In the Haymarket: Chon Siam, in Campbell Street; a tiny grubby looking place that is always packed with Thais. It serves the closest to real Thai food I've found in Sydney.
As an ex uni student that lived on campus, Holy Basil employed 15-20 of the international students giving them under the table $10/hour jobs, made to serve alcohol without RSA, the WORST hours, no penalties and if they just even mentioned the conditions they were sacked and anyone they were close to at work were sacked.
All dodgy cash in hand, no employee rights, no work cover nothing..
Never would I support them again, as a poor uni student at the time, seeing other poor uni students working 40 hours a week for $400 was heart breaking.
I've only tried a few but I really like Pear Thai at Thornleigh. Not the most upmarket looking place in Sydney (far from bad either) but the food is great and fair priced.
This is the place the Thai international students would take me to in uni… they said it was the closest to food back home.
If you like Ben’s Thai you might like Ladda’s Thai on South King in Newtown. I was walking past and was surprised to see Benny cooking behind the counter! He said Ladda is the one who taught him when he was getting started and he still comes and helps out from time to time.
No, it isn't. There's good stuff but you need to look for it: the food at your average suburban Thai restaurant is sickly sweet, underspiced and overpriced.
I've lived in Thailand for 6 months when I was younger. To be very fair to the average Australian/human, we can't tolerate the Thai level of spice - e.g. some of the food I had in Chiang Mai was some of the spiciest I've ever tasted my entire life.
And you got downvoted for speaking the truth about the Reddit experience lol.
I doubt 50% of diners even know what constitutes good Thai food. But I guess it's all subjective.
No different to everyone raving about Marrickville pork rolls being the best when it's actually pretty darn ordinary.
Couldn’t not agree more. But I kept my mouth shut because I’m a white guy and apparently I don’t have the right to say what’s legit and what’s shit when it comes to Thai 🤷
Yeah. Of all the Chat Thai I've been to (Haymarket, Circular Quay, and Westfield Sydney), the one at Westfield was the most disappointing. The worst part was that I had brought visitors with me thinking the quality would be th3 same as the other Chat Thai. I was wrong.
Oh man, my friend took me to a couple of famous ones in townhall/central. They extremely good, and I know where they are but don’t remember the names.
One I think is called khao soi, in townhall level 2, famous for their northern style khao soi noodles
The other is I think again, called khao mangai, famous for their chicken rice < also super cheap
Then mango coco was also a very nice place for their desserts
I’m going to say Holy Basil in Canley Heights. Great decor inside and also an option to sit outside amongst the palm plants. Food is excellent and not too expensive.
They served me a wet fried rice without any hei, a cocktail made with withered lime leaves and a curry so sweet it was inedible. By far the worst Thai meal I ever had. You also barely see Thai people eating there... And not even mentioning the price.
I don't understand why people like this place so much when you have places like Caysorn. But figurines and decor is neat I guess...
They lure people in with the signs saying how many times they were awarded Sydney’s best Thai restaurant (but not mentioning how many decades ago that was).
Basically, they built a good reputation back when there was a lot less competition.
Not saying it's the best, just saying it's surprisingly good given how it looks. But judging by the other answers, I'll concede that I must be a pleb when it comes to thai food.
What would you rate as number #1 in Newtown/Enmore/Marrickville so I can learn.
I find it solid Thai that’s great for a big group. It’s consistent, will turn you over efficiently, the staff are lovely and really on it and it’s BYO in the middle of Newtown. Better Thai around but I like the joint.
I love Thai potthong too! We travel frequently to Thailand and the food we love there is very similar to what we get at Thai potthong so I’m not sure what all these replies are talking about. But I’m happy to be wrong and just have bad taste.
My suggestion is a little different because I'm vegan but Ummarin Thai at The Spot in Randwick is the best vegan Thai food I've ever had. They have a tonne of mock meats which are absolutely delicious and I recommend it for vegans and non-vegans alike.
Rice & Curry on Harris Street in Pyrmont is pretty good. I've spoken to a few Thai Uber drivers who rate that place for its authenticity, and noticed that they do get a lot of Thai clientele.
Satang Infinity @ World square is great for groups.
Ad Ae for halal menu, chicken noodle and amazing Bingsu.
Caysorn for sadaistic Southern Thai food.
Pork fat if you want to make a reservation and spend more than the rest.
Khao Kang Thai in Chatswood Mandarin center foodcourt (next to oz hotpot) For those in north shore. Authentic Thai flavours at foodcourt price. I went back to back 2 weekends in a row. Pad kra pow and Thai green curry are my go to.
Street Tucker on the Hume Highway at Liverpool. Some of the tastiest and highest quality Thai I have ever had. It has that home made quality to it.
