Meal #6: Southern Thailand / Nonya

Southern Thailand is renown for its beautiful beaches and resort towns like Phuket. There was nothing Phuked about this meal…

The Isthmus of Kra
Nonya Thai Restaurant
Fully Licensed
50 Park Street, South Melbourne 3205
Open Monday to Friday for lunch and daily for dinner

Entering The Isthmus of Kra you are greeted by a large, 200 year old, antique, wooden statue of the Thai monkey god. The restaurant is filled with many tasteful antique (or at least reproduction antique) Thai artifacts, and there is very little lighting, except for the down lights over each table which create a serene mood and the illusion of privacy. If the location, décor and ambiance of this restaurant haven’t convinced you that you’ve entered an up-market eatery, the menu prices will leave you with no doubt.

Into this dapper dining hall dared the debonair duos of Deb and Paul, and Caroline and Rami, on a dubious double date (by the way, this sentence was brought to you by the letter D).

Entrée:

Crispy fried sausage AROI MAK filled with mixture of green lentils, crushed macadamia nuts, shredded yam, and fresh herbs in a beancurd casing. Served with tangy coriander, dill mustard sauce.

6 lightly grilled OYSTERS in terracotta plate, laced with spicy lime and lemongrass dressing.

Steamed rose-shaped BLUE DUMPLINGS dyed with butterfly pea flowers, filled with caramelized minced beef.


Mains:

Gippsland VENISON PAD HORM wok-singed with fragrant Thai basil, greens and roasted cashew.

Tangy light galangal flavoured citrus coconut broth with a kaleidoscope of colourful vegetables and a variety of mushrooms.

LAMB GULAI, nonya yellow curry with dill, a variety of mints, fresh turmeric and roasted vegetables.

Sides:

Hot favourite, ROTI flat bread per serve.


Dessert:

Steamed hazelnut CHOCOLATE PUDDING with vanilla seed custard.

DURIAN BAVAROIS palm sugar syrup

Entrée:

If the entrées tasted as good as they looked we knew we’d be in for a delightful meal.


Except for the sauces which accompanied the dumplings and sausages being a tad too overpowering, there was not a complaint to be heard – although having oysters defined, by the diner who ordered them, as “just large bacteria” brought a smile to the table.


Mains:

The venison (or Bambi’s mum) was tender and juicy with just a hint of spiciness, easily the best dish we ordered. The lamb yellow curry was also well received and once all the meat was eaten the sauce was poured over the leftover rice to good effect. Although we were disappointed with the lack of an actual kaleidoscope in the vegetarian dish, the food itself did not disappoint.


Dessert:

Although both dessert dishes were scrumptious, the price per volume of serving did not satisfy.

Overall:

When you look at the menu which proudly claims that The Isthmus of Kra is a “fully licensed restaurant” – you know that they are serious, 5 pages for food (including banquets) compared to 14 pages of drinks. If you want wine, they’ve got it by the crateful.


At $20 minimum per person for dinner, there is no doubting that this restaurant is an up-market place. Nevertheless, the food is excellent – both in taste and in appearance (which is magnificent), the staff are friendly (although they took forever to get us our bill, but when it did arrive however, it was so well presented, we felt we had to take a photo of it too!), and the stylish ambiance makes it the perfect place for a night on the town.