THERE are a couple of things you can be sure of when walking into a restaurant that’s been around for 30 years.
You can be sure they’ve adapted their menu to suit the taste buds of their regular clientele.
And you can be sure it’s clean, because if it wasn’t, it would have been forced to shut down a long time ago.
Thai Orchid at Springwood has been on the dining map for three decades and has undergone its share of refurbishments over that time.
That’s why you can walk in and feel like you’re in a modern restaurant, with fresh carpet and classy decor, art that inspires discussion, and interior design that seamlessly integrates touches of ancient Thailand with the comforts of the 21st century.
Look around, and you’ll see a who’s who of Logan City.
As far as Thai menus go, this one is standard, drawing from the favourites people will remember from their last Thai holiday and presenting them in a bowl of colourful salads and vegetables.
It’s true that there are better-priced Thai restaurants around town. But this is all about the presentation, the service and the experience.
Larp duck is a variation on the more commonly served pork or chicken version and is a refreshing salad with a sour sauce, mint, ground rice and lemon. Ask for a hint of spice to give it a kick.
Dishes are not large, so the best way to go is to multiply the table by 1.5 and put that many dishes in the centre to share. If you have four people, six dishes should do the trick.
And mix it up. Salads, curries and stir fries all complement each other in Thai cuisine.
Try a green paw paw salad, or the crispy fish salad if you like a little bit of deep fry in your Thai cooking.
Rice comes in a few different forms. Plain or coconut rice is the healthiest option, but there’s something inviting about Thai fried rice.
Green, red or yellow curry are all good.
Sir fries are well priced at $18.90 and there’s a great selection. Basil and chilli is an old favourite, and it’s worth saying that Thai sweet and sour has a zesty fresh flavour when done Thai-style, with fresh pineapple, cucumber, tomato and onion.
That’s opposed to Chinese sweet and sour which is generally done with a pre-made sauce and battered meat.
Normally, I’d say Thai restaurants aren’t the place for ordering dessert, unless of course it’s mango season when the sticky rice and coconut milk give the tropical fruit a beautifully rich and sweet accompaniment.
But there’s a dessert on the Thai Orchid menu which comes from country Thailand and is as delicious as it is basic – an egg custard with the consistency of panna cotta, sitting alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some sticky rice.
In this case, it’s bright green sticky rice, and a splash of coconut milk. The custard is something Thai children grew up with, and if you’ve got a hint of a sweet tooth, you’ll be glad you discovered it too.
