Wandering down Hughes Street, in Potts Point, recently, I grabbed a take-out menu from a holder outside this newish Thai place, called Anong. I had previously seen the restaurant at night, looking all inviting, exotic and glamorous with two lit-up red lanterns outside its door and and had thought that I must return for dinner in my best cheong-sam. But it was while reading through the menu that I just knew I had to visit. If you look at the sixth food item on the entree menu, you'll see why:
Steamed Violet Dumplings with Caramelised Fish: a dish named after me!
So I returned one evening for dinner in the festive season, but this time there were no red lanterns outside the door, but instead golden Christmas trees:
Inside was just as glamorous, with carved wooden fish swimming along the wall and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling:
It's a lovely cosy dining room with personal touches, such as this Josephine Baker shimmering wall-hanging, fronted by another chandelier (my photo is not so good, you must go in and see it):
The restaurant has been around for about a year, maybe a little more, but recently underwent this luxe refurbishment. According to their website, Anong, means a ''traditional Thai lady from earlier times'', and does not refer to the English slang term for an idiot.
Anong is run by a very handsome couple: Tim, who works the dining room, and Chai, who oversees the kitchen, making sure it only sends out the most pretty looking dishes. Unfortunately, because it is quite a moodily lit dining room, my photographs do not do the chefs' justice.
But here is the Thai Beef Salad:
And my favourite Rich Red Curry with Duck:
Of course I tried the Steamed Violet Dumplings with Caramelised Fish, which were most unusual and delicious. The dumplings were a pale shade of violet with the texture of sticky rice, combining sweet with savoury in the most mellow way - you must try them!
The menu features a good mix of High Thai specialty dishes as well as the usual suspects such as fish cakes, green chicken curry and Pad Thai. The restaurant is licensed and BYO and also offers a home delivery service.
I really enjoyed the mood of the restaurant and the little colourful flourishes hidden about, such as this painting of a laughing face:
These little owls were also stencilled to the wall in hidden places:
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Anong
18 Hughes Street
Potts Point NSW 2011
02 9380 9952
1 comment:
Anong is our favourite Thai restaurant in Sydney.
Really interesting and flavoursome food especially the specials menu.
It's also one of the few restaurants that has sound absorbing materials on the wall (that silk wall behind the fish is padded) and also under the tables - so you can actually have a conversation even when it's busy.
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