Saffron Thai, Cnr George & Grosvenor Sts, Sydney

Saffron Thai, Cnr George & Grosvenor Sts, Sydney

Wednesday 24 October, 2007

The last time I visited Saffron Thai we thoroughly enjoyed the food however were frustrated with the service. Today's experience was very similar.

We arrived for lunch without a reservation...it was Wednesday...and watched the staff fumble around as they tried to reconcile the booked tables with the available tables. Moments later we were invited to take our pick. The turnover of staff here is high and there doesn't appear to be any consistency at all. Aside from the fact the staff are impeccably dressed and polite, they just don't know how to take orders efficiently during the lunchtime rush.

My lunch buddy and I have a standard order that we share:

- Duck pancakes with shallots
- Green chicken curry
- Pad thai with prawns

We had specifically asked for the pancakes to come first with the other dishes to follow later on. Our waitress has even repeated this back us to confirm. Not surprisingly the meals all arrived at once and we didn't have enough room on the table for everything. They had only bought us one small bowl of rice (you are usually served two) so we had to ask for another - this took another 10 mins.

The green chicken curry is delicious and served in a deep bowl with a generous amount of chicken. Spooned over steamed rice it was really good and so spicy that it guaranteed to clear your sinuses after one mouthful. Finally, the pad thai arrived and it was also good, especially with the curry sauce on top.

The back room at The Brooklyn is devoted to Saffron Thai and it is far nicer to sit here and enjoy your food than within the packed pub. This is great food at reasonable prices - what a shame the service hasn't improved.

Saffron Thai, Brooklyn Hotel - Cnr George & Grosvenor Sts, Sydney - (02) 9247 6744

http://www.brooklynhotel.com.au/