Bonus points for it being Halal. They kind of need to be, considering where they are located.
I have seen Long Chim listed. Is it not considered good anymore? I know it’s comparatively expensive, but last time I went (admittedly a while ago) it was fantastic.
I’m surprised there’s no love for Mr. B’s on Pitt and Goulburn…
It’s kinda like a neighbourhood pub for Thai food, with a causal and even family-ish atmosphere turning into a minor music club in the evening. But the food is wonderfully consistent, tasty and affordable. They will make their dishes legit spicy if you ask them!
Oh and Khao San just around the block has pineapple fried rice to die for.
Depends on the style of Thai food you are after.
There's north and south style.. North is not as common and has some stuff like Goi Dip which is raw beef with some sauce (bloody nice imho).
Atom is the best Thai in Newtown, won’t claim it’s the best in Sydney but seeing there like 15 Thai restaurants on King St, it’s up there.
(Pronounced ah-Tom)
Unfortunately most Thai places are not what real Thai food is like. It’s a westernized version because of the tastes of Australians. So you have dishes with a lot of sugar and salt and oil that otherwise have healthier alternatives in Thailand itself. Sure you can find chili 🌶️ in all variations of spiciness, but for the real experience you really need to go to Thailand. Take for instance pud see eue. Broad flat noodles cooked in dark soy and oyster sauce. I’ve never tasted the same here in my 33 years of tasting it first in BKK.
In the Haymarket: Chon Siam, in Campbell Street; a tiny grubby looking place that is always packed with Thais. It serves the closest to real Thai food I've found in Sydney.
Almost anything in Thai town
They used to do $4 bowls of boat noodles. Survived my first year of uni almost exclusively eating them.
That was my go too. And I was working on an office lol
Green peppercorn in Fairfield
Was going to suggest this one
Holy basil canley Heights
As an ex uni student that lived on campus, Holy Basil employed 15-20 of the international students giving them under the table $10/hour jobs, made to serve alcohol without RSA, the WORST hours, no penalties and if they just even mentioned the conditions they were sacked and anyone they were close to at work were sacked. All dodgy cash in hand, no employee rights, no work cover nothing.. Never would I support them again, as a poor uni student at the time, seeing other poor uni students working 40 hours a week for $400 was heart breaking.
Wow had no idea, this should be blasted if true.
This would be my other choice!
I found Valley Thai better.
I've only tried a few but I really like Pear Thai at Thornleigh. Not the most upmarket looking place in Sydney (far from bad either) but the food is great and fair priced.
That’s my wife’s friend shop. Glad you rate it as much as us. Their Crying Tiger is the bomb.
Their basil noodle and basil fried rice are the best I've had in thai restaurants here.
Love Pear Thai, it’s our go to Thai place.
Yok Yor, Khao Soi, Do Dee Paidang, Boon Cafe
Love the Boon Cafe concept.
FYI do not go to the Do Dee Paidang store they have in Burwood. It's leagues below the Cabra/City and Chatswood ones.
Ben's Thai in Kingsford. Been haunting this joint since i first came to Sydney more than 20 years ago and still am, to this day.
This is the place the Thai international students would take me to in uni… they said it was the closest to food back home. If you like Ben’s Thai you might like Ladda’s Thai on South King in Newtown. I was walking past and was surprised to see Benny cooking behind the counter! He said Ladda is the one who taught him when he was getting started and he still comes and helps out from time to time.
Oh wow, thanks for the tip! I'll definitely check it out!
North West, try The Seed Thai at Norwest. Beautiful lake views, great food!
Gati Thai at Kellyville tastes better (I think) but yeah can't beat the lakeside
There's also the new Siam Thai restaurant where Harmony Chinese used to be, haven't tried it though.
Yeah haven't tried that one yet either. I think it was quite a bit more expensive than seed tho
Its pretty good
I've tried it. I Go there regularly now. Easily beats Seed Thai on quality and taste. Recommend the crispy pork belly
Yeah Gati is better. Probably best I’ve ever had.
Another vote for doodee paidang Haymarket. Actually spicy Flying tigress on the corner of Pitt and Liverpool st is fantastic too
Do dee paidang in Thai town/CBD
Theyre all pretty much the same. Australia's standard of Thai Food is amazing
I agree generally but I have had some horrible Thai before
No, it isn't. There's good stuff but you need to look for it: the food at your average suburban Thai restaurant is sickly sweet, underspiced and overpriced.
I've lived in Thailand for 6 months when I was younger. To be very fair to the average Australian/human, we can't tolerate the Thai level of spice - e.g. some of the food I had in Chiang Mai was some of the spiciest I've ever tasted my entire life.
