Last week, my Melbourne mate Alex was up in Sydney, which meant I needed to step-up, flex my food blogger muscle and find us a dinner venue where we could swap stories and forget we’re on a diet.
Given last time Alex and I went out to dinner we wound up with a $320 bill, I was pretty adamant that wasn’t going to happen again – so Quay and Bennelong were out.
Still in desperate pursuit of a Thai favourite in Sydney, I’ve wanted to try Muum Maam in Surry Hills for some time (too bad these guys don’t deliver to Bronte). Alex, cheers for the excuse because Muum Maam is a new favourite.
Part of the fabric of Surry Hills
Located in the back blocks of Surry Hills, Muum Maam has been feeding the Holt Street hoards since 2010 (and now has an outpost in Barangaroo). Decked out with long communal wooden tables, low-hanging light bulbs and bright wall art, it’s right at home in the personality-filled suburb.
During the day, Muum Maam pulls a white-collar crowd with a ‘tuk shop’ style, pay-at-the-counter lunch of quick bites. Rice paper rolls, pad Thai, green papaya shrimp and peanut salad, and other good stuff.
Then come sun down, the small restaurant turns into a relaxed, fun place for dinner, offering full table service and more substantial meal options. Like whole fried barramundi, Massaman coconut curry of veal osso bucco, and crispy pork belly wok-tossed with snake beans and Phrik Khing chilli paste.
In a suburb that doesn’t lack for Thai restaurants (Spice I Am, Longrain, to name a few), Muum Maam holds its own.
Image credit: Muum Maam
A menu straight from Thailand
The authentic Thai menu has a lot of things going for it. So many good things that we ridiculously over ordered. Unable to choose between the barramundi or poached chicken salads, the betel leaf or crispy crab and prawn spring rolls, the salt and pepper calamari or pineapple fried rice, we ordered the lot! But surely that’s only fitting for a place named after the Thai slang word for ‘little glutton’.
The best bit about embarrassingly overloading your table with sweet-smelling dishes is that you have lunch sorted for the next day. Ka-ching! The worse bit is having to stare at all the deliciousness when you’re so full you don’t know how you’re going to waddle to Central Station.
Poached chicken salad, with coriander, tomato and coconut dressing
Pineapple fried rice, with prawns, raisins and pork floss
Barramundi fillet salad, with green apple, onion, mint, coriander, cashew and nahm jim dressing
Cash only? Huh?
The only downside to Muum Maam is that it’s a cash-only restaurant. WTF! Paying with an actual golden pineapple! What novelty. Having cash in your wallet! Equally a novelty.
We both had to do a mad lap of Surry Hills trying to find an ATM (there’s a Westpac a block over on Elizabeth Street – phew). Then had the job of remembering our pincode – argh.
Salt and pepper calamari, with sweet chilli sauce
Muum Maam is…
A quality Thai option in Surry Hills and good value for money, which always wins my heart. Thank Paul Mecurio, we only spent $167 this time, and that included a bottle of wine, sparkling water and a doggy bag.
If you like your Thai full of flavour, fresh and delicious (who doesn’t); in a space that’s cosy and inviting; being hosted by ultra friendly wait staff, you’ll love Muum Maam.
Muum Maam | 1/50 Holt Street, Surry Hills, New South Wales
Phone: (02) 9318 0881
muummaam.com.au/surryhills
