In search of flavour

Where Marrickville

Why After a Saturday morning session at Yogas'cool, Gusto and I were looking forward to a hot lunch of homemade soup when disaster struck. Suspicion should have set in when neither of us could remember cooking or freezing the otherwise unidentified watery mixture of chicken, pumpkin, rice and peas but when piping-hot, the soup tasted of ... nothing. We tried a few things to salvage it – parmesan, pesto and worcestershire sauce – but the flavour remained elusive. Baffled at what possessed us to cook let alone freeze it, we abandoned bowls and hopped on our bikes towards a much better option: Let's Eat Thai [352 Illawarra Rd, Marrickville (02) 9558 9508]. OK, so it was only a few blocks down the road, but it was already 2pm and we were hungry.



This wasn't our first Let's Eat Thai experience – not long after it opened last year we ate a lovely lunch of fishcakes and a deep-fried whiting special. Later, a home delivery confirmed that their tom yum is, well, yum. With a run of rave reviews recently, most centred around the owners Spice I Am pedigree, the place is probably heaving with happy diners at night but late on this Saturday lunchtime it was blissfully quiet.



The sensible option would have been to take advantage of the generously priced lunch deals, but we couldn't go past the blackboard offerings – in particular, the ped ma kham and banana blossom salad. With steamed rice for two and fishcakes to start, our order was complete and we were raring to go.



The fishcakes disappeared as quickly as they arrived – they have the authentic firm, almost rubbery texture and a fresh curry flavour that's sensational with the sweet dipping sauce.



Despite being Thai salad lovers, we'd never tried banana flowers so the next dish was an entirely new experience. Glistening with the chilli jam dressing, it looked gorgeous and we couldn't wait to dig in. It was creamy and crunchy, with hints of coconut, lemongrass, coriander and chilli and a slightly bitter flavour that worked well with the sweetness of the prawns.



As lively as the salad was, the dish that drew the most sighs of pleasure was the perfectly cooked duck breast with its crispy crust and mouth-watering meat. The tamarind sauce was fine-dining standard, a beautiful balance of sweet and sour, and everything else on the plate just added to the general deliciousness. It looked and tasted like it should have cost a lot more than $18.

How Head to Marrickville station and you're almost there – we only had to ride down Petersham Road, then over the hill to the other side of Illawarra Rd.

Distance A mere kilometre from home, and downhill at that. Shame on me.

Damage About $45 for two, but had there been a Wafu-style discount for eating everything on our plates we'd have paid $30.

Tips

• If you don't fancy the Thai desserts on offer, there are plenty of treats to be had at the Greek bakery across the road.



• If you're not into chilli, order carefully – this is authentic Thai and that means hot. Judging by my own frantic napkin-grabbing mid-salad, I'd go so far as to say it's less "Let's Eat Thai" and more "Let's Sweat & Cry", but I loved every minute of it.