Bai Bua Thai Restaurant — Restaurant in Sydney

Thought we try out a new Thai restaurant around the area. First off, the place was crowded and must be good. Got a table for 2 easy enough, menus given. Waited like another 25 mins or so and not one waitress attended the tables. 1st waitress walked pass, ask if they could take our order and was told she'll be back in a min. 10 mins went pass and she's still wondering around. Caught up with another waitress and same again and never return. By this time we thought we might as well go soon.

Third waitress walked pass, and again we ask if they could take our orders. Yet same again another never returned and all tried to avoid taking orders walking up and down the restaurant. By this time, 3 tables around us were just waiting for waitresses to take our orders.

Fourth waitress started to attend a table behind us who came in 20 mins after we did. They also waited quite a bit before being served, we waive at her asking if she too can take our order when she's done. Instead she decided to take our order first. Took nearly 50 mins before our order was taken. I'm saying to my wife, if that took that long I'm wondering how long before the actual meals will come. LOL

The entrees came out pretty quick, quite a surprise. Satay's and curry puffs. The skewered chicken (satay) wasn't quite what I expected but then this is Thai Satays served with peanut sauce and would be slightly different to other Southern Asian region. The sauce was pretty good. The curry puffs are not bad at all but it was served with sweet and sour sauce which was a bit weird combination. Curry and sweet and sour sauce..emmm it's definitely different and I guess for the target audience around the area I supposed it's ok.

We also order salt and peppered prawns and red curry beef and coconut rice. What ever you do, DO NOT order the coconut rice. It's mushy and sugared so much you could use the rice for your tea or coffee later if you choose to do so. lol

Overall the meals aren't too bad, it's been westernised a bit which I thought that went out the door a while back which is unfortunate. Seem to be a common trend when it comes to Thai food and very few stays traditional. Nevertheless, meals are not too bad, service definitely need a lot of work with the waitress. We never asked for the bill and went straight to the cashier counter, noticed the waitress dashing quickly to make sure we got our bill though. Will we go back? Yeah maybe but would try others...

I occasionally do some work out Penrith way and was out there last week. Was getting close to the end of work and asked a staff member to recommend some place for lunch in the area that he loved. He was a local and I wanted a hot tip from a local that wasn't a foodie. Bai Bua was his hot top and his words were "my favourite Thai place, the best coconut rice you will ever eat." Challenge accepted. He also suggested I didn't judge the place by the outside or the inside but by the food. They offered a lunch special (check my pics) but for $15.90 (eat in and $13.90 take away) I could choose one out of five dishes, served with rice, an entree and a can of soft drink. I chose Chilli Basil chicken and my entree was a curry puff and a spring roll. I asked if I could pay a bit extra for coconut rice instead of regular rice and their offer was I could pay full price for the coconut rice - this wasn't ideal but whatever. All up my lunch was a bit over $20. And worth every cent!! Correct - best coconut rice I have ever eaten and that Chilli Basil Chicken was also the best I have eaten - the freshness in the flavours was flawless. Even the spring rolls and curry puffs tasted like they were handmade prior to frying. I absolutely loved this food and I will eat here again on future Penrith visits...

They have a lunch takeaway wherein a curry comes with rice. I asked the Thai lady to just give me the curry instead of the rice, she refused saying that I must take it with the rice even though I have taken it before many times! She said if she gives the curry by itself, she has to give more curry. I said I don’t want more curry, just give me the same portion of curry that goes with the rice as I have done this before. The reason I don’t want the rice is because it all gets so soggy with the gravy by the time I eat it! Her logic made no sense, this where the customer comes second and the staff are right! A male Chef came out and looked at me with a wink as if to say “she is always like that.” I walked out and went to the Siam Cuisine close by and got my take away curry, much better quality and polite staff and they give the curry without rice, since then I go to this restaurant! Also the Bai Bua is an old restaurant showing much wear and tear and does not look clean, Siam is modern...