There are numerous types of Thai food, each with their own culinary nuance and flavour.
Flavours of dishes from different parts of the country are influenced by the produce available to the people.
In the landlocked Northeast of the country, meats, herbs and preserved foods are high on the agenda.
Southern Thai food is extra spicy and more heavily based with seafood due to its proximity to a long coastline along both eastern and western fronts.
Northern Thailand is a cooler climate, therefore beckoning more soups and curries, albeit with milder flavours.
Then, there’s westernised Thai. Dishes which are modified to ingredients available in our own backyard, and often milder to suit the western palate.
Phuket Thai has been a bit of an institution at Browns Plains and captures a blend of all types of Thai. As the availability of ingredients becomes more sophisticated, the food which lands on the plate is becoming more and more authentic.
Phuket Thai, in a small shopping strip where Johnson Road and Browns Plains Rd meets Mount Lindesay Highway, takes the best of both worlds.
An example is the larp fish, a traditional northeastern sweet and sour sauce with red onion, spring onion and coriander. Instead of mince, this version uses fillets of barramundi, crisp fried in a shallow pan heaped with the tasty sauce.
Ask for a bit of spice for some punch.
Duck with red curry is a Thai favourite. Here, they’ve used some pineapple which in Thailand often accompanies lychee in this particular dish. It’s a fresh combination.
Thai food is meant to be shared, so choose a diverse mix of dishes and heap them onto some rice for the real experience.
Salt and pepper chicken is a nice appetiser.
Another attractive thing about this place is the price. Fillets of fish for a pub meal would be in the $30 range, but here the larp fish is less than $20, and plentiful to boot.
In an area where fast food seems to be far more prevalent than restaurant food, it’s not unreasonable to expect a two- or three-course meal here for $25-30 per head.
Service is friendly and food service efficient.
