SugarCane Thai Restaurant

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  8     

We have been to Sugarcane at least five times in the past few months and it is always consistently good. The food is authentic, fresh, tasty and beautifully presented and the service is superb. Family owned and run, it's become a real favourite now that we have moved into this area. Bookings are generally easy to get but as it gets more popular, it might be best to book ahead.

Mar 07, 2012 

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  8     

The fish cakes are just fabulous, the texture is spongy and firm with blended fish, green beans, red curry paste and lime leaf the flavours are punchy and work well.

All the dishes are served on different colourful plates with fresh salads and great dipping sauces, we are all double dipping without any shame! They are so delicious!

The chicken satay is some seriously generous skewered thigh fillet, it’s a man size satay topped with a fantastic satay sauce, I once bought a jar of satay sauce and all it tasted of was vinegar and sucked! This was definitely homemade and so good we made sure we got an extra serve with the lovely roti bread.

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Dec 18, 2011 

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  10      Value  8     

We dined as two couples and came on a Saturday evening at about 9 pm. They were very accommodating and the restaurant was quite full. I had a calamari salad which was very tasty, and my husband had a curry which was mild and sweet. We also shared a bottle of red wine and it was great. It came to about $30 each for the main, a bottle of wine and rice. Would recommend.

Jul 03, 2011 

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  9      Service  8      Value  7     

Good, tasty and quite authentic Thai food. Curries are good, though not excellent. The whole fish, whether fried or grilled, are very good. Coconut rice is fantastic. Nice ambience and friendly service. If going as a big group and sitting upstairs they are very helpful but the service is slow (which can be either good or bad depending on the party). Sugarcane is a little pricey, but one can't expect too much less in South Melbourne/Albert Park. Well worth a visit.

Oct 22, 2009 

6.8 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  6     

We have been here a couple of times, and pretty much every time we have ended up ordering either a whole fish to share or one each (depending on what's around at the time). The fish has always been delicious, however, last time it was slightly underdone, but this was very quickly fixed. They even offered us a whole new fish even though we'd gotten about half way through the original one!

We declined of course, as it wasn't necessary. They have got some good whites on their list too. Some of the other reviewers are correct, this is not your usual cheap Thai restaurant, but it is nice and worth going to.

Feb 28, 2009 

5.3 Average

Food  4      Ambience  7      Service  6      Value  4     

Have to agree with the disappointed. Had dinner there several times a few years ago before relocating to Sydney myself. Came back there with my mates who deeply love Thai food last week and wondering if the chef has been chenged.

At first we have ordered the classic mixed-entree for 4, the satay was ok, not the best sauce tho, used to be much much better a few year ago. Spring rolls tasted great yet too small. One of my mate had a bowl of Tom Yam Goong, it was reasonable.

Our main dish were curries. I must say, I had the best green curry there before a few years ago, where is the old curry chef?! But the last week curries were shocking, my mate ordered Massamun Beef and the curry sauce like the pure tamarine sauce! My green curry was ok but I had the best there before and hell yes, I expected the same best at the same restaurant! Pad thai was reasonable.

The service ain't bad, but didn't compensate much with the disappointment with the curries. Do something with the curries chef mate, get the old one back or hiring the better one.

Nov 29, 2008 

9.8 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  10      Service  9      Value  10     

What a uniquie litle restaurant!! What a surprise to see a busy restaurant with lot's of colour and vibe. Food was spot on, had the Duck Curry and some of the special entree's which were fresh and clean. Toilets were very clean which is always a bonus. Great value fo money and big servings!! Must try.

Oct 29, 2008 

10 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  10     

I can't believe the last two reviews. Are they serious? My recent visit was nothing like they describe and I reckon just because a place does not conform to your unreasonable or outmoded expectations, it does not mean you have to dump on it. This is the problem with this type of website, people think they can be Gordon but lack objectivity.

I found the servings quite reasonable in size. I also had the Tom Yum Prawns and it was $10, not $17 as the other reviewer said. What is she talking about?? I agree with the last review, as the food could have had more chilli, but unlike him/her, I simply asked the waiting staff. No big deal, get over yourself. And as for the price and value thing, it is probably one of the more reasonably priced restaurant in the City of Port Philip. This last review needs to remember to be more balanced and have both Ying and Yang. Peace Out!!

Oct 10, 2008 

5 Average

Food  5      Ambience  7      Service  6      Value  2     

Unfortunately, I disagree with the favourable reviews of this ‘Thai’ restaurant. Anyone who has spent reasonable periods of time in Thailand or Thai Restaurants will quickly realise this is a far cry from authentic Thai food, rather an attempt at ‘modern Thai’ cuisine that fails to deliver on either front. Looking over the menu, one finds the usual mainstream favourites and not much else. Obviously Tom Yam is a great benchmark to start with, and in addition to this I consider Gai Pad Grapao and the Gaeng Keow Wan as a good litmus test for Thai cuisine.

The Tom Yam Goong came out in a small sized bowl, filled less than half way. The smallest serve I have received in any of Melbourne’s Thai restaurants, period. Similarly, the Green Curry was a miniscule serving, and not as good as 90% of those elsewhere. It’s possible to suppose that the establishment are targeting individual ordering rather than a banquet type arrangement, but given the exorbitant pricing (in the context of Thai food up to $20 per dish is exorbitant) one expects servings in proportion.

My favourite dish, Gai Pad Grapao, was so far removed from the original that it was barely recognisable and was simply another chicken and veggie stir-fry. Oh and can someone please pass the chilli, I’m in danger of falling asleep at the table.
Service was slow but forgivable. Décor and ambience are nice and the bathrooms are wonderfully clean and fresh. You can eat better Thai food 3 nights in a row at places like Ying Thai (1 or 2) for the same price as 1 night at Sugarcane.

Feb 26, 2008 

5 Average

Food  5      Ambience  6      Service  6      Value  3     

I went there based on the reviews below & was so disappointed. The food was average & the servings were pitiful. I paid $17 for a cup full of tom yum goong served in a big bowl.

Feb 25, 2008