Picked via my Tiktok-famous friend D, Sugarcane is a modern Thai restaurant located by the scenic views of Coogee beach. We had the banquet menu for $75 per person.
'Trust Me' Menu
Starting off with this one-biter crisp tortilla, with crab, green apple, coconut & lime. D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S-! The crunchy and refreshing green apple was very unique, hitting the taste buds with its sweet and cooling flavour. I thought it was cucumber at first. The tortilla was very crispy, contrasting the soft mouthfeel of the filling. And the added ikura were the perfect amount of saltiness to the bite.
This next one-biter was scallops, green nahm jim, pomegranate, cashew praline. This was a delectable and succulent bite. Imagine a fresh and mildly sweet scallops, enhanced by the sweet tartness of pomegranate and the caramelized sweetness of the nuts. The added Thai dipping sauce (nahm jim jaew) brought a subtle heat that tied everything together 🤤.
This was a beautifully presented salmon ceviche and nahm jim on sesame cracker. The flavour was delicious; a fresh and fatty salmon balanced by the sweet tomatoes and sharp shallots. The cracker was light and crispy. Value wise, it was a very tiny bite – the dish in the picture was shared between 4 of us 😬.
This was another well-presented dish: hiramasa kingfish, roasted rice, chilli, lime, coriander. Everyone got one slice each. The fish sauce, spring onions, chilli and lime emphasized the umami-ness of this clean king fish. The cut was moderately thick and had a bouncy texture. The roasted rice added a nice contrast to the fish. It was a very straightforward “Thai” bite.
This was an interesting twist on the traditional san choy bow. It was hot & sour pork mince salad in a lettuce cup. It was the most spicy dish of the night. The lettuce was the perfect size and crunch to cool down the chillis. The pork was flavourful, with strong punches of umami. The only downside was how messy it was to eat this dish.
This was a simple salt & pepper squid with yellow bean & soy dressing. The squid was perfectly cooked; fresh and soft insides, with a light and crunchy batter on the outside. The soy dressing enhanced the protein well. Sometimes doing something simple is all that is needed 🤤.
When the mains came out, we were already heavily breathing so these next 4 dishes were a challenge to finish.
This was the wagyu beef rendang curry with coconut and lime leaf, with rice. It was delicious 🤤. The curry was thick and creamy, with a moderate beef flavour. The chunks of beef in the curry were very tender, pulling apart easily with a spoon. The slices of chilli added a subtle heat that balanced the coconut well. Everything tasted even better when eaten with the fluffy, hot jasmine rice.
This was the wagyu beef rendang curry with coconut and lime leaf, with rice. It was delicious 🤤. The curry was thick and creamy, with a moderate beef flavour. The chunks of beef in the curry were very tender, pulling apart easily with a spoon. The slices of chilli added a subtle heat that balanced the coconut well. Everything tasted even better when eaten with the fluffy, hot jasmine rice.
The main dish of crispy chicken, blood plum sauce was a large portion of tender thigh chicken, with a soft fried skin tossed in a very sweet and highly addicting plum sauce. The lemon was needed to cut through the sweetness. This dish was more sweet than savoury in taste.
The house made plain roti was good! 🤤🤤 Flakey and soft, this was a generous portion of a well-exectued staple.
We also had a side of grilled broccolini, baby corn, cucumber relish, satay sauce. This was very straightforward; crunchy vegetables with a moderate and creamy spice throughout the bite.
Service
The staff went above and beyond with their service, getting all the right angled photographs and preparing our store-bought cake. And the vibe was amazing for a busy Friday night. We were honestly so amazed from the moment we entered the restaurant.
Conclusion
I really liked the dining experience. If you are looking for Thai food in the East, this is a great spot for delicious food. Alas, we can get some good Thai options in the West so the likelihood of us returning is low. We still recommend this restaurant for those wanting a different scenery.
Thanks for reading! Happy eating 😆
Thanks for reading! Happy eating 😆
