49B Club Street
Tel: 6323 0503
Operating Hours: Lunch: Noon – 2.30pm Dinner: 6.30pm – 10.30pmA haven of peace and tranquillity, this restaurant remains a stalwart along Club Street. The setting is theatrical – far more so than its sister at the Waterfront: the dining room is adorned with silk drapes and gilded Buddha heads, and the air is laden with heady incense. The food comprises a mix of dishes from Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand as well as some French-influenced fare (think confused beef ragout). The combination platter of starters was a good choice: it included a Laotian sausage which was interesting – a juicy pork sausage flavoured with garlic and lemongrass, with a peculiarly snappy casing – and prawns grilled on sugarcane, which gave them a grassy-sweet note. Another choice starter was seafood papaya salad with a fiery chilli and lime dressing. For mains, there are meat, poultry and seafood dishes – curried, braised or fried and perfumed with mint, lemongrass, basil and coriander. All in all, an excellent place to eat – just steer clear of the quasi-Western dishes.