Tom Yum Goong or Hot and Sour Prawn soup is Thai cuisines’ most famous dish both within The Kingdom and in the many Thai restaurants around the globe. In Thailand, it is served in a charcoal steamboat and eaten with rice. Each region in Thailand has a different recipe for this ubiquitous dish but the version below originates in Bangkok and is probably the most common.

Tom Yum Goong in Steamboat

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes?

Serves: 2 people

Ingredients:

6 king prawns, shelled and deveined

4 cups of chicken stock

1 lemongrass stalk, cut into 1” pieces and bruise to release flavour

3-kaffir lime leaves torn to release flavour

3-4 finely cut pieces galangal

6 button or oyster mushrooms

4 cherry tomatoes cut in half

2-tablespoon limejuice to taste

fish sauce to taste

1 medium chili or more if you like it spicy

Coriander chopped for decoration

Sweet chili jam optional.

Directions:

1. Bring chicken stock to boil in a large pot.
2. Add lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaf and simmer for about 5 minutes until fragrant.
3. Add mushrooms to broth and continue cooking until soft.
4. Add limejuice, fish sauce and chilies to taste. Add chili jam optional.
5. Lastly add prawns and cherry tomatoes. Simmer until prawns turn pink.
6. Serve in bowls and garnish with chopped coriander.

Enjoy Hot, Spicy and Sour

Everyone at Chedi Thai would like to thank all our patrons who dined at the restaurant over the busy Christmas and New Year period.

A picture worth a thousand words

The beginning of 2011 has been spectacular with tourists flocking to Sydney to escape the Northern Hemisphere’s winter. The added bonus of the Cricket Test and the Sydney Festival have all bought additional diners to our door.

2011 may prove to be the very best of years for Chedi Thai.

Enjoy Chedi Thai

Last year on November 29^th Chedi Restaurant was honored to host a dinner in support of the Hands Across the Water Bike Ride 2011. Ailish Gary and Davina O’Hara, who are two friends from Ireland working in Australia, organized the dinner. The girls were inspired to be part of the long ride from Bangkok to Kao Lak after hearing Peter Baines talk of the children from Bann Tharn Namchai orphanage.

Hands Across the Water dinner at Chedi

Daniel Murray has completed the ride twice

Daniel and Mary Lou Murray did not go on the ride this year but worked hard to assist the other riders in their money raising events and support for Hands Across the Water. Daniel has completed the long ride twice and is known as the Lance Armstrong of the ride.

Dancers from Bann Tharn Namchai

Children from the Bann Tharn Namchai orphanage were sponsored by Hong Kong Shanghai Bank to travel to Australia.

Riders on the long road to Kao Lak

Support for the locals

A postcard from the ride

The End of the Road

The ride is now over for this year and was a huge success in raising awareness and support for the victims of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. As the photos show the bike ride also had a life changing affect on Ailish and Davina who unselfishly gave the children of Baan Tharn Namchai orphange continued hope for their future.

Peter Baines an inspirational speaker

Thank you Thai style

Enjoy Helping Others

Due to our location at the city end of Newtown in close proximity to Sydney University, Chedi Restaurant attracts many foreign tourists to dine. Often when these visitors are paying the bill, I hear them say to each other “in Australia you don’t have to tip”. This I find surprising as in countries like America, a mandatory tip of 15% or more is added to your bill in most restaurants. And if you are in a place like New York and leave a restaurant without tipping, angry waiters will confront you in the street to extract their tip by force.

As every Australian knows, a small tip is normal in hospitality: if the service was satisfactory and appreciated. So where did our foreign visitors get this information? Yes, you are right, the World Wide Web.

The piece below has been lifted from a very helpful site called Trip Advisor and begins.

“Tipping is not generally considered to be a part of Australian culture.

Food service

It is not usual to tip for food service in Australia, although there are subtle exceptions.

Waiters get paid (by law) ~$15+ an hour.  Any tips are usually pooled so tips are not important except as way of getting self satisfaction from having pleased a customer to the point where they are willing to hand over money.

Some people tip (~10%) in mid to high-end restaurants when part of a large group, they have spent hours dining or they have a large bill.  Many Australians do not agree with this practice and it isn’t required. Comments and compliments on both good and bad service can be made in writing or verbally, however arguing, yelling or rude behaviour towards serving staff is considered inappropriate.

Australian service is often more casual than in many countries, even in expensive restaurants and hotels. You will very rarely get fawning service in Australia – in keeping with Australia’s relaxed national character that usually seeks to treat everyone as equals. Australians also don’t generally complain about service in restaurants.  However, if you have received rude or incompetent service, you should complain, politely, or do what Australians tend to do and just never go back to that establishment again.

You can take this tip and ....

It is blatantly obvious from the article that the author has never worked in hospitality and thinks service Down Under is mediocre; but don’t complain, as we are all equals in this Great Southern Land. Maybe he should visit Eatability to reconsider his notion that Aussies don’t complain about bad service: but they are big on revenge.

A last word: tipping in restaurants is considered universal and should be earned by good, friendly and attentive service whether in Australia or abroad.

Thanks Mate, I enjoyed the meal.

Enjoy Good Service

A great way to enjoy a Thai meal with a group of friends is to order a variety of dishes which covers the 4 main Thai food styles; which are “wet” curries and soups, “yum” salads, “phad” meaning stir-fried and “phet” meaning everything spicy.

