - Thai rice dumpling wrapped in lotus leaves |
Our evening rounded out with rice dumplings wrapped in lotus leaves. Following the medley of tasty courses, we were surprised and a little disappointed with the simplicity of the dish. Although the dish isn't unfamiliar to us, as there are similar matches in other Asian cuisines, there was a definite lack of spark. The rice seemed a little dry and bland even with the addition of sugar. The lack of moisture lacking left us longing for it in the form of a dipping sauce.
Overall, we had a delightful experience at Bo Thai. The restaurant’s authenticity and its character made us feel comfortable. The respect devoted to their food truly makes Bo Thai a great stand-out addition to the Crows Nest area. We truly feel that our visit here made memories as the restaurant took us on a sensory journey through Thailand – the kind you don’t often see at your usual Thai restaurant. Their devotion to authenticity, kindness and variety of food is something you'll definitely want to experience.
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Written by Jay Santiago and Lachlan Munnings
@the.eatventures
@mister_eats
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jayybear
Twitter: @the.eatventures
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