Mai Thai Restaurant

Late on a Sunday night our party of three traipsed through the doors. The server was more than accommodating for our dozens of questions about what dishes were vegan, and before long our drinks were at the table. The Tom Kha was phenomenal, the best that I’ve ever had. There was a mix up with our mains (they had egg on them) and they handled it with grace and entirely new plates arrived soon after. Every dish was delicious, hands down the best Thai food I’ve had in Melbourne.

I found myself working late in a nearby and needed a dinner solution that would be quick and well priced. Thank goodness for Unilocal because without knowing the menu I could place an order over the phone based on what others had recommended. We got veggie fried rice, fish cakes and chill basil chicken (because every Thai place seems to do a version so I figured I was safe in asking for it).
Told it would be ready for collection in 15 minutes, I walked down to the shop (about 7 minutes away) and it was ready when I got there! Super fast and fresh and for a reasonably priced ($ 33) dinner for two it was just what we needed to get through our late night work session.

Mai Thai is in a great spot on Lygon Street in Brunswick East… Why? Well, for the simple fact that it’s across the street from me! Nah alright alright… It’s a few doors from Mr Wilkinson so it’s perfect for pre or post-​drinks dinner.
I’ve had takeway a few times and eaten there once with mates and the food as well as the service have been great on all occasions. I always go for the special fried rice w/​chicken — no complaints yet! I’ve had the prawn dumpling once as well and they were good. My housemate’s had the chicken cashew nuts and green curry w/​rice I think and he was pretty happy with it so all good.
The meals will set you back in the mid $ 10, which is not too bad.
Make sure you check it out if you’re in the area.

We stumbled across this place after some drinks with friends. It was late on a Saturday night and after a few beers we all needed something more substantial. We managed to sneak in about 45 minutes before closing and we were almost the only customers in there. We were greeted with a really friendly and lovely an who took us to our seats.
We were given menus and our drink and food orders were taken really quickly. Before we knew it our drinks had arrived and literally a few minutes later our meals came out. Obviously, being so close to closing time and being the only patrons meant we got pretty good service. That said though, my meal was fresh, beautifully cooked and full of flavour. We finished our meals and were farewelled by the friendly host and wished well on our way. I would absolutely come back to this place. The food was tasty, service great and the price was very affordable.

Things look good from the outside of Mai Thai. The colours are attractive, especially when the sun goes down and the purple lights come on. There is something about colours that seem to enrich your dining experience, I’m sure there’s a study about it. But whatever the lights do here seem to make the meals fantastic.
The thai food (again, it’s in the name so it better be good) is a step above the average you could find yourself stuck in on Lygon Street. The servings are a great size — the usual two between three is possible and the spices are great! Mouth watering curries and more.
For those on the way to an early night from the local pub, my recommendation is dessert. Belly full of beer? How about topping it of with banana dumplings! Served in banana leaves and with icecream this sticky sweet dessert is a winner every time.