Recently, rafts of new Thai restaurants seem to be testing the Australian palate. On the recent trip to Sydney, Home could not be avoided. The default dining partner and I needed a quick and cheerful bite before a show and Home came highly recommended.
When entering Home, you notice two things. First is the strength of the aromas wafting out from the open kitchen. The instant you walk through the door you know you are at an authentic Thai restaurant, where you are greeted by the punch of fish sauce and the pungency of coriander. The second thing you notice is that all the waitresses carry matching LV satchels. There are probably not that many Asian restaurants that would pay their staff the award rate, yet Home kits up every member with a highly-sought after fashion item!
It was only after we flagged a waitress to place our order that the mystery of the satchels were unshrouded. Each carried an iPad, which are used to beam an order straight to the kitchen! While some restaurants have been using tablet technology for menus, this was the first I had ever heard of using iPads for orders – at a Thai restaurant in Sydney Chinatown no less!
The menu at Home was not your standard Thai restaurant menu. There was the standard suite of coloured curries, and stir-fries with chilli and cashew etcetera, but what was most exciting were all the items you do not often see. Most notably, there was a “grill” section on the menu. While it may sound like something your local offers, an eye fillet steak is all the more tempting with a side of nuoc chum dressing. To combat the protein, we chose the banana blossom salad (Thai name unknown).
The salad came out first, nestled in the deep purple hue of the blossom leaf, with a handful of prawns delicately resting on top. The sculpture of food did not last long, as cutlery dived in to retrieve forkfuls of tussled banana flower. Like green papaya, the banana flower itself added little for flavour, but went a long way for texture. The crunchy julienned strips were lightly coated in a light curry dressing, which also carried a slight sour taste. Refreshing, different, and something I would definitely order again.
The steak came out second. This is best described as pepper steak, Thai style. The meat itself was nothing particularly special. The sauce however was flavoursome. The intense pepperiness was matched by the smokiness given by the finely ground toasted rice. I wish I had the recipe! 
With the speediness of the kitchen, we had plenty of time before the show. This meant dessert! I had been eyeing off the fried dumplings with custard, but was dealt a blow to find they were only offered after six. Plan B would do, but there were no regrets. The sticky rice with mango appeared in a variety of pastel colours, but it only lasted long enough to take this photo. Each mound of rice was subtly flavoured. The green was my favourite- it had an intense kaya (coconut jam) flavour which is hard to draw comparisons with western food. Just know that it was creamy and probably required hours of cardio workout afterwards.
Home was a great find- a big thanks to Liz for the recommendation! Despite the simplicity of the decor (there are no royal purple tablecloths, or waitresses dressed in traditional Thai garb), I felt that the food was highly authentic. There are numerous dishes which I would not have tried before, so it is best to avoid the usual order for Hiller. This is a must visit for anyone in Sydney.
Home Thai Restaurant
299 Sussex Street, Sydney
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