So it’s our cheap eats issue! And that means us foodies get to go out there and focus our attention on the ‘real’ meal deals in Hong Kong. It’s all about finding those little gems which fill you with heart-warming grub while leaving you with change for the Star Ferry afterwards.
And Tasty Thai fits the bill perfectly. The outdoor dining restaurant in Wan Chai’s Brim 28 complex (handily close to the Star Ferry, in fact) was opened by Uppal Hospitality Group a few weeks ago and it’s busy when we grace the venue, which is home to just a handful of tables, an open kitchen and a brace of friendly waitresses. No frills. Doesn’t need them.
Okay, you don’t go to TT for the view – unless you enjoy gawping at the side of a Wan Chai office building. You go for the grub. We opt for a selection of dishes all at once. From the appetiser list: deep-fried vegetarian spring rolls with sweet chilli sauce ($32); the salad list: minced chicken salad with lettuce wraps ($55); the soup list: tom yum with prawns ($35); the curry list: green curry chicken ($58 plus $8 for jasmine rice); and the Thai-style stir fry list: stir-fried beef with red chilli paste ($58). The banquet is huge and, considering these ultra-cheap prices, the food is superb. The star is the chicken salad which screams Thailand on a balmy summer evening, where the crunch of the lettuce tempers perfectly with the tenderness of the chicken. It’s all hearty Thai food.
So for a cheap, tasty experience knock up TT. However there is one drawback. We may be fans of the food here but we’re not fans of no fans. We’re here on one of the hottest evenings of the summer and we swelter (particularly when we hit the red chilli paste). All they need is to cool the air a little and then we’d be confident this would be a four-star eatery: no mean feat for a cheap eats spot facing the side of an office block. Matt Fleming
Shop 9, 1/F, Brim 28, Causeway Ctr, 28 Harbour Rd, Wan Chai, 8101 2669. Mon-Sun 11.30am-9.30pm. Dinner for two: around $250.