Jarern Chai Boon Cafe
1/425 Pitt St
Haymarket, Sydney
This place is quaint, quirky and just plain different - all in a good way. It's the love child of the Chat Thai team, giving you mash up Thai dishes and weird and wonderful fusion sandwiches that keep the crowds happy and returning. This cafe/Thai grocery shop - yes you read it right - caters to the lunch and dinner time eaters as well as those looking for ingredients to take home for cooking there. One side is a cafe and the other a grocery store.
We were passing by and decided to grab a bite for lunch. There aren't a lot of tables but they turn over pretty quickly and this seemed to keep everyone calm and satisfied. Grab a seat and the menu will arrive quickly afterwards, along with water for the table. .It's a lengthy menu too, so take a good look through it.
Mlady ordered the Nahm Dtok Grilled Beef and Rice - a bowl full of grilled beef shin with a spicy soft herb salad all on brown rice. It was colourful, healthy and very tasty - and there was plenty of it too.
Sir went for the Boat Fried Rice - a house specialty - made with spicy shrimp paste and garlic fried rice, shredded green mango, five spice sticky pork, fried gouramy fish and salted duck egg. It was a comprehensive meal on a plate with so much variety there and so many combinations to try - or else you can simply mix itb all together.
Jarern Chai Boon Cafe is popular for all the right reasons. Their food is fresh and fragrant and it's in a busy part of the CBD. We certainly enjoyed it too.
