Auckland is a real mix of different cultures and ethnicities which means you can find a diverse range of food options.
Thai is one of the most flavourful cuisines and Thai restaurants are quite common in Auckland. They range from cheap and cheerful (Thai Flavour), to low key but clean and tasty (Sweet Chilli @ Pt Chev), to corporate friendly (Monsoon Poon). The best Thai really depends on what you’re looking for…
And the Best Thai Food in Auckland is…
However, without a doubt the Thai place I always go back to is Sweet Chilli @ Pt Chev. I have never been disappointed by the quality of the food there.
Now if you are looking for flashy ambiance I think this is not what you’re looking for. It is not dated, it is just reasonably simple, clean and tidy. I would liken it to cafe style vibes. However, I always leave full and satisfied! It also has a reasonable price of dishes with most dishes sitting around the $20 mark at the time of writing. Given this economic climate, that’s a standard price even for takeaway Chinese which used to be the cheap option around here.
And the Best Thai Dish is…
The menu is reasonably wide ranging with options for everyone. Thai style salads, stir fries, whole fish and a plethora of noodle options… Including my beloved rad nah also commonly spelled rat na, rad na, lat na or lad nah.
If you haven’t heard of rad nah I wouldn’t be overly surprised. It is not something that is on every Thai menu here. I liken it to Wat Tan Hor from Malaysian Cuisine in texture and dish style. In my opinion it’s the crown jewel of Thai cuisine.
Rad nah consists of flat rice noodles beautifully charred, sitting in a fermented soybean gravy that is sweet, salty and silky. I love how you get a balance of vegetables and mean with crisp, fresh veggies abundant in the dish and a generous portion of tender, thinly sliced chicken. It’s almost like a thick and hearty soup, and is perfect for a winter night. The sweetness in a main meal can be jarring for some but paired with some fresh or dried chilli, and rad nah is elevated to the next level. The staff at Sweet Chilli @ Pt Chev will happily oblige your request for chilli at no additional cost. You must try it at least once.
Other Thai Dishes of Note…
At Thai restaurants it is reasonably common for people to share dishes. However, I live for the rad nah so when I go to Sweet Chilli @ Pt Chev I tend not to share. My husband is a big fan of the Massaman Curry, a nutty curry with potato. It’s fulling, satisfying and delicious.
This time I was dining with friends, and we ordered a mix of chicken rad nah and duck curries. Along with a couple of entrees. The mixed entree lets you sample a few different items and the summer rolls are refreshing and can be shared quite easily amongst a few.
Many people like to measure the quality of a Thai restaurant by the flavour of their Pad Thai. Although, we didn’t order it this time, rest assured that their Pad Thai is also top notch! You can’t go wrong by ordering it here.
Less Desirable Thai Food Options…
No restaurant is perfect though, when it comes to the food I have only heard one complaint about Sweet Chilli @ Pt Chev. I have heard that their fish cakes are not the nicest in town. However, I’m not a fish cake connoisseur so will relay that opinion without having tried it myself.
Service
It is a reasonably stable restaurant in that the same server has been serving me there for years. I think it may even be family run but it is hard to tell. With that, it is a reasonably small kitchen so wait times can be a little long sometimes if they are busy. The wait time is not excessive, but it’s not an in and out quick bite.
On the odd occasion, food items have not been delivered (typically entrees) but they also don’t try to charge for these so it’s a genuine mistake. They have enough servers to notify of missing dishes if you are desperate for them though, and all servers are friendly and helpful!
If you’re wanting a tasty and satisfying Thai meal head on over to Sweet Chilli @ Pt Chev.
