Five of the best Thai restaurants on the Gold Coast

IT’S hard to find bad Thai food here on the Gold Coast, or so the old adage goes, but you’re guaranteed the best at these local favourites.

One of the dishes at Chong Co Thai Restaurant & Bar. Photo: Supplied

IT’s hard to find bad Thai food, so the old adage goes, but you’re guaranteed the best at these local favourites, writes Denise Raward

Chong Co Thai Restaurant & Bar

Level 1, The Kitchens, Robina Town Centre

Regional favourites are a hit at Chong Co Thai Restaurant & Bar. Photo: Supplied

The key to finding Chong Co at The Kitchens is to look up. Chong Co, with its modern twist on traditional Thai, is on the more laid-back first floor and well worth the stairs or a ride in the elevator. Owner Alex Hasitawet has been finessing his take on Thai food for 15 years in Sydney and Canberra, launching on the Gold Coast at the end of 2015 at Robina followed by another restaurant on the Patio at Pacific Fair. You’ll find the usual regional Thai favourites: curries, spicy soups, noodles and an offering of gourmet specialties. The undisputed menu pick among locals, however, is the massaman lamb shank curry, an Aussie take on a Thai classic.

Rick Shores

Shop 3, 43 Goodwin Terrace, Burleigh Heads

Tasty Pan-Asian inspired food at Rick Shores. Picture: Supplied/Destination Gold Coast

While Rick Shores may not be strictly Thai, this Pan-Asian establishment has enough Thai influences to make the cut. It’s hard to beat the location perched on the rocks at Burleigh Beach or the Asian-inspired signature cocktails matched to the menu. If it’s possible to choose just one bar snack for special mention, it would be Rick’s fried bug roll and in keeping with the Thai theme, the yellow king prawn curry is a time-tested favourite.

Chiangmai Thai

2779 Gold Coast Highway, Broadbeach

New twists on old favourites at Chiangmai Thai. Picture: JERAD WILLIAMS

Chiangmai has long set the standard for traditional Thai fare on the Gold Coast, winning a string of awards during its 25 years of trading. Along with its sister establishment inside the Mantra Crown Towers resort in Surfers Paradise, the menu offers high quality Thai classics with the odd contemporary twist on Thai flavours. Tourists and locals love the attention to detail in the traditional Thai furnishings and artefacts. An outside table in the firelit garden transports you to old Siam and the popular Phanang curry with a choice of meat, seafood, veg or tofu, coconut milk, lime leaves, crushed peanut and fresh chilli is hard to go past.

Thai Mudgee

69 Railway Street, Mudgeeraba

Fruity duck curry and tapas at Thai Mudgee. Photo: Supplied

The much-loved local haunt Thai Mudgee has a new upstairs balcony lounge and bar, serving cocktails and Thai tapas on Friday and Saturday evenings from 3pm. The tapas menu offers Thai twists on bar snacks, featuring the popular Thai style barbecue yabby. The regular menu has all the usual fare and a selection of seasonal dishes. Owner Peter grows all his own herbs including the rare gra-paow or “holy basil”. It’s the key ingredient in the Drunken Noodles, the dish that’s recommended if you’ve spent too long in the bar upstairs. In Thailand, the garlic and hot spices are guaranteed to “awaken the intoxicated”.

House of Siam Thai

Shop 5, The Boardwalk, Hope Island Shopping Centre

Sunset views and tasty meals at House of Siam Thai. Picture: Alex/Carter

This Hope Island gem offers sunsets over the marina and a resident pianist to create a special occasion experience without the price tag. House of Siam is open for lunch and dinner and there are some thoughtful selections on the wine list. You can find classic dishes on the regular menus, but if you’re after something a little extra, check out the Chef’s Menu for the rich red fish curry with a choice of barramundi or salmon. The House of Siam Moreton Bay bugs, cooked in a yellow curry sauce with coconut milk and shallots, is also a winner.