Chat Thai, Haymarket

CHAT THAI! Chat Thai seems to always be bustling with people. Every time I pass, there's always this huge queue in which you have to write your name, and number of guests down before being seated. Really intense. So surely it must be worth the wait...and it definitely was~ At economical prices with most things <$15 it seems to be the popular place to dine.


I came here for lunch and waited a good 30 minutes before getting seats for two. During our wait, there was an open kitchen in which chefs adorning white make their sweets to keep us entertained.

Lunch menu~ There was a huge selection of things to order; so we opted for their one plate wonder meals and a few sides to share.

 Traditional red tea with caramelised milk $4.00

Once you relish the taste of caramelised milk tea, you will never go back! I love it~ The ever so refreshing Thai milk tea; ever so rich and compelling.

 Khao mok gai - chicken and rice braised in turmeric and five spice with green chilli and garlic sauce with rice - $10.90

Po's ridiculously flavoursome dish with a crazy five spice green chilli sauce for dippings. The chicken was delicately soft and moist served with broken rice braised in turmeric - which is part of the ginger family, herb like and full of goodness.

 Grilled Pork Skewers + Chicken Satay Skewers - $2 each 

Grilled Pork Dumplings (Louk Chin Bhing) - $2 

Cannot go past these savoury starters. Grilled to a savoury sweet finished and dipped in chilli and tamarind sauce, they are an easy cheap eat to begin the meal.

Khao na bped (Roasted duck with ginger and duck gravy with sauce) - $14.90 

Juicy duck smothered in a rich flavoursome sauce bursting with flavour. Additional greens and ginger. The ginger added the extra tang to the whole dish with its spicy innards combined with the spicy/sweet sauce. The greens and rice neutralised the crazy flavours awaiting to be devoured. 

 Spicy Salad (som dtum thai) - $10 

When ordering this dish, we forgot to mention the level of spiciness; therefore resulting in a crazy hot fire erupting in my mouth! I'm weak with spices and the deadly chilli flakes douse amongst the salad made it an overkill. Po seemed to have managed fine though.

 Coconut ice-cream - $5.50

Can't finish a meal without desserts~ Coconut icecream! Topped with roasted peanuts and glutinous drops of rice of some sort. - Food coma awaits -

This wooden clad restaurant screams authentic Thai from a mile away with its friendly staff and efficient service with an economical menu leaving you well-balanced and full. Sydney-siders clearly have an insatiable tongue for Chat Thai with all the right reasons! Will visit again; for dinner and its dinner menu (mango sticky rice - woooo)! However, dreading that ghastly long line...

Chat Thai
20 Campbell Street
Haymarket NSW, 2000