PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIABow Thai is one of the fancier restaurants in this section of Wickham Street in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley. Though not far from the very casual restaurants of China Town, Bow Thai is miles ahead in terms of service and ambience. On entering, you immediately leave behind the chaotic and noisy street scene and enter a realm of peace and tranquillity. A few steps in and you are ensconced in the delicious aromas wafting from the kitchen – lemongrass and coconut milk accentuate the fragrant air. The staff are friendly and demure Thai ladies who will have you seated in a jiffy.
The menu is a fairly lengthy tome that covers all the traditional Thai favourites and the flavours are nothing if not authentic. If it weren’t for the cooler climes you could be forgiven for thinking you were in a classy restaurant in Bangkok. Start with the fish cakes (the usual potato starch filling is beautifully absent) served with a cucumber, peanut and sweet chilli sauce. Next try a soup – my favourite is the Tom Yum Goong (king prawns simmered with lemongrass, galangal and Thai herbs). Then choose from a range of salads, curries or stir fries. A signature dish is the Gaeng Dang roasted duck with pineapple, grape and cherry tomato cooked in red curry paste and coconut milk, topped with fresh Thai basil.
Meagan Hepworth, December 2007
