Sticky Rice has taken the space formerly occupied by Baitong. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Cooleman Court has had a shakeup with Sticky Rice recently opening in the place of Baitong. The new restaurant is owned by the family behind Ping Ping Thai in Kambah, and its grand opening has already generated buzz in the area.
To celebrate the opening, the restaurant is offering a 10 per cent discount for diners in their first few weeks (ending mid-April), which made their $16 lunch special an even better deal.
And then they brought out complimentary spring rolls to each table. It’s clear that Sticky Rice is setting its standards high, with generosity and warmth central to its philosophy.
The lunch special menu includes classics like pad Thai, green curry and honey chicken. My friend ordered a classic beef with basil and rice, but I was intrigued by a dish named Thai waterfall noodle soup. It turned out the ladies at the table next to us were also intrigued and were excited to hear I had ordered it!
The waterfall soup (also called boat soup) was delicious, beautifully flavoured and filling. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
We theorised that perhaps the soup would be poured from a height, or served in a fountain! But a subsequent search tells me that Thai waterfall soup (also known as boat soup or nam tok, which translates to waterfall) is a traditional dish often sold by vendors along the canals in Bangkok.
The broth was a rich stock, similar to what you’d expect from Vietnamese Pho (also on the menu at Sticky Rice). Thin rice noodles and mung bean sprouts were topped with a mix of sliced beef, cubed brisket beef and meatballs. Each different kind of beef offered a dramatically different texture, so although they are all beef, it doesn’t feel like you’re eating the same thing over and over. The soup is also enriched with blood, but don’t let that deter you; it adds depth to the broth without dramatically impacting the flavour. Just think of your iron levels!
I was offered sugar, vinegar, soy and chilli to add as desired, but I enjoyed the soup very much as it was served and didn’t need to add anything at all! It was fragrant, filling and wonderfully slurpy.
The lunchtime specials are a good deal, with comfort food classics like beef with basil. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
The beef with basil was also very delicious: proper comfort food!
The full menu features a whole lot of brilliant dishes which span Thai, Lao and Vietnamese cooking. If there’s a classic Thai dish you’ve been craving, then chances are it’s on the menu; in fact, the sign outside the front door tells diners to step inside if they’ve been craving Thai food!
There are lots I’m keen to return for a few regional dishes you don’t often see on Canberra menus, like the homemade Northern Thai sausages with lemongrass and Laos-style sun-dried beef with chilli sauce.
Spring rolls are an elite starter. Photo: Lucy Ridge
There were plenty of locals coming out to try this new restaurant, and I reckon it should be on your radar, too.
Sticky Rice is located at Cooleman Court, Shop 13 Brierly St, Weston. They are open seven days a week for lunch from 11.30 am to 3.30 pm, and for dinner from 5 pm to 9.30 pm.
Original Article published by Lucy Ridge on Region Canberra.
