December is generally a festive month and truly the time when we have many gatherings and catch up sessions going on. Not just for Christmas celebrations, but there is also the end of year, then my husband’s birthday, also my sister in law’s birthday. And yesterday, we had dinner at Maenam Lao & Thai for my sister-in-law’s birthday. It’s the first time we branched out from our usual Green Peppercorn for Laos/Thai meal. Apparently, Maenam means mother river that divides as well as connects Laos and Thai.
Maenam is located in the main strip of Strathfield, few doors next to the Strathfield Plaza on The Boulevard entrance. The restaurant is semi open air, where the front part of the restaurant is totally open. There are plenty of seating, however the walkway in-between chairs are narrow so there could be awkward moments when you bump into other chairs when walking in/out.
The menu itself is quite extensive, with choices of salads, stir fries, curries, noodles, desserts, and drinks. And these are the food that we ordered last night:
So, the verdict? The food were delicious and tasty, love the ox tongue and crispy noodle most! The ox tongue is very tender without any chewiness at all, seasoned well and goes perfectly with the dipping sauce. The crispy noodle is tasty with that goodness thick gravy, and the noodle texture is lovely. This is something we have never ordered at Green Peppercorn, in fact I am not even sure they have it. I think their red duck curry is creamier and very slightly less sweet than Green Peppercorn. We prefer the Green Peppercorn’s version of deep-fried snapper with mango and green apple salad, mainly because the fish has been filleted and de-boned for easier eating plus the salad/sauce is more refreshing. Crispy pork belly is deliciously seasoned, cut in generous chunks which may be why some pieces are not as crispy as others, nonetheless tasted very yummy.
In general we’d still prefer Green Peppercorn, however if for any reasons we don’t feel like going to city for a Laos/Thai meals, this definitely be a great substitute. Price wise is in similar range and taste almost on par anyway. Just maybe, a reservation ahead will save you troubles waiting for a table if you coming in bigger group.
Maenam Lao & Thai Restaurant
31 The Boulevarde, Strathfield NSW 2135
Phone: (02) 9746 5882
The duck looks very inviting but your description of the ox tongue makes me wanna 🙂
Yes, the ox tongue was really good – everyone loved it last night 🙂