Good food not only calms our cravings but is also therapeutic in de-stressing the mind. Thai cuisine has a similar impact on me. The very mention of it floods the mind with memories of refreshing tropical flavours. It is never too hot, neither overwhelmingly spicy nor discernibly bland. The taste of coconut milk and the tang of lemon grass in Thai delicacies can etch a lasting memory on the tastebuds. An evening at the newly established Thai restaurant,
OTG, was a much needed nudge to my sleepy foodie memory cells.
OTG Thai Restaurant and Bar
The eatery is humbly lodged underneath the king-sized Australia Towers in
Sydney Olympic Park. A stone's throw away from DFO Homebush, Bicentennial Park and Sydney Showground, the restaurant quietly sits on Australia Avenue.
Art Deco on the Outside
View from the Road
The outer wall of the restaurant is infused with floral art deco. A big blue buddha face adorns one of the interior walls. In fact the face glamorizes the quadrangular dining area. A boat hangs lazily from the wooden ceiling, rest of which is beautified by braided ropes. Though the restaurant didn't give the underwater feel with the boat atop us, it sure oozed a woody warmth. Couple of female figurines stand palms joined in the
Sawasdee (traditional Thai welcome) pose.
The Hanging Boat
Thai Sawasdee
Decorated Interiors
Waitresses exuding a youthful charm scuttled to and fro between the kitchen and the guest-filled tables. Menu was instantly served. The breakfast choices range from typical Thai omelettes to muffins, rolls, baguettes, sandwiches, brochette and pasta. The lunch menu consists of the usual Southeast Asian style rice or noodles in combination with either a stir fry or a curry. And for dinner, they have the à la carte menu. We ordered
Iced Tea and
Mango Tango with
Crispy Salt & Pepper Calamari. The drinks, not overpoweringly sweet, fell like stimulating cold elixir on our tired-from-the-wait stomach floor. The
Calamari rings, though a bit oily, were soft and crunchy. Regardless the time it took, our dinner, when served, had wonderful aroma and looked extremely tempting.
Iced Tea
Mango Tango
Crispy Calamari
The
Thai Fried Rice with Chicken and the
Seafood Tom Yum Fried Rice were so yummy that the dollops of the accompanying dishes stood untouched on our plates for a while. Both the rice dishes were well-balanced in the sweet, savoury and tangy blend of spices and herbs. The seafood one had a liberal amount of squid and prawns as was the other in the generous quantity of chicken.
Thai Chicken Fried Rice
Seafood Tom Yum Fried Rice
The
Chicken Green Curry was dense with coconut and cashew nut paste. The creamy richness of the gravy was so delectable that I ended up ordering a
Roti to savour it. The
Roti too did not disappoint. Its flaky, fluffy body tasted amazing when dipped in the gravy. The
Holy Basil Chicken, which looked more like scrambled eggs, was in fact a chili paste stir fry of minced chicken with green beans and onions. Their
Pad Si Ew Chicken (wok fried flat rice noodles) was moist and luscious with sauces. Each item tasted considerably different from the other. It was like painting our palates with diverse hues of delicious food. Unfortunately, by the time we ordered dessert, they had already started winding up for the day and had ran out of the creme brûlée.
Chicken Green Curry
Holy Basil Chicken
Pad Si Ew Chicken
Thai Roti
Breakfast: $4-$17
Lunch: $10-$16
Dinner: $6-$29
Drinks: Upto $6
Counter and Bar
The food at OTG swept me across memory lanes dusty from the long gap accumulated since my last visit to a Thai food joint. And it most definitely was an entertaining journey back. Making a gastronomic estimation, I will rate it
4.5 out of 5. The 5 is reserved for a future date when I shall get to taste their creme brûlée. Till then, if you happen to be sweating it out at one of the Olympic Park stadiums or returning home from a day at some game, and are in no mood to toil in the kitchen, pull over at OTG. It is sure to delight the foodie in you.
Gin hâi a-ròi!!!
N.B.: Just remember to call beforehand as the restaurant gets filled up early and the wait can be cumbersomely long.
