After a few Sunday afternoon 'brewskis', I arrive at Oriental Spirit convinced that it is larger than it is and that my other friends are tucked away in another section. It must be the oriental stone statues and indoor plants at the entrance that confuse me. Or perhaps it's the black and red theme.We pick up the menu and all the entrees are appetising. Spring rolls? For sure. Satay sticks? Definitely, it’s one of Thai standards! Thai rice paper rolls? Well rice paper rolls are one of the standards for Vietnamese so we should try them. Peking duck? I love duck! No, there is some conjecture that $6.80 is pricey for one piece. Should we cheat on number 27 and get entrée scallops instead?
As for mains, well... Green curry prawns is a standard and there has been a special request for Pad Thai. Number 27 is a mixture of garden salads. The prospect is so uninspiring we pretend number 25 is it and get the green papaya salad.My enthusiasm for the spring rolls burns my mouth. The pastry on them is quite thick and the insides don’t hold much excitement. The satay chicken skewers are delicious. Tender chicken covered in a creamy satay sauce that has a great texture and the right balance of spicy and sweet peanutty flavours.
The Thai rice paper rolls are different from the ones we’ve been having at the Vietnamese restaurants. They seem to be warmer and amongst the fillings are bean shoots and cabbage. Maybe I’ve been watching too much Masterchef but I detected a soapy flavour to them.From the specials we have soft shell crab. It’s colourful and delicious with a medley of reds and greens on fried noodles. The crab melts in your mouth.
The green curry is spicy, as it should be.
There’s a good serving of vegetables including beans, carrots, bamboo shoots and eggplant. It’s a light colour (almost has an orange tinge to it) and kicks you in the back of the throat.I’m not a great fan of the papaya salad. It is strandy and chewy, composed of thin strings of papaya, carrot and bean shouts with a dash of sweet chilli dressing.
The Pad Thai has a nice kick to it. Peanuts and chilli powder come on the side delicately placed on a spoon, for those anaphylactics out there.
Finally, bonus points are given for the music selection. It was enough to bring out the karaoke-er in the best of us. “You were always on my mind...” lalala. Camy’s Shanghai Dumplings has a new competitor in the background music stakes.
Ratings
Spring rolls 6.2/10
Thai rice paper rolls 5.5/10
Satay skewers 8.5/10
Special (salt and spicy soft shell crab) 8/10
Green curry 8.1/10
Pad Thai 7.7/10
Cheats’ #27 Green papaya salad 7.1/10
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