This restaurant appears to have two names, “50% Sweet 50% Thai”, as well as “Thai 44”, and is where we ended up having a spur-of-the-moment unplanned dinner on our wedding night, following a less substantial fried chicken snack at Chicken Number Five. I mention the circumstances, because despite the timing, it was not somewhere we had planned to go to specially, we just found ourselves hungry past midnight in the city.
Ever-being fans of chicken wings, we ordered the Fried Chicken Wings (4 for $12.90), allegedly seasoned with Thai herbs, not that this was evident from their flavour. These wings disappointed us, not by their texture or moisture, but merely because they did not feel different to any other wings, and were they to be served at a different restaurant we wouldn’t be able to pick that they were from a Thai restaurant (or Bangkok, as noted on the tax invoice).
The Grapao Pork Belly with 3 Eggs (pad kaphrao) ($26.90) was, in comparison, excellent. We were disappointed to find that the pork mince version was already sold out by the time we ate, but the pork belly did a fine job, even though it didn’t have the small particle size which would have allowed the mince to be mixed into the rice. The pork belly was some of the best I’ve had at a Thai restaurant in recent times, with crispy crackling skin, whereas other competitors have suffered from softness. The flavour of the dish was really enjoyable, as were the truly perfectly fried eggs, with fully set whites and bulbous soft yolks. Incredible.
Overall
Grapao rice good. Chicken wing bad. Can recommend for your wedding night.
Thai 44 / 50% Sweet, 50% Thai
Number One Dixon Shopping Centre
Shop 44/1 Dixon St, Sydney NSW 2000