Green Papaya restaurant at Woolloongabba is mix of Balinese and Thai cuisine with two clearly defined menu’s to choose from. The restaurant also seems to be a mix of fine dining and casual with a rather romantic atmosphere inside with candles and white table cloths yet it still manages to be casual and comfortable.

The slight confusion in who they are aside, Green Papaya is a pleasant place to dine and on my two visits in recent weeks have found the staff both times highly attentive and super friendly.

For entrees we tried the spring rolls (12.90). There’s not much more to say really – spring rolls are generally pretty good in my book if they have the right balance of ingredients and these were no different although I think a bit pricey.

Som Tum ($15.90), Green Papaya salad with chilli, lime & palm sugar sauce was a large serve and a very refreshing and light way to start the meal although again I think $15.90 is a little excessive for a salad entree.

The Mixed Thai Entree ($18.90) consisted of chicken skewers, spring rolls, curry puffs, and fish cakes and I think this is the best way to go if you’re getting an entree as you get more variety for your money with the chicken skewers being the stand out favourite.

The Island Curry ($28.90), roast duck curry with pineapple, lychee and tomato was simply delicious on my first visit. The presentation of the curry – coming out in half a pineapple was quite impressive although I think either the pineapple or the air conditioning made the duck go cold a little quick! The duck meat was in abundance and the meal was very fresh and summery. On the second visit, the duck meat was not as impressive and seemed to be a bit more chewy and less quality pieces  of meat, which was a bit disappointing after the first experience.

The Gaeng, (23.60/$26.90) is a choice of red, green or Penang style curry with a choice of chicken, lamb, beef, tofu, prawns or snapper. Friend had the Penang style with prawns and this serve was quite large with big juicy prawns.

On the Balinese side of the menu I tried the Rendang Sapi ($22.90) which is a beef curry with coconut and Sumatran spices. The beef came with a serve of roti which was perfect to dunk into the bowl and soak up all the sauce. The only issue with the deep bowl was the sauce sank down quite low and so there were a few dry pieces of beef however, when you got passed the top
part the beef fell away from the fork with exciting ease - it really was so tender and scrumptious.

Green Papaya is a pleasant place to go if you are on the South side and looking for somewhere a bit quieter and romantic to visit. The food and service were overall quite nice and I could easily return for another serve of the Rendang Sapi however, I can’t help but feel the pricing is a little confused especially for the entrees.

Where?

Green Papaya Restaurant

http://www.greenpapaya.com.au/index.php

Corner Potts & 898 Stanley St East, Woolloongabba

(07) 3891 5000

Spirit House restaurant in Yandina on the Sunshine Coast is a must go destination for Thai food lovers. Here are six reasons why I love Spirit House – it really is an experience not just a meal and there is even an Adelaide connection!

1. On arrival, you walk through a mini rainforest and sit near a man made pond (which is very pretty) and can pretend you are in Thailand – not Yandina. Agro turtles may appear near your table looking for the crispy fried fish they think has been stolen from their waters.

2.The menu has been designed to be shared  so you don’t have to steal from your partner’s plate. Bring more people – try more plates – simple and effective.  So, find some friends before you book.

 

 
 3. You can justify eating Pork Belly for dessert. In fact, the waiters encourage it. Why finish on Pannacotta when you can have a juicy morsel of Pork Belly with Citrus Caramel Sauce to finish. It has caramel sauce – that’s close enough to dessert, right?

 
 
   
4. It’s an excuse to go up the Sunshine Coast, head to Spirit House for a Thai banquet with friends, eat as much as you possibly can and then stay the night in Coolum. Spirit house impresses out of towners and is a great weekend getaway excuse.

5. You can learn how to cook like a pro at the Spirit cooking school. They even have a Gluten Free Thai cooking class. Now you have no excuse for not being able to cook awesome food for your Gluten intolerant friends. Spirit House also organise food tours to Thailand and Vietnam. The tours sound great as you spend each morning with the group visiting local street markets and having lunch before going off to do your own thing. If you miss out, contact the Sticky Rice cooking school in Adelaide – they also go on the tour and have a large range of Asian inspired cooking classes for our Adelaide foodies.

6. If however, the idea of cooking with complete strangers make you nauseous then you can buy the cook books! Spirit House have published 4 cook books and they are all available to buy in book stores or direct from their website. I have their best selling ‘Spirit House Thai Cooking’ and also ‘Travels with Thai Food’ and they are amazing. The flavours you can create at home are very dinner party worthy and you will soon become obsessed with making all your sauces and pastes from scratch..no more jar bought Thai – you will never go back.

There you have my six reasons why you must go to Spirit House. Once you have your friends and you’re at Spirit House the next problem might be the panic you will feel as you want to try everything but can only choose a few (this happens to me quite often). So in keeping with my theme, here are six of my current favourite dishes on the menu -

1. Crispy Pork Belly with Citrus Caramel Sauce

2. Char grilled Beef Ribs with Sweet Chilli Dressing & Orange Mint Salad

3. Whole Crispy Fish with Tamarind Chilli Sauce

4. Sweet Potato, Ginger Noodle Balls with Szechwan Pepper Glaze

5. Soft Shell Crab with Chilli Garlic Sauce

6. Dessert Tasting Plate for Two – (4 small desserts to share so you can have a bit of everything) – currently -

Lastly, don’t think just because you have booked two months in advance you will get a spot around the pond. Make sure you make a request. Last time I was stuck at a corner table muttering to myself about the greatness of sitting by the pond, so if you want the full experience then be specific when you book!

 
(Pork Belly for dessert) 

Where: Spirit House

4 Ninderry Road, Yandina, QLD

http://www.spirithouse.com.au/

Where: Sticky Rice Cooking School

96 Old Mt Barker Road
Stirling. S.A.

http://www.stickyricecookingschool.com.au/