Is familiarity a good thing? I pondered this when we set foot into the brand spanking new Sailor's Thai at the Ivy. The original Sailor's Thai down at The Rocks is a Sydney institution, having revitalised Thai cuisine all those years ago for the jaded diners inured and bored by the endless and ubiquitous Pad Thais and stir-fries. Then they opened a Potts Point off-shoot which has equally been very successful. But, despite loving Thai food and adoring eateries such as Spice I Am, the now defunct Oceanic Thai, and the iconic Longrain, we have not been to a Sailor's Thai. Until now.
How new is this Sailor's Thai? We only found out via Twitter that it was opening night, as there was no mention of this fact when I made the booking. As we approached Ash Street, there was a big sign above Ash St. Cellar proclaiming 'Sailor's Thai - Coming Soon', and there were similar adverts inside the Ivy and in the Sailor's Thai male toilets as well. If it were any newer it would still have its umbilical cord attached ....
After weaving our way through the steadily increasing throngs of after-work imbibers on this Thursday evening, we arrived on Level 2 of the Ivy where the restaurant is. One gripe I have with the Ivy is their restaurants' lack of signage, which is oh-so-Sydney. And in the case of Sailor's Thai, it is alas the same. The entrance to the restaurant is opposite a bar area, and once inside, there is a reception area with a few computer monitors on the bench. There are no clear visible signs to indicate this was the restaurant; it was only exploring deeper around the corner that I was accosted by a waitress and asked whether I was working there or had a booking, and as much as I wanted to eat the food AND get paid for doing so, I decided just to be a diner on this occasion.
We were promptly sat down by the friendly waitress, even though we were fifteen minutes early for our 6p.m. reservation. Once inside we are greeted by a dark-as-dark but spacious dining room. Almost everything is dark, from the carpet to the walls to the table mats, and the lighting is minimal. It is one of the blackest restaurants I have dined in but thankfully the ceilings are high and white!
We were the only table understandably at this time, so all the attention was on us and we were issued our menus very quickly. The current menu is small and fits neatly onto a single page of A4 paper, and even though it was black writing on white paper, the dim lighting made it difficult to read even though we were sitting next to two large table lamps. After finally deciding what to have, we ordered and the food arrived promptly as expected.
Deep fried prawn and chicken sausage wrapped in bean curd skin, plum sauce - $11
We ordered an entree each but K and P ordered the same thing, so it was really only two. Their chicken and prawn wrapped in tofu skin was beautifully light and crispy, and there was plenty of meat inside. The flavours were also nicely balanced and I could taste fish sauce and basil notes.
Eggnets filled with shredded chicken and coconut - $24
My entree was eggnets, and having had an eggnet twice at Longrain, I was really excited and looked forward to this dish very much. When it came, we were completely surprised as it was not what we had expected at all. Instead of a "net" made from egg encasing a mound of ingredients, these were four stubby rolls of the shredded chicken wrapped in a crunchy skin. It was too dark to tell what the skin actually was, and I neglected to ask afterwards. They were very tasty never the less and I preferred my entree to my dining companions'.
Crisp and salty pork belly, hot and sour sauce - $26.50
The pork belly came in a hot and sour sauce, which we requested to be mild. The pork belly cubes were tender and the crackling on each piece was scrumptiously crispy, so we were happy with that except there were not enough! I think each of us got about four or five pieces only, definitely insufficient when it comes to pork belly! The sauce had a lovely sour tang and chilli kick, but was a bit sticky for my taste.
Roasted duck and Asian celery salad, red vinegar and plum dressing - $27.50
The duck Asian salad consisted of slices of perfectly cooked duck in a bed of Asian salad leaves and some celery, with a red vinegar and plum dressing. The duck was lovely and tender with a sliver of skin attached, and the salad was very refreshing, especially with the added textural crunch of the super-fresh celery. A very nice dish but again a bit sparse on the plate.
Red curry of barramundi grilled in banana leaf - $28.50
Halfway through these two mains the third main arrived, which was the red curry of barramundi. The presentation of this dish could use some work but it was delicious though. The dry curry had good flavour and was not too spicy, but there was not much barramundi to be had. The pool of cream sitting on top I think was coconut but it did not add much to the dish. It did go very well with the steamed jasmine rice however.
Deep fried Queensland soft shelled crabs - $28
Whilst finishing off the barramundi, it was evident that we were still hungry, so we ordered an additional dish, the deep-fried soft shelled crab. The dish arrived so quickly that we were still eating the barramundi, but it was great for the kitchen to expediate the dish so we did not have to wait. The crab was good and crunchy, but the flavours were a little muted compared to others we've had. Still, it was a good feeling to be full after sharing four mains between three people.
Dessert menu
Jasmine smoked coconut ice cream and pineapple sorbet - $12
We weren't going to go without trying some dessert, so we ordered one each. Again, K and P predictably ordered the same - very safe - dessert. Their jasmine smoked coconut ice cream and pineapple sorbet came very simply presented as a large scoop of each in two tea cups sitting on a big plate, so that definitely needs improvement. The ice cream was very creamy and delicious, with a faint hint of jasmine, while the sorbet was light and tangy; they were well paired and it was a good dessert.
Mung bean pudding, coconut cream - $12
I had the mung bean pudding, a square hunk of pudding lashed with some coconut cream on top and sitting on a banana leaf. Ice cream would have been preferable, as the pudding on its own was a little dessicated, with the coconut cream not offering much assistance. Still, the pudding was good but there was too much of it for me, especially on its lonesome.
Overall, Sailor's Thai is a fairly good addition to this part of Sydney's CBD, where good Thai restaurants are few and far between. The atmosphere of the dining space is good, albeit very dark, and the service was friendly and efficient. The food is above average Thai fare that straddles between Longrain and Chat Thai in terms of flavour and presentation. The only negative relates to the portion sizes; they are too small compared to others and that needs re-evaluating. Still, it was opening night and there must be a grace period for the restaurant to find its feet. I am sure over time people will embrace this Sailor's Thai as they have the other two, and that can only be a good thing for Thai cuisine in Sydney as long as complacency does not set in.
What we liked: Good modern Thai food, service, relaxed and funky ambience
Favourite dish: Roasted duck and Asian celery salad
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