If I had to narrow down all the cuisines of the world and pick a favourite, Thai food would most definitely be in the running. The fresh, balanced flavours never cease to impress me and satisfy my cravings; needless to say that a new Thai restaurant, such as the recently opened Soi 7 on Wyndham Street, will always capture my attention.
Although Soi 7 is owned by the same people as Koh Thai, and has in fact taken over the space that was formerly Koh Thai, the one really has nothing whatsoever to do with the other. Soi 7 is not a rebranding of either the menu or the look, but it’s in fact its own completely new concept. It offers is modern Thai cuisine, transforming traditional Thai staples and merging them with influences from other cultures. This is reflected in the design of the restaurant, which merges industrial style with Thai history and modern Western touches.
The menu is created by Chef Arata Chankhong (or Khun Sen as she is known), who previously worked with renowned chef Ian Kittichai at the Issaya Siamese Club in Bangkok. Ian Kittichai’s aim is to show diners that Thai cuisine is so much more than just pad thai and curry, and this approach is clearly visible in Khun Sen’s menu as well.
Whilst sipping on a refreshing passion fruit caipiroska and mango chilli martini respectively, our meal began with a serving of spicy shrimp, which we were advised to eat immediately (after feeding the camera first of course) before it “melted.” These huge tempura prawns, coated in sriracha aioli, were absolutely divine. The prawns themselves had a wonderful bouncy texture, with only a thin dusting of batter to keep them nice and light and absorb the delicious spicy aioli.
Pad Thai is the epitome of Thai street food. Everywhere you go in Thailand, you’ll see hawkers cooking up a quick, easy and dirt cheap Pad Thai on the side of the road. At Soi 7, this classic dish is taken to another level, as what you get here is Pad Thai Lobster. An entire Boston lobster is cut into chunks and stirred through this firm favourite, connecting the old with the new and epitomising modern Thai cuisine.
Alongside the beef, we were served some lemongrass chilli fries, which I seriously could not get enough of. Rather than being your standard fat or skinny chips, these were chunks of new potatoes that were not in the slightest bit greasy, had a gorgeously fluffy centre and a lovely flavour. They probably weren’t supposed to outshine the laughing bull, but in my opinion they did exactly that.
Service at Soi 7 is friendly and personal. Our waitress (who, like Eddy Bundro, I recognised from Shore), made sure to give us her personal suggestions of her favourite drinks and dishes, a touch that I think makes such a difference. Prices are just a tad higher than Koh Thai, but still pretty reasonable, and dinner for two is likely to cost around $800. Soi 7 offers a fun approach to Thai cuisine, without being too far removed from Thai food as we know it. I can definitely see this place sticking around and becoming one of my go-to Thai eateries.
Soi 7, G/F, 57 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong, 2840 0041, www.soi7.com.hk