Thai Chi

Two restaurants – Thai and Chinese – have come together under one roof at Tai Chi, both with their own distinct interior 3 Reviews

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Two restaurants – Thai and Chinese – have come together under one roof at Tai Chi, both with their own distinct interior: bamboo decoration for the casual Chinese area and a more formal, traditional setting for the Thai dining room. We asserted our food rebel credentials and ordered Thai food in the Chinese area.

A decent platter of starters featuring salmon spring rolls, fish cakes and chicken wrapped in pandan leaves got the mood going, but my glass noodle salad clamoured to be the centre of attention. The raw chilli spice counterbalanced by the zesty limejuice made this salad of prawns, squid, mushrooms and glass noodles a beautiful example of the Thai art of balancing different tastes and textures.

The grilled halowayoo with exotic herbs that which arrived for my main course was sadly overcooked and dry. No flavour was imparted by the stuffing, comprising whole stalks of lemongrass, and not even the spicy chilli and lime sauce on the side could do anything to redeem this dish. Seeking a chilli-light Thai curry, we also gave the southern-style beef massaman with potatoes and peanuts a go. While slightly heavy on the five-spice the dish was also sweet, a nice alternative to the fiery heat of green curry.

Our Tai Chi excitement returned with our stir fried crab, twinned with yellow curry sauce and scrambled eggs. A whole crab roughly chopped in a sweet and spicy curry, it kept us coming back for more until the shell was bare and our fingers satisfyingly filthy. We wrapped up with Thai mango and sticky coconut rice pudding, another lick-the-plate-clean winner.

• Previous reviews
  • 30 March,2009- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
  • 26 March,2008- reviewed by Jeremy Lawrence
  • 12 March,2007- reviewed by Time Out Dubai Staff
  • 30 April,2006- reviewed by Time Out Dubai
  • 30 January,2006- reviewed by Matthew Lee
  • 01 July,2004- reviewed by Rob Orchard
  • 01 August,2002- reviewed by Carolyn Robb
  • 01 May,2002- reviewed by Carolyn Robb

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