During my travel writing days, I was invited on an amazing junket to Isaan in Thailand’s north east. While region is the country’s poorest, there was a simplistic beauty about Isaan that has stayed with me since. The two week trip took us through desolate towns, vivid temples and lively markets on the shore of the Mekong river.

As the region borders Laos and Cambodia, the food is quite different from the Thai that we are used to. First of all, there are a lot of salads and soups, and most dishes are eaten with sticky rice (kao niao). The flavours are explosive and not only because it is spicy.

All the memories from my journey to Isaan came flooding back when I dined at House, the latest offering from the Spice I Am family. House looks like a cross between a bistro and a beer garden. While the setting works perfectly for the food, it is a little irritating to have to venture next door for drinks (there’s also no BYO, unlike the original).

The grilled dishes at House are outstanding and easily the staple here. The pork neck skewers (Moo Ping) are perfectly marinated and cooking by chargrill adds a smokey caramel flavour to the meat. The ox tongue (Ping Lin) is tender and fleshy pink in the middle, accompanied with a tangy dipping sauce. The grilled chicken (Gai Yang) isn’t as juicy and plump as pictured on the menu, however, the flavours are aromatic and nicely balanced.

Moo Ping $10

Ping Lin $10

Gai Yang $16

The salads are vibrant and fresh, although the flavours slightly one-note as they all share the same chilli and lime dressing. The Som Tum Thai is as tongue numbing as the original Spice I Am. Eating this at the start coats your tongue in throbbing chilli, a sensation that stays with you long after the meal is over.

The Yum Woon Zen, which combines vermicelli with pork mince, calamari, prawns and celery, is milder and features a nice sprinkling of ingredients. Meanwhile, the Yum Naam with steamed fermented pork sausage is an interesting take on what’s usually eaten plain with sticky rice.

Som Tum $7

Yum Naam - $12

Yum Woon Zen - $14

The soup selection also lack variety – the base in each dish is essentially the same (tom yum) so ordering two soups almost seems redundant. The flavour in the tom yum is more pungent and amplified than the Thai version. The Tom Yum Powng Kai with embryo eggs came highly recommended, but I found them very rubbery with no real texture or flavour at all. The Tom Nua Toun, a slow cooked beef spicy soup, is an easy favourite with its meltingly soft beef pieces.

Tom Yum Powng Kai $16

Tom Nua Toun $14

We finished off our meal with a slew of desserts, including the now famous BTS or ‘Better Than Sex’. This dessert features one thick sliced brioche deep fried and topped with a scoop of pandan ice cream and palm syrup. It is a really interesting combination and is strangely addictive. However, at $15, it’s not a cheap dessert.

The other two desserts on the menu – a shaved ice number with taro and ruby chestnuts and a simple ice cream sandwich combo – lack the drama and cheekiness of the BTS. They are nice desserts but no real wow factor to be seen.

BTS $15

Kati num kang dai $5

Bread and ice cream $5

I don’t immediately see Spice I Am fans taking a liking to House. Like Spice I Am’s restaurant in Darlinghurst, the menu is completely different to the original. House has a very limited offering when it comes to main dishes, however, dishes are under $18 which is an attractive price point for budget conscious diners.

Having been three times now, I’ve noticed that the serving sizes have gotten smaller as House gets busier (thanks to the string of positive publicity in all the key food review sections). On our last and most recent visit, our portion of Som Tum was only two thirds the size of our first visit and our BTS was pricier. We couldn’t help but feel a little ripped off, especially given our relatively positive experience during the first two visits. Let’s hope they introduce some consistency to their sizing and pricing, or they may struggle to find loyal customers.

House

House
202 Elizabeth St
Surry Hills
NSW 2010
# 02 9280 0364

Open daily from 12pm to 2am.