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Pad Thai
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If your not sure what to order at a Thai restaurant you can't go wrong with Pad Thai! Definitely one of the most popular Thai dishes that consists of noodles, dried shrimp, chicken, red chillies, tamarind and thai basil. Some restaurants are now introducing a ‘chilli beef’ pad Thai which gives a whole different texture and flavour to the dish.
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Thai
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Thai Spring Rolls
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Not unlike the Chinese version, these are served in most thai restaurants you come across. Deep fried in pancake rolls, some are vegetarian and others include chicken, duck or prawns with herbs and spices. Usually served with a sweet chilli dip or a sweet plumb sauce, they are delicious as you crunch into the pastry wrapper and reveal the delicious contents!
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Thai
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Tom Yum
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The most famous of Thai soups, Tom Yum is spicy and sour and utterly delicious. Served usually with prawns and chicken, the flavours are created by crushing all the herbs into a paste and stir frying in oil. To make the soup, stock is added and topped off with fresh herbs. Tom Yum Soup is often served with a bowl of steamed rice.
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Thai
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Lemongrass Chicken
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It's so simple yet so delicious! Lemongrass Chicken is a fabulous dish used in soups, served with rice or packed into Banh Mi. In the markets you mayfind it on sticks to be dunked into a fresh sauce, a satay or a Nuoc Cham. The zingy lemongrass makes a lovely fresh sauce for the chicken. This is a great dish for children who might not like the spicy foods of Asian cuisines. Some Vietnamese restaurants will serve the chicken schnitzel style with the sauce on top, others fried the chicken in slices.
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Vietnamese
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Crispy Duck with Pancakes
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Served in virtually every Chinese restaurant around the country, Crispy Duck is a sociable way of eating with a group of friends or family. The duck is air-dried and then roasted in the oven with a honey and soy glaze and Chinese 5-Spice. This renders the skin crisp while the flesh stays tender. It is then shredded and served with a plum sauce, pancakes and finely sliced matchstick pieces of cucumber and spring onion. Take one of the pancakes from the bamboo steamer, a spoonful of sauce and top with the shredded vegetables and duck. Roll up and crunch it to it, simply delicious!
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Chinese
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Banh Xeo
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Crispy crepes or pancakes filled with succulent and tender pork, shrimp, beansprouts and herbs are served piping hot and you are encouraged to eat them like a local by cutting them into manageable pieces and rolling them up in lettuce leaves or rice paper – dip them into the selection of dips provided by the chef such as sweet chilli or a honey and soy, but the chef will usually spring a surprise on you with his secret combination!
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Vietnamese
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5-Spice Chicken Noodle Salad
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If you like salad and you love chicken then you have to try this dish. The chicken is coated in a mixture of spices including Chinese 5-Spices, grilled and sliced and placed on top of the salad. A cross between a noodle bowl and a salad, there are a multitude of flavours and textures using soy, ginger, lime and coriander to season the salad of matchstick carrots, noodles, peanuts and usually, whatever the chef decides to put in there! Really delicious.
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Vietnamese
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Muc Chien Gion
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If you like squid, this is the dish to try. Tiny baby squid are deep fried in a special coating (the recipe is never disclosed) and served with a clean tasting spice salt, pepper and lime dip.
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Vietnamese
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Grilled Vegetables with Dips
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A very easy but delicious dish of grilled or chargilled vegetables, cooked with herbs, spices and garlic are served with a selection of dips on a large platter, put in the centre of the table for everyone to enjoy. A selection of eggplant, zucchini, red onions and round squash and turnips would be a usual combination, but also grilled baby corn and capsicum. Plenty of different dips are included as well as yoghurt and sauces.
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Vegetarian
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Thai Green Curry
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Thai food is famous for its curries and the Green curry is probably the most famous of the lot. Made from fresh chillies, lemongrass, shrimp paste, galangal, garlic, lime leaves and coriander, Thai green curry paste has a fabulous distinctive flavour and is mixed with coconut cream to make the curry creamy. Quite often served with green beans and pea aubergines and mountains of jasmine rice, it is a heart warming dish that is loved by Thai food fans around the world.
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Thai
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Lasagne Primavera
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A delicious vegetarian lasagne usually made with spinach pasta and a selected of sliced vegetables such as eggplant, courgette, tomatoes, mushrooms and onions and covered in a béchamel sauce. Served with garlic bread and salad, this is a lovely dish for non-meat eaters.
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Vegetarian
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Noodles with Coconut Vegetable Curry
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A lovely dish even for meat eaters! Delicate soft cooked noodles are served with a mixture of vegetables steeped in a coconut curry sauce full of herbs and spices. A good selection of vegetables such as potatoes, squash, onions, carrots, peas and green beans all cooked to perfection. Served with flatbreads or chapattis and usually a side tray of dips and yoghurt with cucumber. Tofu can be added if required.
