SPICE I AM
Ok, lets get this straight, I love this joint. The food is great, its economical and it is easy for me to get to to. What more do you want? I love the authenticity and originality of the food. Food this good, at their prices, is a bargain. They also serve great seafood and unique specials if you want to try truly delicious food.
Fish Balls
I started frequenting Spice I Am years ago when I worked in the city. They have a lunch special for $10.50. After exhausting all the specials I’d try to drag who ever I could with me so we could order more food and try more dishes. Now it’s where I meet my mum for lunch ever few weeks. One of my favourite dishes is not even on the menu, is a Tamarind Fish Fillet. The fish is deep fried in an uber light batter, the sauce and fresh herbs are added and it is served over Asian greens with sweet sticky onions.
Secret Dish, Tamarind Fish Fillet
This joint has a reputation for its Chilly Pork Belly, caramelized cubes of spicy sweet crunchy chewing bites of delight, each chewy morsel in sticky sweet spicy sauce just makes you want another until, they are all gone. There are many old favourites here , like their Green Chicken Curry. This is what got me hooked to the place. The sauce is rich spicy and creamy but the major draw, for me, is the Thai vegetables and the cube of pork blood jelly. Having those veg in my curry took me staright back to the streets of Bangkok, the blood cube I’ve not seen before, or elsewhere, adds another element and brings balance to the curry sauce. This authenticity makes Spice I Am spectacular in a city filled with Thai restaurants. But don’t get stuck on the old favourites here.
Prawn Chu Chee
When something is so good it becomes hard to try other dishes and here you must. Another sensation is the Prawn Chu Chee curry. Again the seafood is fried in that alluring batter with spicy curry sauce added over the top. The batter and prawns absorb the sauce and form a harmonious team with the sweet prawn flesh. There is also several prawn/seafood salad
Seafood Salad
combinations. The joy of the salads here is the joining of fresh cooked protein and the fresh salad and herbs. They have a little seafood vermicelli number which has great texture added by dried prawns that are chewy and roasted peanuts for crunch and a salt hit . My daughters favourite is their Chicken and Papaya salad with coconut milk. A very generous portion of crisp fruit, tangy fresh herbs and sweet milky coconut chicken.
Chicken Papaya Salad
Some current specials at Spice I Am include Steamed Vegetarian parcels, Duck Massaman Curry, and a Prawn and Banana Leaf Salad. The parcels are fresh light and scrumptious. The Duck is divine and rich, it has a little dried Kaffir Lime leaf garnish that brings texture and
Vegetarian dumplings
Duck Massaman
flavor. The salad looks amazing with prawns, banana leaf , nuts and herbs loving each others company as the flavor and texture is sublime. There is also several whole fish options which are great to share.
Although I have not been to Thailand in some time the fresh intensity and flavor of the food reminds me of the food there. Spice I Am’s ingredients are true Thai ingredients and will not be found in 95% of Thai restaurants in Australia. If you are not after the lunch special from 12 -2, take a bottle of wine ( BYO only, bottle shop over the road ) , read the menu thoroughly and have your own mini Thai experience here in the streets of Sydney.
Sand Whiting
Snapper
CASH ONLY
End Note. There are now three Spice I Am’s, check website. They also have House and Surry Hills Eating House restaurants in the Triple Ace Bar.
TIP: not much dessert here but their other restaurant House 50 meters away in the Triple Ace Bar has exceptional desserts.
13.5/20
Eatsydney 