You know about Chinatown, of course. But did you know that Sydney is home to its very own Thaitown? Officially recognised in October 2013, Thaitown is found within the streets of Campbell, Castlereagh, George and Pitt in the Sydney CBD. It’s home to around 60 food and drink spots, making it the second largest Thaitown in the world after LA (and Thailand, of course). In short, there’s a lot going on in this delicious neck of the woods, and it’s about time you got down here and got amongst the action.
Don’t know where to start? You’ve come to the right place. Time Out Sydney recently tied up our shoelaces and went on the Secrets of Thaitown Food Tour run by Local Sauce Tours. Over two-and-a-half hours, we visited the gems, heard how Thaitown has developed over the years, went behind the scenes, and learnt about Thailand’s different regions. And we ate. A lot. From street-food snacks to traditional Thai desserts, the Secrets of Thaitown Food Tour was as delicious as it was eye-opening. Highlights were the fish and beef ball skewers with a punchy sauce at Tawandang; a creamy and aromatic Northern Thai egg noodle curry with chicken known as khao soi at Show Neua; traditional Thai treats at Chat Thai; and a chicken, squid and holy basil sandwich, plus pandan custard toast at Boon Cafe. We also dropped into Thaitown’s first grocer Pontip Thai Market. More than just a place to pick up fresh veg and fruit, Pontip is regarded as the start of Thaitown, having opened more than 30 years ago.
Yes, pad Thai is a cracking plate of food – but this tour goes beyond the sweet noodle dish and lets you dive deeper into the incredible world of Thailand, if only for a few hours. More than once on the tour we felt like we were back in the buzzing, colourful world of Thailand (Sydney’s humidity sure helped with that) and it felt and tasted so good.
Keen? Find out more here.
