‘Blasting your senses’ is what Thai food means to me. Most Thai food blends sweet, sour, spicy, salty and bitter individual ingredients to create an explosion in your mouth. Thus, with high hopes for Lapis Thai, I set out to taste their food. Getting to the Lapis Thai Hunan Road branch requires a taxi (about 25-35 RMB) but it is also within the walking distance from the nearest metro station.

As I entered the restaurant, I was surprised by the decor of the space. It reminded me of an old Thai house with dark wooden furniture and floors. We sat on the balcony in our little private room which was cool from the winter wind.

It started out with appetizers, Papaya Salad (58 RMB), Starter Platter which consisted of shrimp cakes, chicken satay, spring rolls, fish cakes and thai samosas (110 RMB) and Chicken in Pandan Leaves (68 RMB) to share. The papaya salad was divine with the perfect mix of sour, spicy and sweet. It was one of the best papaya salads that I have ever tasted. I would also recommend the Spring Rolls which came as part of the Starter Platter. They also come in their own, larger portion at 58 RMB. Gooey vegetables were perfectly wrapped in the spring rolls’ thin crispy outer layer. The sweet sauce was also a great enhancement to the flavor of the dish.

Another dish I would like to recommend is the Tom Kha Gai, or Coconut Milk Soup with Chicken (38/78/108 RMB). Since it was one of my favourite Thai dishes, my expectations for it were really high. However, I was again pleasantly surprised by its quality. The chicken was spicy and creamy enough to qualify the dish as one of the best the restaurant could offer. Fried Chicken with Lemongrass (68 RMB) was another favorite of the table; the lemongrass was slightly muted in the dish, but the overall taste was good.

Drinks were also fantastic. I would highly recommend the Thai Iced Milk Tea (48 RMB) and Mango Smoothie (48 RMB). I think the usage of milk from China made the flavor stray a little bit from real Thai Iced Milk Tea, but it was still really good.

All in all, I really enjoyed myself in Lapis Thai. I would highly recommend anyone looking for good Thai food to go there. It might be slightly pricey so go with friends and have a lovely feast!

“Ratings”

Overall: 5 / 6 Price: 4 / 6 (Pricey for a college student’s budget but the good food makes up for it!) Food: 5 / 6 (Really good authentic Thai food.) Service: 6 / 6 (Fantastic service! With English speaking waiters.) Atmosphere: 5 / 6 (Very warm and inviting atmosphere.)

“Want to visit?”

Lapis Thai Phone: 5466 3026 Address: 285 Hunan Lu, near Wukang Lu (湖南路285号，进武康路) Hours: Dinner, 17:00-21:30 From mid-October onward, Lunch, 12:00-14:30 Price Range: RMB 80 - RMB 120 Nearest Metro Station(s): Changshu Road, Line 1

This article was written by Ng Meizhi. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Ng Meizhi