Thai @ Thai Paradise, Hong Kong

I have been extremely busy preparing for my parents' arrival in Hong Kong and my son's 3rd birthday party on Saturday. My mind is on overdrive at the moment with so many things still left to do on my to-do list, and the rainy weather is not helping (outdoor BBQ party planned for Saturday, you see). Perhaps writing in my blog will help me relax and catch my breath (even if it can only be done in bits and pieces over a couple of days). Blogging about a yummy meal is sure to help, therapeutic even. The said yummy meal to took place at a small oft over-looked Thai restaurant. We must have gone past Thai Paradise countless times when we took the Mid-levels escalator, yet somehow we'd never taken notice of it even though the restaurant's first floor location is at the same level with the base of the escalator. We had a discount voucher for Thai Paradise, courtesy of hubby's office, and that was the only reason we became aware of its existence. The food was good, so I am doing my duty to let other people know about this restaurant.

Simple but pleasant decor, but not a big fan of the exposed ceiling. We weren't the only ones with a young child, and in fact as we were leaving, a second family with a sleeping baby strapped in a baby carrier arrived for a meal. The lack of crowd was a blessing in disguise for those of with sleeping bubs:

Thai Paradise is not a fancy restaurant, but the service and food more than made up for that. The waitress was such a lovely lady who did her best to accommodate the boy's food allergies. The menu had a decent variety of dishes, and it took us awhile to decide what we wanted to eat.

Plain fried rice with chicken without nuts, soy and sesame, for the toddler. Simple but well-seasoned and very tasty. It could do with some vegetables:

Hubby chose Beef Stirfry with Mango. I loved the colours on this plate! The tender beef pieces and soft mango flesh were a nice textural contrast to the crunchy vegetables and cashews. Enjoyable dish:

I ordered the Grilled Salted Fish. The crisp charred skin gave way to reveal tender and moist flesh underneath. The fish was fragrant with lemongrass and herbs - another simple but good dish. I don't think the heavily-salted skin was meant to be consumed:

Water Spinach with belacan (aka Kangkung Belacan - my all-time favourite greens!). I liked this one better than the one at Good Satay:

Dessert was Sticky Rice with Coconut and Mango - duo of lightly sweetened white and black glutinous rice with a generous drizzle of coconut cream, served with sweet mango. This was the highlight of the meal. The white glutinous rice layer reminded me of a Nonya kuih called kuih salat (aka seri muka, or more traditionally, gading galoh), and it had me aching for my favourite childhood snacks:

We enjoyed our meal, and the window tables are great for people-watching!

Thai Paradise
1/F, Jade Centre
98 Wellington Street
Central
Tel. +852 2815 5926