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Paladarr Thai Issan

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Paladarr's location is so backstreet you may need a GPS to find it. Heat seeking missiles may also pick it up – because when owner-chef Chaloem Chaiseeha describes a dish as spicy, he's not kidding. Hailing from Thailand's northeast, where they like it hot, Chaloem's zingy, herb-lifted prawn entrée pla goong might raise a sweat, along with the green pawpaw salad.

Editorial


Understanding the name explains much about this excellent eating place that's grown in stature in the three years since it opened. Paladarr means a circle of friends, and Issan is a region in Thailand. So, in a building that looks as if it was once a double-storey suburban mansion, expect comfort, friendliness and unusually good Thai cooking. From the moment of approach, this is clearly no ordinary suburban restaurant. While the dining room is decorated in glamorous, warm browns and pinks, it's not overtly formal. The solid timber tables are without cloths and are decorated with delicate lotus-flower candle-holders. The mood is welcoming, but professional.

The menu is extensive, however there is a clear explanation of every dish, so you know what ingredients there are, and how hot it will be as spice levels vary considerably. Our favourites? Prawns and julienned ginger, stir-fried with seasonal vegetables, and king oyster mushrooms with Asian broccoli. The southern Thai beef curry is also wonderful, with a fragrant mix of cinnamon, cloves and cardamom; it's about layers of flavour rather than the gasp of too much chilli. Like it hot? Try salads like pla goong (seared prawns) or the som yum (green papaya and dried shrimp). The drinks list is wide ranging and chosen to suit the food.

Rita Erlich, January 2009

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March 11, 2011


Nice food, but very over priced and much too pretentious to be enjoyable.

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