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Vegetarian
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Pho
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This forms part of the staple Vietnamese diet and is served in most vietnamese restaurants in Australia. Comprising a salty broth with fresh rice noodles, chicken or beef, thai basil and vegetables, it is usually served in huge steaming bowls and accompanied by a hot and spicy sauce. Mixed Pho has become more popular recently, with the main part of the dish comprising both meat and seafood.
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Vietnamese
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Cha-Ca
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Originating from Hanoi in Vietnam, this dish comprises of small morsels of coated deep fried fish, which are served sizzling and coated with garlic, ginger, turmeric and other spices. It is usually brought to the table in a large hot pan for all to share, with side dishes of green beans and spring onions and a selection of dips.
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Vietnamese
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Mushroom Burger
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No bread involved in this burger – the filling is full of vegetables and herbs, and the ‘bun’ is comprised of two large grilled Portobello mushrooms. Quite a lot of garlic is usually included in this dish to give it oodles of flavour. Can be served with chips or salad as an accompaniment, and a selection of dips and sauces.
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Vegetarian
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Pumpkin and Feta Ravioli
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A very popular pasta dish in vegetarian restaurants with delicate but lightly spiced pumpkin and rich feta cheese. The pasta is normally served with either a burnt butter sauce, including garlic, or with a spinach and finely chopped tomato sauce with herbs. A sprinkling of pine nuts usually completes the dish.
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Vegetarian
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Tomato Risotto
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A simple but effective dish of Arborio rice and tomatoes, garlic and basil as the accompanying herb. The rice is cooked in a pan with white wine, seasoning and garlic with the finely chopped tomatoes being added towards the end. A touch of cream and a scattering of basil completes the dish with some parmesan cheese also added towards the end. Plenty of French or Italian bread to wipe your bowl with is a good idea!
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Vegetarian
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Mango Lassi
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Served in most Asian restaurants, it is probably a ‘signature smoothie’ type of drink. Fresh mangoes with yoghurt and light spices poured over ice – absolutely delicious and refreshing to the palate and takes away any heat from spicy food still burning your tongue!
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Asian
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Beer
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Singha and Kloster are the most consumed Thai beers. Singha was originally brewed over 80 years ago in Thailand by members of the Thai nobility. Fairly strong and ‘hoppy’ tasting, it is made from barley and has 6% alcohol content. Kloster is a much smoother beer and a little more expensive.
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Thai
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Whisky
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Some restaurants in Australia serve a selection of Thai whiskies. The whisky is made from rice and is sharp and sweet, but very high in alcohol content at 35%. Mekong and Kwangthong are popular brands. It is not a cheap drink to buy, even though its cheaper in Thailand than beer!
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Thai
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Beer
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Tsingtao is the most popular Chinese beer in China. Best served with spicy food, it is crisp and refreshing when ice cold. It has a nutty, sweet taste and is a perfect accompaniment to Chinese dishes. It is a lager style beer and a modest 4.8% alcohol.
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Chinese
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Jasmine Tea
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Jasmine Tea is a famous Chinese tea brew, deeply aromatic and usually served at the end of a meal with great ceremony. Always served with a teapot and cup, often on a bamboo mat. The unique flavour and aroma is caused by the jasmine blossom fragrance being absorbed into the tea during growth. Subtlely sweet, is is renowned throughout the world.
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Chinese
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Lemongrass Soda
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Very refreshing drink made with lemon grass syrup and mixed with soda or sparkling water, garnished with lemon slices and served over ice. Sometimes garnished with Thai basil to give a more herby taste.
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Thai
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Thai Papaya Smash
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A wonderful cocktail mainly served in the medium to larger restaurants. Made with fresh papaya, orange and a shot of tequila and dash of freshly squeezed lime it has both a bitter and sweet taste. The addition of agave nectar brings more sweetness, but sometimes you have to ask for it.
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Thai
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Coffee
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Vietnamese coffee has a distinct taste to it and it quite often strong but sweet. Served as a filter with cup underneath, there are many versions to the taste.
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Vietnamese
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Coconut Cocktail
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A lavish presentation, normally served in half a coconut shell with decoration of umbrellas and fruit. Various spirits are served but all with a coconut milk base and some with grated coconut flesh as well.
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Vietnamese
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Lotus Tea
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Green tea is marinated with fresh lotus leaves so that the aroma infuses into the whole drink. Vietnamese people believe that this has very health beneficial properties. Very refreshing.
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Vietnamese
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Juices
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A large selection of fresh juices are normally available, being made at the counter. Varieties of vegetable and fruit, some with the addition of spices. A spicy carrot and tomato juice is fantastic as it will contain ginger and cumin but classics such as fresh berry juice with strawberries, blackberries and blueberries are also very popular
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Vegetarian
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Green Tea
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Green tea is very popular in Chinese restaurants and sushi bars. This could be due to its apparent ‘healing properties’ and distinct flavour. Green Tea aids digestion of raw food and has a slightly earthy but not unpleasant taste. Served in a cup that is often prettily decorated.
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Chinese, Sushi
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