Mae Nam Khong
The northern thai, Laos flavours of Mae Nam Khong won't leave you dissappointed.
Overview
Should you find yourself out in New Lynn, and have that urge for some authentic Thai, then, look no further.
This cosy establishment offers New Lynn Thai fans another reason to smile, with the new owners creating a comprehensive, Northern Thai, Laos inspired menu. You could argue that they have gone a little far, almost providing too much selection (is that possible?). Regardless, we found ourselves out west on a freakishly cold winters evening, so we decided to export ourselves indoors to somewhere warmer and sample the new menu of Mae Nam Khong.
Greeted kindly by our waiting hosts, we started our Mae Nam Khong experience with the Money Bags for appetisers, which was a no brainer, complimented with some fresh spring rolls. All very delicious and consciously priced. Mains offered a wide range of curries (counted ten varieties), noodles, hot plates, range of specials and basically stocked all the standard thai dishes you would come to expect. While my fish main consisted of brilliant flavours and presentation (whole fish on a bed of veges and a tasty Thai sauce), I would probably go for the safety of a beef or chicken meal next time (heaven forbid a Pad Thai), but that was a result of my own personal preference. The main highlight was surprisingly the dessert. Opting for the Khao Niew Sangkhaya which consisted of sweetened black sticky rice and coconut milk, a warm Thai custard, served with sliced banana and ice-cream. Definitely, I repeat, definitely worth the dabble.
While not necessarily worth the drive all the way out west for us inner city folk, we would certainly recommend this place purely for it's honesty and effort should you find yourself in the heart of West Auckland. The northern thai, Laos flavours of Mae Nam Khong won't leave you dissappointed.