Kaffir Lime Thai & Lao Cuisine — Restaurant in Sydney

Part of a sleepy strip mall in West Cabramatta, Kaffir Lime Thai & Lao Cuisine produces the most approachable Lao food I’ve tried. The dining room is draped in flowers and greenery—some real, some plastic—with lime green accents from plastic water cups, and the facilities hidden by bamboo screens. For Saturday lunch, the restaurant sits at the convivial end of loud, with big family groups occupying most of its real estate, passing shared dishes up and down. While you can BYO, they’re known for their colourful fruit shakes in tropical flavours like soursop and jackfruit. We add some pink to the colour palette with strawberry ($6.50) and watermelon ($6.50).

My favourite Lao dish is naam khao ($17.90), a crispy rice salad. To make it, flavoured rice balls are deep-fried then broken up and mixed with som moo (fermented pork sausage), herbs, roasted peanuts, fish sauce, lemon juice, coriander and dried chillies. You eat it wrapped in or over the accompany fresh leaves (lettuce, cabbage and mint). I’m also a big fan of Lao sausages ($15.90) which are made from coarsely-chopped pork heavily loaded with aromatics herbs—lemongrass, galangal, garlic, coriander, shallots, and the namesake kaffir lime—plus sticky rice and fish sauce.

Lao sausages are most commonly eaten with jeow mak len, a spicy tomato dipping sauce, and pinches of sticky rice ($4/each). We opted for coconut rice ($6), which was good, but slow to arrive. The same dipping sauce accompanied the tiger tears ($17.90), grilled beef strips that are named for the hissing sound that occurs when they drop their fat over a sizzling charcoal barbeque. They’re also called “crying tiger”, and generally seared rather than cooked though, but staff here will check how cooked...

Today I had the chance to try authentic Thai–Isaan food, and it was a truly satisfying experience. The dishes came in generous portions, perfect for sharing with friends or family.

Dishes we tried: -Papaya Salad (Som Tum) – A perfect balance of spicy, sour, salty, and sweet. The shredded papaya was fresh and crunchy, topped with roasted peanuts for extra flavor. -Isaan Sausage – Grilled to perfection, crispy skin on the outside with a juicy, flavorful filling infused with herbs and spices. Best enjoyed with the spicy dipping sauce. -dried Beef (Neua Dad Deaw) – Tender and savory, with a slightly sweet and salty taste. Nicely fried without being too dry. -Grilled Ox tongue with Jaew Sauce – Smoky and tender pork slices served with a spicy, tangy dipping sauce that elevated the flavor. -Crispy Rice Salad (Yum Khao Tod) – The highlight of the meal. Crispy rice mixed with herbs, onions, and lime juice. Refreshing, flavorful, and a great balance to the grilled meats.

Restaurant Atmosphere: The place is decorated with bamboo and wood, giving it a cozy and warm vibe. It feels casual yet welcoming, ideal for group dining.

Overall: Delicious and authentic Thai flavors with fresh ingredients and bold seasoning. The menu offers a great variety, from spicy salads to grilled and fried dishes. Excellent value for money and highly recommended for anyone craving real...

We ate at this restaurant many times before with no problems, however, this one incident was very disappointing and ruined my image of this restaurant. We ordered our usual dish for takeaway, picked up the food and got home. Upon opening the box, we realised the chef only put one piece of intestine. When we ordered the chef said there will be many pieces of intestine so we called the restaurant to let them know. Instead of apologising or saying maybe they forgot to add in the intestine, the chef demanded us to return to the restaurant to prove it to them. We live 20 minutes away so it isn't a convenient drive, but we went back anyway. When we got there and showed the chef, he realised we were right and asked in an arrogant and rude manner if we wanted a refund or him to remake the dish. We just went with the refund and left. The waitress on duty was also reprimanded by the chef for serving us, she told us that he is the owner of the restaurant which is even more troubling. The food is nothing special, the same as other thai restaurants but the attitude of the chef/owner was disappointing. We won't be returning to this restaurant anymore because we don't want to be treated like this. Maybe he was having a bad day which is fine but he should not lash out at...