Ordering in this fashion will create a banquet to contrast the different flavours and textures of Thai cuisine. In Thailand, all dishes are served when prepared with no separate entrée and main meals as in Western countries. However, this is not a strict rule and often Thai people will order dishes such as som tum (papaya salad) first, followed by stir-fried, steamed or noodle dishes.

Shared Meal Thai Style

And as everyone knows; sharing is good. So when eating Thai, especially with a large group of 12 or more, sharing a variety of dishes or a banquet is essential to making the most out of the dining experience.

Enjoy Sharing

Chedi Thai is once again pleased to announce a Hands Across the Water charity dinner will be held at the restaurant on Monday, November 29th. The dinner is to raise money and awareness for orphans of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami; which devastated coastal towns and villages in many Asian countries and left thousand dead and others both homeless and orphaned.

Hands Across the Water Chedi Dinner

For more information on this fantastic charity and the children that are helped by Hands Across the Water; please visit http://www.handsacrossthewater.com.au/

Enjoy giving

At the moment, Thai street food is all the rage for lovers of Asian food, with the release of a David Thompson’s culinary adventures titled “Thai Street Food”. Adding to the feeding frenzy, a host of celebrity chefs such as Neil Perry, Anthony Bourdain and Rick Stein all have produced shows on Thai street food. But for the majority of tourists visiting Thailand; where do you go to find the best street food?

Thai Curries

My advice would be to find a Thai friend who is willing to take you on an eating tour of their favourite food stalls. Otherwise here are a couple of my favourite street food sites in Bangkok.

Thai Sweets

Number one would have to be Soi Ari; by Skytrain it is N5 or 5 stops past Siam, the main interchange station. Follow the exit Phahon Yothin Soi 7, otherwise known as Soi Ari. (Soi is the Thai word for street)

Satay

Number two is Tong Lor; Sukhumvit 38: by Skytrain head towards Soi On Nut which takes you right to Tong Lor station. Follow the exit to Soi 38.

Som Tum (Papaya Salad)

Of course there are many other places around Bangkok and throughout Thailand, where great street food can be found. Every night, the streets of Chinatown in the old part of Bangkok come alive with food vendors serving all kinds of fried, grilled and fermented treats. But finding the best street food is another matter and is always subjective. However, finding a great food stall or exotic new dish is all part of the fun of being in Thailand.

Khanum Beaung (Thai Sweet)

Enjoy Thai Street Food

During service at Chedi Restaurant, I am often asked by customers “how big are the serves?” My standard response is that we offer quality sized portions. What else can I say? Eating Thai food should be a shared meal with a variety of small dishes and perhaps a larger fish or mixed seafood dish. But unfortunately, many Thai restaurants are now serving super size portions of muck on rice.

Let’s face it, we all eat way too much and especially when wine, beer or sweetened beverages are enjoyed with the meal. Are we to go the same way as America and super size not just fast food portions but everything that passes our lips?

In Sydney, there are far too many Thai restaurants that serve super size meals; but are these really value for money? These super sized servings appeal to a segment of the market whose choice is quantity at the expense of quality. There are an abundance of these eateries but I am proud to say Chedi Thai will not join their ranks.

Ideally, eating Thai food is a communal affair involving two or more people, principally because the greater the number of diners the greater the number of dishes ordered. Generally speaking, two diners order three dishes in addition to their own individual plates of steamed rice, three diners four dishes, and so on.

The ideal Thai meal is a harmonious blend of the spicy, the subtle, the sweet and sour, and is meant to be equally satisfying to eye, nose and palate. A typical meal might include an entrée, a soup, a steamed dish, a stir-fried dish and a spicy salad all served with a variety of sauces into which the food is dipped. This would be followed by dessert and/or fresh fruit.

So when eating Thai make sure to leave room for dessert.

Enjoy shared meals

Newtown is a great place to eat; with the best selection of mid-priced restaurants in Sydney. A leisurely stroll along King Street, from Newtown station to Sydney Road at the peripheral of Sydney University, will take you past cafes and casual dining restaurants to suit most palates.

King Street Newtown

But where do you park in Newtown? King Street has metered parking on both sides of the road but be aware that King Street is a clearway from 3 pm until 7 pm weekdays. So when planning a diner in Newtown, it is a good idea to arrive at 7 pm; just as the clearway ends.

It is advisable to use the meters as this stretch of road is a great revenue earner for City of Sydney. On many occasions, unlucky diners have returned to their cars to find a parking ticket; which can be greater than the cost of their meal.

Many side streets adjacent to King Street, also offer meter parking but spaces are hard to find. There are small parking bays on Wilson Street and behind Mitre Ten but you must be lucky to secure a spot. These parking bays are often targeted by thieves, so make sure nothing of value is left in your car.

An alternative to on street parking is Chedi Thai. Our complimentary secure off street parking is available to customers dining at the restaurant. This has proven to be very popular with diners who are going to a show at one of the many venues in Newtown or Enmore.

Chedi Thai Street View

Please see blog entry Pre-theatre Dining in Newtown, for our special pre-theatre deals.

If you require additional information, about parking at Chedi Thai please call 95161127.

Enjoy Chedi Thai