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106 George Street
The Rocks, Sydney.
Ph +61 2 9251 2466.
Building on our successful dining experience at The Rocks last night, we decided we’d head down there again to find out what other hidden gems we could find.
I finished work later than usual, so I freshened up at the hotel, and then we walked down George St again. We hadn’t ventured far when I spied a small sign above a doorway, simply titled ‘Sailor’s Thai‘.
As I looked through the window, it seemed quite busy - which is always a good sign - and despite the single long bench type seating, the interior looked cosy and inviting. We decided to give it a try.
Looking through the window.
We were seated halfway along the big long table, fortunately with an empty seat on either side as our ‘buffer zone’ from the other diners. This type of seating could be good for large groups, but then again it could also be bad as people at either end would find it hard to interact.
Most people get a bit louder when they down a couple of beverages, so we were glad of the empty seats around us.
In the spirit of the place, we ordered a thai beer, a Singha ($6.50). I actually liked it better than the Asahi we had at Nakashima - it wasn’t quite as dry.
Before I go any further, i’ll point out that there are two Sailor’s Thais. Upstairs is the ‘Canteen’, which is where we were, and downstairs (entry around the corner) is the higher class (and price) part of the establishment.
Both places have different menus, so we pretty much decided what we wanted - and that decided which entrance we entered.
On the Canteen menu, we liked the sound of the Stir Fried Fish, and the Northern Style Red Curry. Even though they sounded pretty standard, from what i’d seen the people eating on either side of us, I thought it would be quite interesting.
Stir Fried Fish ($26.50)
Stir fried fish, eggplants, snake beans and chillies.
Northern Style Red Curry ($26.50)
Northern style red curry of beef with peanut and ginger.
The portion size was slightly smaller than what I was expecting, so I consciously portioned out more rice than I would normally. On the upside though, there was that much flavour in both dishes that it didn’t taste like I was skimping at all.
Red Beef Curry - Everyone knows what red curry tastes like, right? Wrong. As I had a taste, I was surprised to find that it had a very different flavour to what I was expecting - and not in a bad way. The beef was fall-apart tender, and required very little effort to chew. I really couldn’t pick the individual ingredients that made up the flavour, but I think it was a combination of the ginger, peanuts, chillis of course, possibly some lime, and probably some other thai spices in addition to the standard red curry ingredients. And it had some decent heat. Oh yeah.
Also at one stage, I found I was munching on a small fresh kaffir lime leaf. I’ve seriously got to get my own asian herb garden going.
Fish and Vegetables Stir-Fry - Not to be outdone by the curry, the stir fry tasted great, and left that fantastic chilli-tingle sensation on your tongue. Though there wasn’t a great deal of fish, it was very tasty. And if you separated the vege and fish into alternate mouthfuls with the rice, it lasted fine.
I’d never seen minature eggplants before - I thought they were mini tomatoes, and was expecting pieces of those giant purple things you see in the supermarket.
Two empty main plates and 3 refills of rice later, we were stuffed. Almost. (Had to leave some room for a slice of cake at a place we passed on the way.. ;))
Also, I just totalled up our bill to work out how much the beer cost, and I realised that they forgot to charge us for it. Even more of a bonus!
If you’re quite happy to part with $18 - $28 for a main, then i’d highly recommend taking a visit to Sailor’s Thai. Add another $10 to that, and you could even venture downstairs for some of the more unique dishes they offer. You’ll thoroughly enjoy it.
We opted for the Canteen area, after deciding that the alternative was a bit too pricey for our liking, with no guarantee of whether we would appreciate the elaborate fare. As mentioned, the interior of the Canteen was simple, with a long metal table and several benches lined along both sides to seat customers. In true mess-hall style, that doesn’t leave you much space to move around if the place is packed, and the chatter and laughter reverberate due to the sparse furnishings and large room.
The service was not bad - we got our orders taken and food efficiently delivered, but we noticed the staff sometimes took time to chat and explain the menu items to new customers, contributing to an informal and fun atmosphere.
The food itself was also, surprisingly, rather good. True, we kind of knew what to expect, having had so many Thai meals before, so we stuck to a curry and a stir fry - traditional Thai menu staples. Here’s what we think:
Fish and Vegetables Stir-Fry - This stir fry was very well done - the right balance of flavours in the fish and vegetables.
Red Beef Curry - This was a beef curry with some ginger bits on the top, and it was superior compared to a lot of places we have been. Perhaps superior is not entirely accurate - it was uniquely in a class of its own. We don’t what they put in it, but it had a slightly tangy flavour and sufficient heat that made it quite a pleasure to eat.
Overall, Sailor’s Thai gets our thumbs up for good food, service and atmosphere. While it is certainly not cheap, the price is justified. Even though the restaurant is segregated two parts, you would think that the Canteen would be shortchanged, but you needn’t worry unless you don’t like dining with others in close proximity. If you are thinking of heading there, just remember that even the Canteen fare holds its own against many upmarket Thai places out there, and that is saying a lot.
the curry looks real good!!
visit my foodblog at http://feastmalaysia.blogspot.com/!
hope to see u there!
Left by ginger on July 31st, 2007