@Bangkok — Restaurant in Sydney

As I am unfamiliar with the restaurants in Sydney CBD, I googled for "best lunch spots around Capitol theatre.".I read a few reviews about Bangkok Restaurant as It was close to where we were going and there were some good reviews. I booked a table for 10 people as it was a birthday celebration for my daughter. Firstly the space was a lot smaller than the photos on the internet and the staff were not as welcoming. Maybe it was because we were such a large party of people? The food was the most bland and poor quality I have ever tasted at a Thai restaurant. Most of us could not finish our meals. Chicken was dry, soup dish was tasteless, pad Thai consisted of 50% bean sprouts, stir fry vegetable dishes were small and not the usual fresh veggies you would find in Thai restaurants. I was totally embarrassed as I had booked the restaurant and my family and friends had traveled long distances to get there. Disappointed with the lack of service. We could have been at any of the food courts around the area as it was not a restaurant experience. The most important part for the staff was getting the bill paid and making sure a drink that was not added to the bill was quickly corrected by another waitress. They seemed uninterested, unprofessional and too busy looking out of the restaurant and talking to themselves. Never go to this restaurant unless you are desperate for a bite to eat and not interested in good quality food....

Our experience started when we arrived at the restaurant and there was a sign telling us to wait here to be seated. This is all well and good, but we stood there for 10 minutes with staff whizzing around the restaurant, metres from us - zero acknowledgement that we had even been seen. You would expect to at least get a hello, or we will be with you soon. Zero.

Finally, we were shown to our seats and we ordered a few main meals. We ordered a Pad Kee Mao and a Lard Na (Rad Na) Moo Grob. A few minutes later, the first meal arrived. After being plonked down, the waitress proudly announced "Pad See Ew". We asked is it "Pad See Ew" or "Pad Kee Mao". Oh, "Pad Kee Mao" she proudly announced. It is either she didn't care or didn't know or a little of both.

The dishes themselves were fine, but nothing special. There wasn't any "Wok Hei" that you get at other Thai places in Sydney. The Rad Na Moo Grob didn't seem to have any crackling. It seemed to be more a pork fillet or pork neck rather than a pork belly. You can see from the photos that it probably wasn't pork belly. With the smallest smattering of crackling, this was pretty disappointing.

All in all, the meals and service were disappointing. We...

First found this Thai restaurant about 6 years ago before the fancy renovations. Located at Thai Town, @Bangkok faces stiff competition from nearby Thai restaurants. But they never seem to be troubled by them, and always look busy. I think the key lies in ther food which i find most authentic without trying too hard to impress. Unlike other Thai which can be overpowering and heavy at times, their dishes lean towards the finer side. Never had a complain, they serve good, consistent, authentic Thai food. Taste is great, you can taste the herbs which they claim to be grown at the owner's backyard!

If you come by at night, you will be greeted with Live music by Thai singers, and they serve alcohol too! Merry! Not to mention, their supper menu selection is great too! Loved their porridge/congee and the side dishes that you can order to go along. I hope they still serve that. I think they are the only place in Sydney that serves Poh Tak, the clear Tom Yum soup.

Please give...