Caroline Thai

Talk about elephants in the room, Caroline Thai’s low-ceilinged dining room hosts a veritable herd of them, from busts on the bronze-coloured walls to gorgeous elephant-shaped teapots. Service can be patchy at busy times but this confident suburban Thai restaurant is otherwise tops. Moo yang BBQ has tender pork pieces in a honey-sweet marinade seared on a smoky grill. Larb gai comes with chicken chopped rather than traditionally minced, but with a zesty dressing enveloping the chook, red onion, mint and iceberg lettuce. Fish cakes are delightfully spongy in texture with a heady infusion of lemongrass.