Not that we needed it with the likes of Soi 38, Dodee Paidang and Nana Thai now in our midst, but Thai Tide is further proof that Melbourne’s Thai food scene is more alive and thriving than ever. Standing out in a city where standing out is never easy, Merica Charungvat’s pristine gem of a restaurant is treating our city to what may just be the boldest (and rarest) Thai flavour experience we can get our hands on yet, at least without booking flights to the Land of Smiles itself.
Opposite a Macca’s on the corner of Russell and Bourke, the serene space invites us in with a fitout that’s mostly modern, though hints of a more traditional Thai aesthetic peek through in simple wooden seating and brassy gold tables to match the cutlery. Lush greenery hangs down the walls while soothing jazz and house beats make us feel like we’re on holiday. We leaf lazily through a drinks list bursting with tropical cocktails, but decide instead to start with Inner North Brewing Co’s the Frenchy Pale. For what better accompaniment is there to punchy hot Thai than a frosty cold beer?
Though we’ve booked for lunch, at dinner it’s known to transform into a sultry neon-lit den across two levels, heaving with those who’ve followed their noses to Thai Tide’s mouthwatering barbecue-grilled dinner specials. Our server says so, and eagerly invites us back so we can also experience the restaurant in night mode, too. In the middle of a weekday however, the energy feels sunnier and somewhat more relaxed – lovely in its own way, too.
Hailing from Northern Thailand, a Miang Kham (betel leaf wrap) comes first. A tiny parcel of herbs, nuts and fried shallots, it’s spicy, sweet and coconutty all at once. Red chilli flames lick the back of my throat as it goes down. A textural riot, and as far as beer snacks are concerned, elite. The next snack sets off another round of fireworks on the palate, a fresh seasonal oyster topped with burnt chilli jam, locally sourced sea grapes and a smattering of crunch. Taste buds now dancing with rainbows of salt, citrus and spice, it’s time for another refreshment.
The concise Aussie drinks list on the board is interesting, and a pet nat from Ngeringa in South Australia is the first to jump out. We’re offered a taste first to see if we’ll like it, a surprising touch unheard of in most casual diners around Melbourne. We do like the taste – a little sweet and expertly restrained on the funk front – and a generous slosh is poured at the table.
Our server’s smiles and sincerity seem genuine, and so we chat a little about Thai food and his intimate knowledge of Thai Tide’s menu. He’s got plenty of favourites. We could pick his brains forever, and though the Issan-inspired gooey ants larvae soup is famous around here, our appetites aren’t boundless and there’s a ‘Hung Lae’ lamb foreshank that’s looking more tempting in the wintry weather. It comes on the bone, tender as you can get, in a coconut-free Northern Thai curry of pineapple, fresh ginger and rainbow carrots. Bathing in the sauce is a garlic bulb cut in half in all its fractal caramelised glory. It’s fun to mash the cloves into the sauce, and creamy pops of cashew taste almost vanilla-esque in what’s otherwise a deeply commanding, mature and complex curry; welcome sweetness along with the bursts of pineapple.
This is Thai food in Melbourne at its finest, no doubt.
A bowl of fluffy pandan jasmine rice makes for an idyllic accompaniment, also going well with something called a ‘hot and cold tofu claypot’. It does what it says; the silken tofu is fresh and wonderfully cooling, despite resting in a velvety warm gravy. The earthy mushrooms provide plenty of savouriness, while fried straws of taro on top beat popcorn, French fries and everything else on the addictive “I can’t stop eating this even if I wanted to” snack list. It’s an utter joy.
Every dish’s presentation is superb. The word ‘casual’ keeps bouncing around like a question mark in my mind, but despite the restaurant’s easygoing feel, there’s something special about Thai Tide – a precision and mastery of balance that sets it high above its peers. The menu manages to straddle the line between approachable and audacious, meaning there’s something for every kind of eater.
Portion police need have no fear: they’re generous around here. Did I roll back to the office? Yes. But was I satisfied, mind, body and soul? Picture one of those bobble-head figurines on a Thai taxi driver’s dashboard. That’s pretty much the sentiment that sums up the entire experience.