[Please note that this branch has closed down but there is a branch at Lagoon Beach in Milnerton]
The husband and I were long overdue for a date night. We decided to try out Wang Thai.We had not heard of the restaurant before, but we read about it on the Hungry for Halaal blog (http://hungryforhalaal.blogspot.com) and thought it would be a good idea to try it out, after all, we love Simply Asia and Wang Thai is from the same group. So, we called them to make a reservation and make sure that they are “Halaal friendly” and they actually claim to be Halaal (but they serve alcohol which I found confusing).
So I dusted off the heels and we made our way to the Waterfront. I had no idea where the restaurant is even though I frequent the V & A. It is outside, on the upper level, next to Spur.
It was a beautiful night and the view from the restaurant was stunning.
I loved the luxurious Thai decor. It was dimly lit and romantic but the restaurant was packed with large groups and families. It was a Saturday night after all, so we shouldn’t have expected much else.
First up, I had a mango and coconut mocktail. They only had 3 mocktails on their list, so not much variety. It was quite nice but the coconut was a bit too subtle.
We had the “medley of Dim Sum” starter which was steamed dumplings. They tasted like every other steamed dumpling I have tasted which is pretty average: bland and not really tasty. The shitake mushroom was my favourite though.
For mains we ordered Massaman curry and Phad Medmamuang. Phad Medmamuang is a “safe dish” as it is basically the Simply Asia 302 (the rice version of the ever popular 514). Massaman curry is very similar to the chicken curry your mom probably makes but it is wonderfully aromatic and packs a punch when it comes to spiciness. We ordered both of them at medium which was great for us because we love spicy food, but if you are the type of person who finds mild Nando’s too strong (yes, Lizanne- that is you) then I would be wary. I would have considered our dishes “hot”. Both dishes did not disappoint. They were really tasty and we thoroughly enjoyed them.
My only complaint about the mains was that the presentation lacked flair. The curry was served in a plain white bowl without any garnish and I did not find this in keeping with the restaurant’s Thai decor. Maybe some Thai prints or brass bowls would have been more appropriate. the presentation did not do justice to the food.
I have never been a fan of Thai or Indian desserts. I think they just aren’t indulgent enough (I would love to be proven wrong but I’ve been to both Thailand and India ). We had the chocolate filled triangular pastries which was quite nice. Nothing amazing. Almost exactly the same as Simply Asia’s dessert.
The food prices are very reasonable. Most mains are under R100 and Starters less than R50.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Wang Thai. I feel that if they had traditional Thai dancers every now and then, it could really be a “dining experience” like Mesopotamia. It has loads of potential. It just requires a little fine-tuning to enhance it. It is a wonderful venue for dates, family and friends. I Recommend Wang Thai.
Company website: http://www.wangthai.co.za/
–I
Update:
The V&A branch has closed down. There is still a branch in Lagoon Beach which may not be Halaal-friendly
Lagoon Beach Drive, Lagoon Beach, Kaapstad, 7405 021 551 9254 |