Bangkok Terrace, Hawthorn East

A much cleaner and modern interior than expected... LIKE

Nice open kitchen set on a higher floor level...

Crispy Prawns with Green Rice Flakes (6 pieces) -- $18.00

Deep fried prawns coated with rice flakes served with sweet chilli sauce

These were a great starter! Love the look of them. Crispy and addictive...

Tom Yum Prawn

Traditional Thai soup of king prawns flavoured with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and chilli paste

The Tom Yum here was awesome! Clean yet full body flavour with strong aroma of lemongrass, felt really fresh. Definitely one of the better ones in town (if not best).

Panang Curry with Duck -- $19.90

Homemade panang curry cooked with chicken, beef or duck, mixed vegetables topped with crushed peanuts and sweet basil

Another ripper of a dish. The duck itself was roasted so perfectly it was just as prominent as the sauce which was thick and flavourful. Sweet, salty, creamy, it was great.

Steak Laos (Wagyu Beef) -- $19.00

Grilled marinated beef and mixed salad on side served with "nam jim hew", unique Thai traditional sauce made of roasted rice, sweet, spicy and sour

AWESOME. Each slice of beef was juicy and tender as tender gets. Really enjoyed the sauce as well. Hey, you know this place is great value when you get a pile of wagyu for under $20.

Pad Cha Crispy Rainbow Trout -- $24.90

Whole deep fried rainbow trout fish topped with chilli and home made spicy sauce, green peppercorn, kra chai, lime leaves

Spicier than we thought, but in a good way. I wasn't sure how I'd feel to have a rainbow trout deep fried whole and used in a Thai dish, but this was good. Flesh was still delicate and I enjoyed eating the fish head and sucking the crisped flesh off the bones.

BBQ Char Grill Lamb Cutlet -- $24.90

Marinated grilled lamb cutlet with special Thai herbs sided with homemade mixed vegetables stir fried with garlic sauce

One of the highlights of my evening (even though every dish was really good). Incredibly flavourful and juicy cut of lamb, with great char on the outside. So delicious!

Dessert Special: Pumpkin Cheesecake -- $10.90

Homemade pumpkin cheesecake served with green tea ice cream

Not the best cheesecake base but flavours are there and still a good dessert overall

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Must say that I was thoroughly impressed with my experience at Bangkok Terrace overall. It was recommended to me by a Thai person quite unexpectedly. Curious by this recommendation, I ventured out there with 5 of my other eating buddies last Saturday to try it out.

First, the ambience was much more sophisticated, yet cool and casual than we expected. We were expecting a Victoria St/iSpicy-esque establishment but this reminded us more of Red Spice Road/Chin Chin than anything else. It was buzzing and food at every table looked amazing. Completely packed out even though it was sort of in the middle of nowhere... How have we not heard of this place before until now?!

The food was brought out one dish at a time, and we enjoyed every single one. Flavours and execution (even presentation) was top notch. Was it slightly Westernised? Yes. Was it the most authentic Thai food in Australia? No. But who cares? In a lot of ways, the flavours and methods were still very true. Also, it was incredibly delicious food in a great setting and prices were really, really reasonable! The 6 of us ate till we were so full for only $30 per person. It's not a lot when you're getting quality AND quantity, IMHO.

It's been awhile since we've seen a good Thai restaurant in Melbourne so I'm very glad to have come across this place and able to share it with all of you today. I do hope you give this place a go because I sure as hell am going to come back again. A great place I would love to bring my family and visitors to eat any day.