Satang Thai

All the more reason to love Thainatown! Big servings, fresh ingredients, and cheap don’t always come together. But, occasionally, you get lucky; like I did with Satang Thai. It used to be that I would wait in a long line that crawled around Quay St during the lunch hours – elbow to elbow with UNI students and a few suits. The kitchen is almost exactly the same size as the tiny sit-in at the front. And then, I discovered the outpost across the street (literally across the street) – I have no idea how I missed it before!

Perhaps, it’s a little more “trendy” and the price is marginally higher. But the Chili Jam Chicken, Pad See Ew, and the (very rich) Massaman Curry… mmmmmmm… exactly the same!

Location: 20 Quay St (Haymarket)

Tel: +61 (02) 9280 0956

Avg Price at the take-away is probably around $7-8 while the sit-in across the street is more like $11-15 (but can be shared since the portion seems larger) – a bargain!! I should probably live closer to the area…

Surry Hills Festival

With winter a few months away, I’ve heard that the Sydney festivals will increasingly involve food (and wine) as the days get shorter. I’m not looking forward to sundown at 5PM (luckily, that’s not until mid-June), but I’m all about feasting on street food and getting creative with my inebriants.

The Surry Hills Fest caught my eye since I rarely venture out to the west side of town. It feels much more like a neighborhood, and I do love the boutique shops; there’s record stores, cafes, antiques, vintage clothing… it’s like a stretch of East 7th and 8th St between 1st and A. I can see the appeal.

Ward Park is just off Devonshire (a short walk from Central Station) – actually very convenient…. and quiet. I found a cute cafe just across the park that’s inside a gallery. I had organic scrambled eggs w/ Chevre and baby spinach with a side of chorizo. It was pretty satisfying.

I crossed over after my brekky and watched the community Dog Show Off. I think I’ve made my decision and I’m settling for a cross between a Husky and an Alaskan Malamute. Gorgeous eyes and so loving! Although, I pretty much fell for every dog I saw… they’re all just so damn cute. I couldn’t stop “awww”-ing the entire time.

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In case you’re curious, the little guy with the red ball in front of him won “Best in Show” – he’s a cross between a Stafford and an Australian Cattle dog. And man does he know some neat tricks…

I dragged Murray and Daniel out to Shannon Reserve where we saw the Aboriginal Welcome (more so, heard it) and sat down for the last two acts of Creatures Rose – a 14 and 15 year old duo. We listened to the Official Opening Ceremony (read from notes) then walked back to the Ward Park Stage to catch Made in Japan. I thought they were okay… loved the band itself – maybe a bit more on the vocals though.

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Oh well… at least, we had lamb (this was actually Murray’s) and chicken curry for lunch… but (darn it) I forgot to take a picture of the green curry.

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Not bad at all for an early afternoon gig =)