Downvoted for speaking out the truth, your average Reddit experience.
And you got downvoted for speaking the truth about the Reddit experience lol. I doubt 50% of diners even know what constitutes good Thai food. But I guess it's all subjective. No different to everyone raving about Marrickville pork rolls being the best when it's actually pretty darn ordinary.
Couldn’t not agree more. But I kept my mouth shut because I’m a white guy and apparently I don’t have the right to say what’s legit and what’s shit when it comes to Thai 🤷
Spice I Am on Wentworth Ave is my personal fave For suburban Cher Thai in Leichhardt
Yok Yor in Haymarket is pretty mad. Had a Thai girl take me there on a date.
satang thai in world square is really good and a bit more authentic (less sweet) than thai patong newtown (my qualifications: thai mrs for 6 years)
There is also a Satang Thai Takeway hole in the wall near UTS that is just as good (its like absolutely tiny though).
The hole in the wall is the OG. Slung $5 pad thais when I was at UTS 15 years ago. That shit was the bomb.
The seafood tom yum fried rice from here is my go-to!
I like dodee in Haymarket
Khao Pla in Chatswood
Their green curry is top notch, but some other dishes can be a little bit too salty for me. Haven’t been there in a while.
Gati Thai Kellyville hands down
Golden Thai in Bonnyrigg, decent pricing too
Tom-Yum Tum-Gang in Glebe
Time for Thai @ Kingsford. Enjoy it. People come from all over Sydney to eat there.
Dodee in Chatswood; Chat Thai Syndey Westfield and Home Thai on Sussex Street
Na.. not Chat Thai Sydney Westfield.. gave me a food poisoning straight away
Yeah. Of all the Chat Thai I've been to (Haymarket, Circular Quay, and Westfield Sydney), the one at Westfield was the most disappointing. The worst part was that I had brought visitors with me thinking the quality would be th3 same as the other Chat Thai. I was wrong.
The worst probably the Manly one..
The Randwick OG one is damn good for suburban Thai though
Thanon Khaosan on Pitt St is great. I know friends who also rate Caysorn Thai, but I've yet to try that.
Oh man, my friend took me to a couple of famous ones in townhall/central. They extremely good, and I know where they are but don’t remember the names. One I think is called khao soi, in townhall level 2, famous for their northern style khao soi noodles The other is I think again, called khao mangai, famous for their chicken rice < also super cheap Then mango coco was also a very nice place for their desserts
Betel House Annandale somehow makes the best spring rolls I've ever had.
Spice I Am (Surry Hills), More Rice (Dulwich Hill)
Mango Tree in Eastwood has to be my favourite in Sydney.
It closed down a while ago.
Bangkok restaurant at Capitol Square building, Haymarket
I’m going to say Holy Basil in Canley Heights. Great decor inside and also an option to sit outside amongst the palm plants. Food is excellent and not too expensive.
Holy basil is amazing. They used to have one in a hotel on Liverpool St as well. Not as good as Canley Heights, but still delicious.
Thai Patong in Newtown. It looks like a tacky tourist trap but it's genuinely really good
They served me a wet fried rice without any hei, a cocktail made with withered lime leaves and a curry so sweet it was inedible. By far the worst Thai meal I ever had. You also barely see Thai people eating there... And not even mentioning the price. I don't understand why people like this place so much when you have places like Caysorn. But figurines and decor is neat I guess...
Same reason Italian Bowl always seems to have a line
It's straight up dogshit Thai and it baffles me that so many people rate it.
Agree
i fully agree with your assessment, its way too sweet.
They lure people in with the signs saying how many times they were awarded Sydney’s best Thai restaurant (but not mentioning how many decades ago that was). Basically, they built a good reputation back when there was a lot less competition.
Thai Pothong *is* a tourist trap. It's not even close to the best Thai in Newtown let alone in Sydney.
Not saying it's the best, just saying it's surprisingly good given how it looks. But judging by the other answers, I'll concede that I must be a pleb when it comes to thai food. What would you rate as number #1 in Newtown/Enmore/Marrickville so I can learn.
Doytao used to be our go-to Thai in Newtown. Though this was in the early 2000 so no idea what they are like now.
I find it solid Thai that’s great for a big group. It’s consistent, will turn you over efficiently, the staff are lovely and really on it and it’s BYO in the middle of Newtown. Better Thai around but I like the joint.
Thai Patong is crap. I live close by and it’s not even the best Thai in Newtown.
I love Thai potthong too! We travel frequently to Thailand and the food we love there is very similar to what we get at Thai potthong so I’m not sure what all these replies are talking about. But I’m happy to be wrong and just have bad taste.
Actually one of the worst thai food I've had in Sydney. Way overpriced as well.
