Of the three Thai restaurants in the Cullen Bay dining precinct, Thai Esaan, a scruffy little cousin to the other two, is the one that missed out on the fabulous harbour view. So, this no-frills eatery sells itself by, in addition to the usual Thai favourites, cooking up dishes from the rural Esaan region of north eastern Thailand. Thai Essan is set back from the wharf, among a handful of speciality shops. It’s simply furnished, with chairs padded with colourful cushions and a small outdoor dining area with bright tables and a bamboo mural depicting traditional Thai riverside homes.
Here you can try the Esaan sausage, perhaps an acquired taste as it’s slightly sour from being fermented. There’s also the famously fiery som tam, a deliciously tangy concotion of sliced green papaya, chilli, tomato, peanuts, garlic and lime juice. Other classic Esaan dishes include laap muu, a refreshingly spicy ground pork salad and mint leaves, and gai yang, marinated grilled chicken served with sticky rice. Seafood is also a drawcard here and for a real treat you can feast on stir-fried curry mud crab spiced with chilli and garlic, with onion, celery and coriander. Despite lacking its competitor’s views, Thai Esaan has more of an authentic, Thai side-street feel to it and is worth a visit if you’re in Cullen Bay.
Fiona Davies