Patee Thai

It was back to Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, this Saturday night for our not-so-monthly restaurant outings. We decided to return to the restaurant that started the whole tradition back in early 2012. However, due to my unavailability the last time, this was actually my first experience. The way the girls had raved about this place, I had some pretty high expectations.

In true Thai style, we were asked politely to remove our shoes at the door, before we were guided to our table - a tiny table suitable only for floor seated dining. This, coupled with the ambient mood music in the background really helped create the atmosphere of the restaurant, and I found myself strangely at ease despite the mountainous pile of assignments that I'd neglected at home.

Vegetarian spring rolls

To get started we ordered some spring rolls. But they were nothing like the steaming, piping hot and oily spring rolls I had grown up loving - rather, they were quite dry and dense, and definitely not worth the $5.90 we spent on them.

Coconut rice

The staple coconut rice dish, on the other hand, was deliciously creamy and fragrant, and despite our initial hesitation about whether we could finish the whole bowl between the 5 of us, by the end of the end it had been polished off quite nicely. 

Lamb massaman curry

The second staple of Thai cuisine, the curry, was also difficult to fault. The lamb was soft and tender, deliciously breaking apart with each bite. It had just the right amount of spice so that it wasn't too hot, but definitely left a pleasant aftertaste. I did find some of the potato to be slightly tough and udnercooked, however.  

Asian greens with garlic & veg oyster sauce

Unfortunately, the greens were also a bit of a let down tonight. Again, the veggies felt tough and undercooked, and the oyster sauce did not have that thick consistency it was supposed to - it was like regular vinegar soy sauce. Largely unimpressive.

Cashew Prawns with chilli paste and vegetables

Finally, the cashew prawns. The girls and I had a bit of a craving for prawns tonight, but I can't exactly say they were met. Just like the other dishes, it incredibly mediocre, nothing too fancy. It seemed like the ingredients were just all chucked into a fry pan all at once and then seasoned hapharzardly before being thrown onto the serving plate.

The authenticity that Patee lacks in its food, it clearly tries to make up for in its restaurant vibe. Sadly, however, this does not a pleased customer make and with take-away food quality I probably won't be back here again any time soon.

Patee Thai
373 Brunswick St 
 Fitzroy, VIC 3065