Sunan 9 Thai Restaurant is located in Nelson Bay, on the corner of
Stockton Street and Victoria Parade, near the crossing which leads to the
d'Albora Marinas. There are a number of excellent Thai restaurants in the area, however, you can't beat Sunan 9 for location - right in the heart of the popular Nelson Bay. It previously used to be a sushi train restaurant before it lay vacant for months, with the locals of Nelson Bay curious about what would be opening in its place. Every time our family walked by, we would try and take a peek inside and check out the renovations that were happening within.
In late 2019, we were pleased to see Sunan 9 Thai Restaurant open their doors and in the new year, we went there for lunch to try it out for ourselves...
Sunan 9 Thai restaurant, on the corner of Stockton Street and Victoria Parade in Nelson Bay
On our first visit, we opened the sliding door and were welcomed into the cool restaurant, on a hot summer's day. Although the temperature was cool, the welcome was warm and friendly and we soon settled in at an inside table by the window. Menus and water were delivered to our table and we scanned over the several pages of tasty options.
Whilst deciding, we had time to look around at the interior design of the new restaurant fit-out and we were impressed. With leather high- backed seats at the back, wooden features and a tinkling water feature, it was a welcoming space to sit and relax.
The extensive menu, with several pages
View from the front door...
High-backed seats at the back of the restaurant
Outdoor tables looking out onto Victoria Parade
On the first visit to this restaurant, there was just the two of us, so we chose to share the
Red Curry Chicken and
Chicken with Oyster Sauce, with Jasmine rice. As we chatted, we listened to the chefs fire up the woks and toss our meals into beautiful Thai cuisine, that was delivered to us minutes later. The meals were steaming hot, looked amazing and tasted just as good. The smell alone had our stomachs rumbling.
The
Chicken with Oyster Sauce had a robust, delicious flavour and crisp vegetables and the
Red Curry Chicken was particularly tasty and full of flavour, with a spicy chilli punch. We had forgotten to order it "mild", however, we loved how it came out - even if our bottom lips were still tingling by the time we left. It was worth it!
Red Curry Chicken ($16.90), Chicken with Oyster Sauce ($16.90), Jasmine Rice for two ($5.80)
We enjoyed our first visit so much, that a month later we returned again with family for a birthday celebration. This time there was four of us, so we ordered four dishes, plus rice. As we enjoyed the
Red Curry Chicken and
Chicken with Oyster Sauce so much on our last visit, we ordered those two dishes again and added
Sizzling BBQ Pork and
Hokkein Noodles with Chicken - which were equally as beautiful! The
Sizzling BBQ Pork in particular had us all reaching back for more. You get the feeling that it doesn't matter what you order from this restaurant, it is going to exceed your expectations every time.
A quick photo before we dug in! Red Curry Chicken ($16.90), Hokkein Noodles with Chicken ($16.90), Sizzling BBQ Pork ($17.90), Chicken with Oyster Sauce ($16.90) and Jasmine Rice ($11.60)
We all agreed that this was one of the best birthday celebrations that we had had, since moving to Port Stephens. The food was tasty, the ambience was relaxing and with four dishes in the centre of the table, there was plenty for us all to go back for seconds and thirds. Even our daughter, age 8, loved the
Hokkein Noodles, Chicken with Oyster Sauce and
Sizzling BBQ Pork so much, she kept going back for more.
If you are on holidays in Nelson Bay, or a local looking for a new Thai place to try, then check out Sunan 9 Thai Restaurant for a dine-in experience or takeaway. For our family, it is now at the top of the list for Thai restaurants in the bay.
Why don't you try it for yourself this weekend?
You can't beat this Red Curry!
