Oh, the Good Thief again??? Hasn't it only been a little over a month? Well, Mijune was invited to try the place out and seeing that she was wanting me to join her, I just couldn't say no. Besides, my first visit was pretty good, so I was looking forward in trying the rest of the menu (despite me already ordering a lot of dishes already the first time!). If I have to remind everyone, the Good Thief is the 2nd restaurant from the owners of Anh & Chi, which is next door.
One of the most impressive things about my initial visit was their vast and unique cocktail menu. Therefore, we got a few including the Six Inch Yellow, Pom Pom Punch and Phở Dặc Biệt. I've had the Pom Pom before (so read it in the previous post) while the Six Inch Yellow was something completely different. Although it was fruity and refreshing like the Pom Pom, it was also more bold due to the Chartreuse and Rye. To top it off, the spicy foam really provided a kick. As for the Phở Dặc Biệt, it really did taste like the broth and the usual flavourings, including a star anise finish. Strangely, they were able to emulate the subtle flavour of rice noodles. This was a rather savoury and heavy cocktail, where the pickled bean sprouts was definitely needed to provide balance.
Onto the food, we had the Oysters first and despite not looking like much, they were fantastic! These sunseekers were topped with a coconut chili foam which was super impactful, light and aromatic. Of course there was a bite to them too, but just enough, so that the sweet brininess of the liquor came through. We also had the Whelk atop crispy forbidden rice. This was a study of textures with the tender, yet chewy whelk contrasting with the crunch of the rice. Even though the rice looked heavy, it was actually soft and airy on the inside. The combination of sauces as well as the Vietnamese coriander allowed for tangy, sweet and herbaceousness.
Believe it or not, I've not actually had Balut before. Well, given that they have the quail's egg version on the menu, it was as good as any other time to take the dive. Besides being firmer, these resembled boiled eggs but just with a bit more egginess and/or gaminess. Sitting in a spicy tamarind sauce, it did add plenty of impact and lessened the egginess. To top it all, literally and figuratively, we found rau răm that provided an unmistakable coriander essence as well as a level of mustiness. Some peanuts added crunch and of course nuttiness.
To lighten things up a bit, we got the Pomelo & Lotus Root. It was truly refreshing with the pops of sweetness and bitterness from the pomelo and also the saltines from the crunchy cured lotus root. With mint and coriander, there was no shortage of herbal notes either. What brought it all together was the calamansi vinaigrette as it offered up the usual tart citrus flavours. Perfect to go with our drinks, the Charcoal Skewers featuring lamb and pork were smoky and perfectly grilled. Due to the char, there was some nuttiness and caramelization. Some flakes of salt helped bring out the natural meat flavours. Inside, the meat was tender and juicy.
I think my favourite small plate had to be the Frog Legs in Mẹ’s fish sauce glaze. Everyone seems to want to do chicken wings in some form of fish sauce caramel these days, but by virtue of using frog legs, this became a very different, yet familiar dish. Sure, frog legs do resemble chicken but they do taste different. There is a certain fishiness to them without actually being fishy. The ones here were mild-tasting while super tender. Outside, they were crispy and complete glazed. The intense sweet brininess was addictive and we really couldn't stop eating these!
One featured item that we tried was the Charcoal-Grilled Octopus with kaffir lime and paprika atop jicama, Asian pear and radicchio salad. Since the octopus was sous-vide first, its texture was tender while still retaining a bit of chew. The caramelized fish sauce glaze was sweet and briny while completely charred by the grilling. Hence there was intense smokiness and caramel notes. The salad underneath was the perfect accompaniment since it added freshness and crunch.
So far, the meal was going swimmingly and those cocktails, so good! However, the Escargots was the most ordinary of the dishes we had. It wasn't bad, but just didn't compare well with the rest. It was prepared like a vol-au-vent with a puff pastry shell. Well, the menu description was "Bánh Patê Sô" which is a pasty pie, but really, it was a vol-au-vent. The escargots were prepared with brandy, garlic, chili oil and butter. This was plenty aromatic, yet somehow, it was a bit underseasoned. Again, nothing wrong with the dish, just the least impactful.
One dish I was eyeing the last time, but didn't end up ordering, was the Winter Squash. Fortunately, we got to try it this time and man, it was delicious! The delicata squash was perfectly roasted where it was sweet and caramelized while not being mushy. It had the essence of five-spice and completely complimented by the Thai red curry. The combination of aromatics, spice and creaminess really elevated the dish. Add in the firm radicchio and we had some textural contrast.
One dish I absolutely loved and wanted to have again was the Oxtail. They took all the trouble out of eating oxtail by shredding the meat and reforming it with caul fat. The result was a tender fall apart meat with its usual gelatinous and fatty texture. The pho demi-glace was so rich and silky with star anise notes. This time around, the carrots were roasted, which made them more flavourful and texturally-appealing. The confit daikon was tender while the carrot puree provided creamy earthy sweetness to go with the demi-glace.
Last time, I had ordered the steak, but was indifferent about it. Well, they have changed it to a AAA Striploin (instead of sliced ribeye) with bone marrow butter, Sauce a la Royale and pho chimichurri. Prepared perfectly medium-rare, the meat was juicy and well-rested. The meat was tender with appealing meatiness. It was well-seasoned while paired well with the chimichurri. It had the pho herbs going on there with brightness and pungency. The sauce a la royale was rich and possibly a little over-reduced being a bit salty.
As a treat of sorts, we were served another off-menu item in the Smoked Beef Rib with sweet & sour glaze and palm sugar. The meat on the bone was like candy being sweet and sticky. It was super tender while still maintaining a gelatinous meat quality. Nice smokiness in smell and taste. On the side, we had the Pomme Frites with Thai green chili aioli. Unlike the last time, the large frites were uniformly crispy with soft potato inside. Nice aroma from the fried curry leaves.
Our first dessert was something mysterious in the Forbidden Rice Pudding. The rice was hidden underneath a coconut yogurt gelee disc. About that disc, it was a bit too firm for our liking and although aromatic, was somewhat bland. I loved the rice underneath as it had an al dente chew and some sweetness. The best part was the toasted rice ice cream as it certainly lived up to its billing. Aromatic and nutty, the ice cream was also just sweet enough.
The second dessert was something I've had before in the Mung Bean. If I needed a word to describe this dessert, it would be interesting. It sat on a base of almondine cake which was moist and quite good. The mung bean on top was rather heavy and with condensed milk, this ate pretty sweet. I think this needs have something else in terms of texture to give some contrast. Overall, this was another great meal at the Good Thief. I got to try all of the small plates and the majority were excellent. The cocktails were great just like the previous meal. I believe the Good Thief should be on anyone's list who want to grab some drinks with some delicious food to go with it.
*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*
The Good:
- Large cocktail menu that is truly unique
- Great little bites
- Excellent service
The Bad:
- Of course the menu is a work in progress, but things that need tweaks are already changing
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