An impromptu decision to eat out on Sunday night had Eva, Mother and I on the doorstep of Erawan Thai on Jervois Road in Herne Bay. Having heard great things about this restaurant from Herne Bay locals, we decided it would be a good way to warm ourselves up on a cold and wet Auckland night.
Situated on the corner of Jervois Road and Lawrence Street, Erawan Thai is housed in a beautiful old bungalow (I want to say Victorian, but not being an expert on architecture I think it would be wiser not to comment) that would worth a hefty amount in today’s property market. The restaurant takes its name from a sacred elephant who is one of the 8 Guardian Deities of the Directions in Hindu and Buddhist tradition.
Being on busy Jervois road we anticipated that parking would be a hassle, however we managed to find a spot on Lawrence St, directly opposite the restaurant without too much hassle. This may have been due to people being kept away by a combination of bad weather and it being somewhat late on a Sunday night. I am told that the restaurant does have parking available for patrons, but I am not sure where. It may pay to request more information on that front from the Maître d’ when making reservations, as Jervois Rd can be a bit of a nightmare for on-street parking Thursday-Saturday nights.
We stepped out of the miserable Auckland weather and into the cosy warmth of the restaurant and were greeted by a smiling and bowing Maître d’. We were shown to our table by the window, which immediately gave us the pleasant feeling that one experiences when warm and comfortable inside on a cold, wet day. We were plied with menus and water by our friendly waitress and given time to consider our options. Being rather hungry this evening we decided we would get a couple of entrees to take the edge off. We decided on the fresh spring rolls from the specials menu, and that old staple of Thai cuisine, chicken satay. Our mains choices were beef massamun, deep fried snapper fillets in a tamarind sauce from the specials menu and, of course, pad thai. Our choices made, we waited in hungry anticipation for our meal.
We were not kept waiting long for our entrees and we tucked in eagerly. Both dishes were superb. The spring rolls were light and fresh and beautifully prepared with crisp vegetables, vermicelli and lean pork wrapped in rice paper and served with a simply exquisite dipping sauce. This dish got the hearty approval of both Mother and Eva. For me however, who prefers a slightly higher meat to vegetable ratio, the chicken satay was the highlight of the entrees. The satay sauce was sublime with sprinklings of crushed peanuts to top it off. It was undoubtedly one of the best examples of this simple, yet often bungled, Thai dish that I have had in Auckland. I would have been quite happy to dine on more of these delightful skewers for the remainder of my meal, I was now looking forward to our mains now that Erawan Thai appeared to be living up to their good reviews on the basis of their entrees.
Once again, we were not kept waiting long for our mains. These came out as they were ready rather than all at once. I suppose this method of service is a matter of personal taste, but it appears to be the norm at most Thai restaurants. In any event, we weren’t complaining as we were eager to sample more of Erawan’s fare. I have forgotten the name of the snapper dish, and as it was a special it is not listed on the menu, but I highly recommend it to all who dine at Erawan. The fish was crisp, light and beautifully flavoured, and not in the least bit oily or soggy as can be the case with deep fried fish. The tamarind sauce was sublime and very, very more-ish. Equally brilliant was the beef massaman, which for the uninitiated is a stewed beef curry cooked in coconut cream with potatoes and peanuts. This proved to be a perfect choice for the weather. The creamy curry was warming and comforting without being too rich or heavy. The beef was tender and succulent and the curry had just a hint of heat to tickle the taste buds without being overly spicy.
The quantities of all the dishes were ample as well, and at under $20 per dish (under $9 for the entrees) they were great value for money. I should also mention that all dishes came with steamed rice served continuously throughout the meal. Service throughout the evening was exemplary with smiling and cheerful waitresses readily available and ever present, net never intruding on our conversation or hovering over us excessively during our meal.
Our hunger completely satiated and our taste buds well pleased, we had to decline dessert and request the remainder of the massaman and the pad thai that we simply could not fit into our stuffed bellies to be packed up for takeaway. After paying the incredibly reasonable amount of $65 for 2 entrees and 3 mains, we ventured forth into the wind and rain again, well pleased after a good night out.
Vital Stats:
Address: Corner Jervois Road & Lawrence Street, Herne Bay
Phone: (09) 361 3261
Website: http://www.erawanthai.co.nz/erawan_menu.html
Class of Restaurant: Casual to Smart Casual
Parking: On-street around Jervois Rd and Lawrence St. Restaurant parking is also available, contact the restaurant to find out the location of their carpark
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