SA Weekend restaurant review: Sophisticated Adelaide CBD Thai Room will spice up your life

Our SA Weekend food reviewer says there’s a lot to love about this CBD restaurant including an impressive wine wall and delectable duck dish to make your date great.

Are you one of those diners who can’t get enough of Thai? Me too.

Except I haven’t really been able to go past a certain beachside restaurant in the western suburbs, despite knowing I could widen my horizons with Thai Room in the CBD.

That said: I’ve previously made two fleeting visits; for a short and sweet taste test of Adelaide’s most expensive cocktail, which is another story, and a quick bite – a lunch special – at an outside table.

Tonight I’m taking my time. I arrive a good quarter-hour ahead of my partner, giving me the opportunity to settle in and truly familiarise myself with the venue and menu.

Thai Room’s logo. Picture: Supplied

Thai Room’s entrance. Picture: Supplied

With an elegant chandelier, dark green and stone walls, romantic low lighting – including small table lamps – and velvet cushions, Thai Room is both sophisticated and cosy.

The sumptuous setting also includes a wall displaying quality Australian wines, which my partner eyes off appreciatively when he takes his seat saying it’s enough to make him drool.

There’s also a smooth contemporary jazzy lounge soundtrack that makes us feel at home, as do the friendly accommodating staff.

Thai Room’s luxe decor. Picture: Supplied

The entrees have us spoiled for choice. Thai grilled Jambo scallops, crispy eggplant and grilled whole eggplant all sound tempting, but we decide to leave the decision making to the chef and opt for the Feed Me Menu experience – a minimum of six courses for $78 a diner.

When we order we are asked about food allergies and what level of spice is preferred; we choose medium and my request for my own little dish of chilli on the side is granted.

We have no idea what awaits us other than we will receive three entrees and three mains, with a curry and papaya salad among them.

The mystery dishes aren’t the only surprise. When our drinks arrive, we are both invited to taste the wine, one of our go-tos, The Lane Chardonnay. This is a particularly nice touch for wine ordered by the glass.

Thai Room’s wall of wine. Picture: Supplied

Thai Room’s lush decor. Picture: Supplied

We also order sparkling water; from an in-house tap at $6 a person for a bottomless serve. Our drinks are accompanied by a shot glass of tasty, spicy nuts made in-house, which are on the house.

The entrees arrive. There’s a stock standard larb chicken salad; super-sized vegetable spring rolls, with plum sauce, which obviously had a quick dip in the deep fryer because they are not in the slightest bit greasy and perfectly cooked, inside and out; and chicken satays, again generous in size, slightly chargrilled and juicy, with the best sauce in town and crushed peanuts.

Thai Room spring rolls. Picture: Supplied

Thai Room pad thai with fried chicken. Picture: Supplied

Next, the mains. There is a pad thai with tamarind chilli sauce, but it is unlike any other. For starters, the chicken is deep fried. But, more noticeably, the dish is deconstructed, so you can pick and choose how much or how little you have of the chicken, bean sprouts, crushed peanuts, chives and noodles. We indulge in all the delicious elements.

While the delicate papaya salad, which serves as a palate cleanser, is a little watery, the third dish does not disappoint.

Thai Room’s grilled duck curry. Picture: Supplied

The grilled duck curry is packed with exotic spicy, fruity flavours to beautifully balance out the earthiness of its tender slices of the meat.

What looks to be potato, in the fragrant red curry, is in fact green apple, and there are also chunks of pineapple, lychees, cherry tomatoes and eggplant.

With rice to soak up all the sauce, the dish is exceptional and by far our favourite.

It is also a crowd pleaser; our waitress tells us it was taken off the menu and brought back by popular demand. Little wonder so many say it is the house specialty.

I am curious about the dessert menu, which includes a blue sticky rice. Maybe next time, because our Feed Me Menu choice lives up to its name. We also leave more than satisfied that we have discovered one of Adelaide’s best Thai restaurants.

193 Victoria Square,

Adelaide

thairoom.com.au

Main courses

$23-$48

Open

Lunch and dinner

Mon-Fri

Dinner Sat

Must try

Satay chicken skewers,

grilled duck curry

Verdict

Food 18/20

Ambience 18/20

Service 18/20

Value 16/20

Overall 17/20

As a guide, scores indicate:

1-9 Fail; 10-11 Satisfactory;
12-14 Recommended; 15-16 Very Good; 17-18 Outstanding;
19-20 World Class

delicious.com.au/eatout