The Sala Thai (Tuggeranong, ACT opposite the Hyperdome) is owned and run by Saree (Charlie) Chaimusik (head chef) and his wife. It is one of the best rated Thai restaurants in Canberra and has won many awards.This time we started with Chicken Satay, well-cooked nuggets with a nice peanut sauce served separately to be spooned over. Followed that with Chu Chee Eggplant, very crispy with a good texture but served unexpectedly with a more liquid peanut sauce, as usually it comes with a curry and coconut sauce. This was accompanied by Gang Par (beef option), a curry without coconut milk. Delicious ordered spicy hot but which proved too spicy for my wife. We chose Sticky Rice to go with the meal,...
Restaurant is quite small, and set up for foursomes rather than couples, but is still quite pleasant, if not exactly cosy. Our entrées (especially the pork ginger dumplings) were excellent. Our mains were more variable, with the green chicken curry good, but with too many non-traditional vegetables taking the gloss off it, and the Maussaman curry was very tasty. The most intriguing dish we tried was garlic chilli duck, which sounded good, was tasty, but was rather thin on duck, with the plate dominated by green vegetables, including Bok Choi, which is not normally associated with Thai food. However, overall we enjoyed the food, and it was very good value for money.
The staff here were friendly - although they did keep talking me down from the 'spicy' level. I'm not sure if they do that with everyone or if I particularly sounded like I couldn't take spicy food. I'm sorry to say the food was merely average and not the best Thai in Canberra by far. Pad Thai was particularly flavourless. It wasn't terrible, but given the many other Thai places around, I'll give this a miss next time.
This is only a new discovery for us, and we're sorry it took us so long - we have had to put up with far inferior meals at other establishments! Charlie's Sala Thai is by far the best Thai food we have eaten in Canberra. Not flashy, no hype, very businesslike - just excellent food beautifully presented at very reasonable prices. Particularly recommend the battered eggplant.
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We went to the Charlie's Sala Thai Restaurant for lunch. We have been before and enjoyed previously. The decor is pleasant projecting a relaxing atmosphere. The prices are quite reasonable with mains between $18-$25. The food was quite tasty and arrived quickly and very hot. My wife asked for spicy and that's what she got.All in all a relaxing good value lunch was had.
Midweek dinner for two - a pleasant experience, with a pretty standard menu, and average quality food. By "average" I don't mean "bad", just about middle of the road. The highlights of the evening were (1) the service and (2) the eggplant dish.
This is a hidden gem. The food is great, tasty and the servings are a good size. The staff are always friendly and Charlie leaves the kitchen to visit the tables each night. Prices are reasonable as well
Very nice food at Charlie's. Our friends and I decided to venture into the suburbs and we are glad we did. Friendly service and very yummy food. We will return! Thanks Charlie's!
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We dine here often, and love the friendly service. The food is always superb and fresh. The staff know the menu and its especially good as we need gluten and dairy free options.
We were stating in a serviced apartment near by - it is a BYO so we went to Aldi nearby and got a great bottle of Pinot for $9 - food was average but acceptable
