I had quite a shaded childhood, my parents tucked me away in Helensburgh until I was ten years of age, before moving my brother and I to good-old Port Macquarie. From what I remember, Raya Thai opened just before we moved in 2002. I have very fond memories of the restaurant, I even had my farewell dinner there at the tender age of 10.
We have a handful of family friends that still reside in the little, secluded town on the border of Sydney and Wollongong that is Helensburgh. So when my Dad came to visit, we made the one hour trek and discovered that not much has changed.
Our family friends frequently tell us that Raya Thai is the best Thai restaurant southern Sydney has to offer. I've been informed on numerous occasions that celebrity chef Anh Do is a regular at the restaurant, as well as the host of awards the restaurant has secured since it opened in 2001. Alas, there is no debate about which restaurant will be the venue for our dinner reunion.
We visit Raya Thai on a Sunday night. The restaurant, which takes up a small, typically Thai decorated room, is near empty (at one stage the restaurant continued into the shop next door). We take a seat in the back corner of the restaurant. The table is quite small for our group of 10 but we make do. The restaurant's decor is perhaps the best I've came into contact with in a restaurant of its kind. The walls are lined with bamboo and above us is a thatched roof. The lighting is the perfect degree of dim (I am cheering, as for once the go-to dim lighting of restaurants does not significantly affect my photos). Overall, the restaurant exudes warmth, providing a comfortable setting for a rowdy dinner with old friends.
The restaurant's menu is extensive. Lucky for me, our 10-strong dinner party means that I will get to try an array of dishes. I begin with the beautiful Thai fish cakes served with chilli cucumber sauce ($4). The cakes are the perfect density, light as opposed to heavy, and are flavoured excellently with a hint of coriander. The chilli cucumber sauce is to die for; so much so that once I've devoured the fish cakes, I take to munching on grated carrot dipped in said sauce.
One diner orders the 98% fat free dumplings with chicken and prawn filling, served with soy sauce, and god am I thankful. For $10 the dumplings are a bit expensive but the taste is certainly there. The soft dough melts in the mouth to reveal a wonderfully balanced chicken and prawn filling.
Nathan opts for the chicken Nasi Goreng ($10). We are a bit put off by the plastic appearance of the star-shaped prawn chips, but in the end they taste okay. The nasi goreng, on the other hand, is light and fluffy with the perfect degree of seasoning. There's not much chicken, as seems to be the case with many Asian restaurants, but Nathan is satisfied nonetheless.
Thai green curry with chicken has long been a favourite of mine and this dish doesn't change that. One of the best I've tried, this green curry has bite and is a decent portion size. Unlike other green curries, Raya Thai's is cream in colour and garnished, like all other dishes at the restaurant, with grated carrot. For $14 (this price is a standard across the restaurant's menu as well as many other Thai restaurants) I am cheering.
I tried a handful of other dishes and all reached my expectations, if not exceeding them. One downside was the Roti Paratha ($2 each) which was doused in oil and came in small portion size.
While I have fond memories of this visit, I don't agree with the over-the-top praise our family friends regularly give the restaurant. The dishes were nice, presented as expected and decently priced, but they failed to amaze. Needless to say, Raya Thai is a consistent restaurant with a lovely vibe making it the perfect haunt for a catch up with family or friends.
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