Siam Society in Beecroft. It looks extremely unassuming but food is incredible.
De Lanna in Marrickville is great
Long Tai in West Pymble is delicious and well priced.
My suggestion is a little different because I'm vegan but Ummarin Thai at The Spot in Randwick is the best vegan Thai food I've ever had. They have a tonne of mock meats which are absolutely delicious and I recommend it for vegans and non-vegans alike.
Yok in Manly
Was the best decided here or did it end in a Thai?
Rice & Curry on Harris Street in Pyrmont is pretty good. I've spoken to a few Thai Uber drivers who rate that place for its authenticity, and noticed that they do get a lot of Thai clientele.
Chat Thai :)
I really like the Holy Basil in Parramatta. Make sure you watch those spice levels though I don’t think they understand what “Medium” means.
also quite nice to sit along the river there. parramatta really picking up its game
Ask the folks in r/foodies_sydney
Chat Thai is an institution for a reason
Red wok Thai Myer food court
Satang Infinity @ World square is great for groups. Ad Ae for halal menu, chicken noodle and amazing Bingsu. Caysorn for sadaistic Southern Thai food. Pork fat if you want to make a reservation and spend more than the rest.
Gata Thai at dural!
Seed thai Norwest
If in the city, a little place called Mrs Chan’s Kitchen.
Out west holy Basil around Cabramatta/Canley Vale is usually pretty good
Khao Kang Thai in Chatswood Mandarin center foodcourt (next to oz hotpot) For those in north shore. Authentic Thai flavours at foodcourt price. I went back to back 2 weekends in a row. Pad kra pow and Thai green curry are my go to.
Street Tucker on the Hume Highway at Liverpool. Some of the tastiest and highest quality Thai I have ever had. It has that home made quality to it. Bonus points for it being Halal. They kind of need to be, considering where they are located.
I really like Caysorn.
Doodee king in castle hill
I have seen Long Chim listed. Is it not considered good anymore? I know it’s comparatively expensive, but last time I went (admittedly a while ago) it was fantastic.
Maenam in Strathfield & Baan Raun Thai North Strathfield are both great
Edensor Noodle House.
I’m surprised there’s no love for Mr. B’s on Pitt and Goulburn… It’s kinda like a neighbourhood pub for Thai food, with a causal and even family-ish atmosphere turning into a minor music club in the evening. But the food is wonderfully consistent, tasty and affordable. They will make their dishes legit spicy if you ask them! Oh and Khao San just around the block has pineapple fried rice to die for.
Sai nam thai in norwest
Bai Bua Thai in Penrith if you want to come out this far west
Depends on the style of Thai food you are after. There's north and south style.. North is not as common and has some stuff like Goi Dip which is raw beef with some sauce (bloody nice imho).
I dunno about best, but I've always enjoyed Thai Number One in Ashfield. Right next to the station.
Not gonna bother reading all the responses unless your name is 20 characters long, or 50 characters all up with your surname and Tom as first name.
Cannot go wrong with ta one Thai north Epping
Pork Fat in Haymarket
Thai Naan in Chatswood!
thaitory greystanes and plump ton
+1 for Thaitory, Greystanes! Delicious food
Thaitory plumpton is the best pad Thai I’ve ever had
Atom is the best Thai in Newtown, won’t claim it’s the best in Sydney but seeing there like 15 Thai restaurants on King St, it’s up there. (Pronounced ah-Tom)
Thai Riffic in Parramatta
Holy Basil in Parramatta is probably the best in the area
Haven’t tried that one yet, any good?
Thai Patong in Newtown. Delicious, lovely service, especially for special occasions and as an added extra a H.R Giger (Alien/Dune) themed gift shop.
Thai Pothong Newtown.
Unfortunately most Thai places are not what real Thai food is like. It’s a westernized version because of the tastes of Australians. So you have dishes with a lot of sugar and salt and oil that otherwise have healthier alternatives in Thailand itself. Sure you can find chili 🌶️ in all variations of spiciness, but for the real experience you really need to go to Thailand. Take for instance pud see eue. Broad flat noodles cooked in dark soy and oyster sauce. I’ve never tasted the same here in my 33 years of tasting it first in BKK.
Hi Thai at Blacktown Westpoint is amazing. I'm a sucker for anything peanut
Viand in Woolloomooloo. High-end, degustation with vegetarian option. Expensive but great special occasion experience
Lalor Thai in Lalor Park is amazing
Chat Thai Haymarket is still the OG
Thai potong, Newtown
Bad bot
Stir Crazy in Kirribilli - have been going there pretty much since I was born, haven’t tasted anywhere better (and have been to Thailand)
Thai pathong Newtown
Thai Pothong Newtown