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Sydney has no shortage of excellent Thai restaurants. Our love affair with the country’s punchy, fiery food, tree-fringed beaches and massages knows no bounds. But I’ve got another great one for you to add to the mix: Krung, a playful new 85-seater in Haymarket.
The new restaurant is from Chayakorn Kulthanachaidech behind Abb Air Thai Cuisine 1982, who has teamed up with Naruedom Nukraihong, a former chef at Sydney’s legendary Chat Thai.
What makes Krung special? For starters, there are four types of pad Thai on the menu, with the team wanting to celebrate the nuances between the different regions’ iterations of the famous dish.
“Most people know pad Thai, but fewer realise how much it changes from region to region,” says Kulthanachaidech. “We wanted to use a familiar dish to show the incredible diversity of Thailand’s food culture and start a conversation about the stories behind it.”
I tried the Sukhothai heritage pad Thai ($26) inspired by Northern Thailand – a slightly sweeter version loaded with barbecue pork, dried shrimp, peanuts, topped with crunchy pork crackling and fresh lime. There’s also a savoury Southern Thai one, a coastal one loaded with fresh seafood and a classic verson.
Elsewhere, there’s the charcoal-grilled chicken ($27 for half; $50 for whole) featuring free-range yellow chicken marinated overnight in Thai herbs before being grilled on charcoal and served with bold sauces.
Make sure you order the larb ped benja crisp ($28). The Isaan-style duck larb is full of flavour and texture with duck, garlic, chilli, lime leaf and shallots.
Classic cocktails are given a Thai spin at Krung, like the Mieng Kham Colada, with betel leaf, roasted coconut and tropical fruit for a Thai take on the Piña Colada, and the Sa-Thu Daisy, with lotus, lychee and Khao Hom rice spirit inspired by Royal Thai traditions.
Krung is open from 11.30am daily, has live music most nights and is open late into the night (or morning) – so if you find yourself out and about late in Haymarket, you’ve got a new spot to check out.
Address: Shop 137/414 Pitt St, Haymarket NSW 2000
Note: I was hosted by Krung, but our editorial recommendations are always honest. Time Out doesn't write star-rated restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – when we review, Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here.
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