Dining / In search of honest, tasty Thai

THAI food is sensual food in many ways – it’s colourful; it’s a wonderful balance of spicy and sweet and salty and sour; it can be smooth and it can have texture.

Once in a while, I crave honest, tasty Thai food and that took me recently to Soi VIII (Soy 8), Griffith shops. I first dined there in 2009 when the restaurant had just opened and was still finding its feet. It truly has found its feet. Lasting this long in a volatile industry says a lot about Soi VIII’s consistent quality of food and service.

Our eyes wandered through the extensive menu. I was with friends who visit more regularly than me. They knew the menu well, so I relaxed and let them order.

I was glad when they picked the Boo Jaa, which I enjoyed immensely on my last visit. This is a great entrée ($7.80 for four pieces). Soi VIII creates it with steamed chicken mince, crab and water chestnuts coated with egg yolks, lightly fried. It’s served with a tangy, sweet chilli sauce and a refreshing cucumber relish.

It’s always adventurous to try a chef’s special and Soi VIII offers several. We got stuck into flamed angel prawns in mild red curry with wild ginger ($22.90). The prawns were plump and the curry didn’t overwhelm them. Nor did the ginger. I could have ordered another lot and abandoned all other dishes.

Chef’s picks also included honey chicken ($16.90), which sounded a bit boring to me, but the Panang duck sounded super ($28.90) and I bet the whole snapper, deep fried and topped with chilli, tamarind sauce and lime leaves for a bit of “cut through” is a winner ($32.90).

The wok-tossed, stir-fried dishes are plentiful and you choose your meat or seafood ($17.90 to $20.90). Our squid with garlic and herbs was nicely balanced, but it couldn’t compete against the masterful prawn dish.

I mentioned consistency earlier. It’s a big problem with some eateries. You go one day and love a dish and on your next visit can’t recognise the way it looks on the plate or tastes. Truly. It’s an increasing problem in Canberra, and a frustrating one for diners. Soi VIII needn’t worry in this department.

Soi VIII’s décor is warm and simple. It describes itself as “casual/elegant”, although I think it’s more on the casual side. One thing’s for sure. It’s a truly good local.

Soi VIII, Griffith shops, call 6239 7999.

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