NICOLAS CAGE bought a cabbage. Nicolas Cage crossed the road. Nicolas Cage came back again.
The inane press coverage since the Hollywood actor arrived in WA to shoot The Surfer has been frankly embarrassing.
Anytime a ‘celebrity’ visits our state, the press report on their every banal move.
I can’t wait until Rob Schneider comes to Perth and takes a dump in the airport toilets – it will be front page news.
To ease my ranty tanty, I decided to get some comfort food from Mai Thai in Alfred Cove.
Over the years it’s been a consistent performer, so I wanted to see if it was keeping up its game.
The menu had a nice range of entree, soup, spicy salad, stir-fry, noodle/rice dishes, curries and the odd dessert.
I usually can’t see past their Jungle Curry – a fearsome beast with green beans, bamboo, herbs and meat. It’s a turbocharged red curry hotter than the face of the sun and will blow your head off.
With its mix of stewed beef, potatoes and peanuts, the Massaman is another favourite, while another peanut curry – Panang – is also high on my list.
But I felt like mixing it up and went for the crispy chilli chicken ($26.90).
It was a pleasant dish with just the right amount of dry heat and a crispy light batter.
I shared it with my wife “Special K”, who was tucking into her green curry ($22.90).
“As always the sauce and tender chicken are top notch, but they could do with some more veg in there,” she noted.
“It’s more or less a few bits of broccoli. Some more greens would give this dish added texture and freshness.”
We also got two minced chicken and prawn dumplings ($10.40) from the entree menu.
These hefty dumplings were nicely presented with a little bow securing the casing at the top.
The chook and prawn was delicious and there was a refreshing medley of carrot, water chestnut, corn, taro and vermicelli.
The whole dish really came to life when you dunked it in the sweet chilli sauce.
Super fresh and filling, it was a nice starter to share.
The crispy chilli chicken was going down a storm with my wife – a nice crunchy diversion from her green curry.
The accompanying steamed jasmine rice ($4.50) was a fragrant treat and large enough to share between us.
Mai Thai is a solid performer and delivered another nice meal, although they could do with some more veg in their green curry.
I liked the crispy chilli chicken, but I reckon the curries are where it’s at, especially the fire-breathing Jungle destroyer.
Mood raised, I delved into my DVD collection to see if I could find my old copy of Birdy, an Alan Parker film with a great performance from a young Nicolas Cage.
“Do you think he’ll watch Home and Away and eat a vegemite sandwich while he’s here?” asked my wife.
Mai Thai
583 Canning Hwy,
Alfred Cove
maithai.net.au
by STEPHEN POLLOCK