Anyone who's studied at UTS will know the bright orange of the Satang Thai sign on Quay St near Central Station. For years now this tiny eatery has provided students and local workers alike with hefty servings of delicious Thai food at a minimal cost. Yes, the chicken can sometimes be gristly (and quite possibly pigeon or dog), and the place is so small its not worth trying to squeeze into one of the tiny tables, but still, for the $8.50 you pay, you get an extremely flavourful and filling dish that is well worth the 20 minute lunch-time-rush wait.
Testimony to Satang Thai's popularity is the fact that they've recently been able to expand their operation (in the GFC no less) across the road to include a new and more spacious sit-down restaurant, Satang Exclusive. Satang Thai has always been a favourite with myself and my co-workers, and we jumped at the chance to make a booking for our most recent company lunch.
Although, we didn't need to - the place is such a far cry from it's older take-away sibling across the road in terms of space, there was plenty of room to accommodate our party even though we arrived over half an hour late. A bonus at Exclusive is the inclusion of a Spring Roll entree to the otherwise identical menu. While the food and prices are the same, being able to sit down and enjoy it with friends and colleagues is a bonus, and one of my colleagues swears the quality of the meat at Exclusive is slightly above Satang's generally low par, and that they might've added a welcome bit of extra chili to her Beef Red Curry.
The prices are low, the service is quick, and if I haven't already mentioned it enough, the portions are huge. And for all you noodle fans, I am yet to find a better serving of my favourite Chicken Pad See-Eew anywhere in Sydney.
Value: 8/10
Food: 7/10
Ambience: 6/10