Muum Maam

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  10      Service  9      Value  7     

Great to go to a restaurant in the inner east with as much legroom as this. Started with the salt and pepper calamari which wasn't the best I've ever had, a bit surprising because the ambience is 10/10 so I was expecting something mindblowing. The absence of my addiction, green chicken curry, was got around by having the green tofu curry which was excellent, still I missed my favourite Thai dish.

Our third dish was the pork belly which was a bit dry and chewy, was hoping for succulence beyond measure. The service was genuinely friendly so we loved that, and BYO was not a drama. Love the venue and the corridor to the toilet must be one of the swishest in Sydney!

May 19, 2012 

7.3 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  8     

Recommended: I have visited here numerous times. This is a nice side street location amidst a wine bar and new Italian (have tried neither).

The food is mostly good here, I would focus on the specials, as these tend to be the best choice. I've been mostly happy with all the dishes (though now having eaten here 10 times I've found some not to my real liking).

The service is quite nice and friendly with an open kitchen and communal table which can accommodate varying group sizes. The gelato is from that super place in King's Cross and it to die for (yes they charge a bit more but so what).

Overall, this is my fav Thai place in Sydney at the moment.

Apr 20, 2012 

6.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  4     

Went mid week, was not packed which is nice. Had the northern thai crispy noodle curry, a little on the sweet side. Had the night's special wok tossed beef it was tasty but I think the beef was not as fresh as it could be left an unpleasant beefy aftertaste but the spices and sauce used was good. Would like to visit again for more dishes. Management: the dessert is over-priced!

Jan 31, 2012 

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  9      Service  9      Value  7     

We visited at 8pm on a Friday evening just past. The place was abuzz with groups of diners, but not completely full. This didn't bother me.

Service was attentive and right on the spot from the moment we walked in the door. It was my first time to dine at Muum Maam.

The menu was complete without being vast. A good relevant selection of dishes without being overwhelming. Some familiar, some not so familiar. There was a separate dessert menu to boot.

We had the fried prawn and pork cakes in coconut for entree, crisp pork belly phrik khing chilli past and king prawn shredded banana blossom salad. All absolutely delicious dishes, and left us wanting for more.

Dessert was the Rubies, coconut jelly, sago, coconut and pandanus leaf sorbet. Divine. The only comment I would have about dessert is that I think the dishes are slightly overpriced, ranging from $9 to $12. $12 for banana fritters and a scoop of ice cream is pretty steep at a thai restaurant in Sydney. Chat Thai doesn't charge above the $8 mark for their most expensive desserts.

Will I be back, resoundingly the answer is yes. Would I recommend this better than average thai restaurant, yes again.

Dec 08, 2011 

10 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  10     

I booked a table for 10 for a small birthday dinner and everyone commented on how excellent this restaurant is. The food tasted fantastic, the lychee cocktail was amazing and the staff excellent. We we're running a bit late but staff were happy to hold our table and the service was excellent when we arrived. Not you're regular Thai food - which was a happy surprise!

Oct 19, 2011 

7 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  9      Value  5     

I've had my eye on this place since it opened, and having grown tired of Thai eateries in Newtown (albeit good) I was keen to try Thai with a twist.

On a rainy Saturday night we secured a table for 7:30, and was instantly greeted at the door and shown a table. My biggest criticism for Muum Maam is this isn't a place you could while away the night, the small table and stools for two felt a little like sitting at the kids table whilst the adults sat in real chairs at the bigger tables in the centre.

In any case, the menu is truly different from most Thai's. We started with soft shell crab which in parts tasted a little fishy, but the zingy dipping sauce that came with it was sour and tasty. The salt, pepper and chilli calamari didn't have any pepper, or chilli, so really it was fairly bland and desperately needed the tamarind sauce to go with it. They also set your cutlery to be just a spoon and fork, and some parts of the food they serve really needed a knife.

For mains, the grilled lemongrass chicken thighs were absolutely delicious, perfect BBQ food. But for the money, you get the one thigh fillet on a plate, and that is all. He had a sizzling plate of beef with chilli and peppercorn which tasted fresh, a little more akin to typical Sydney thai but saucy enough to mop up your rice.

The service was excellent and attentive and the restaurant full. My pet hate is having an entree and main and having my table turned in less than an hour, which is what happened here. I think it's just a Thai restaurant thing because it only ever happens in Thai restaurants. The buzz is great and the decor welcome from the concrete jungle of Holt St.

Nice, but I think I'd like to try it again on a quieter night with some more time to muse over.

Sep 24, 2011 

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  7     

What a find! Tucked away down Holt Street it was pleasing to see this place buzzing and almost full to the brim on a Monday night! The waitress hurried to open the door for us on approach and quickly escorted us to one of the last remaining tables (we had no booking). We requested the gluten free menu option which she quickly took us through, and then proceeded to rattle off about another five dishes on the specials menu that could also be adapted to be gluten free. My coeliac friend was in heaven.

The food came promptly and was sensational. The salt and pepper tofu and eggplant was light and crisp, the massaman osso buco to-die-for. We shared a green papaya salad and some soft shell crab, and still found room for some calamari and sticky rice shared between the four of us. Including a bottle of wine, we all left happy and satiated for only $40 each, which also covered a sizeable tip for the gracious and swift serving staff. We were coming up with reasons to visit again before we'd even left!

Aug 23, 2011 

8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  9      Service  7      Value  8     

Overall a super experience. Surry Hills lacks good quality, reasonably priced South East Asian (S.E.A.) Restaurants, whilst there is an abundance of top end S.E.A. restaurants (Red Lantern/Long grain) outside spice I am there is not much well priced S.E.A around.

Muum Maam changes all of the above, the look/feel/service are all great whilst also producing some wonderful dishes. The food was fresh and vibrant but the pork belly stir fry was the real standout, get there before this little known gem explodes!

Jul 11, 2011 

7.5 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  7     

This place is on the money and the food is getting better. We had a Thai New Year degustation. 6 courses and a glass of wine for $45. We could choose any wine from the menu which I like as usually the deal is one of the cheaper or house wines. They are on the money with the food and their duck larb was the star of the night. Hopefully it will join their regular menu.

Jul 07, 2011 - The restaurant managed our complaint satisfactorily and acknowledged they were experimenting with their portion sizes. They invited us to a complimentary lunch. We had their specials, a green chicken curry and stir-fried squid. Both were good and at $13 were good value also.

Mar 28, 2011 - We went for a mid-week meal here last night and left feeling fleeced. Again the food was good. The service has gone down somewhat from our previous visits. The worst was the cost. We ordered 3 dishes. The Asian vegetables and tofu was excellent and great value at $15. We then ordered from their "specials", banana flower salad with prawns and Crying Tiger beef. Together these were $53. There were 4 prawns in the tiny banana flower salad for about $27.

The same with the beef which was beef with raw cabbage, again about $27. I am happy to pay for great quality food (and it was), that has had time and effort put into it. The dishes were all plonked on our table at once within 10 minutes and then we were left to it. We really feel we were taken for a ride. I have lodged a complaint via email and if the response is not satisfactory we won't be back.

Mar 28, 2011 - Great service and knowledgeable staff. They really made an effort. Funky interior and great music. It was a really pleasant space.

We had an entree special which was caramelised pork, prawn and beef on orange and pineapple, very sweet and almost dessert-like. Didn't do it for me but the rest was great. The betel leaf entree was very good. Loved the salt and pepper tofu, perfectly cooked. Good value esp if you BYO.

Jul 07, 2011 

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  8     

Went here for dinner on Saturday night and was very impressed. The flavours are sensational. Had the Muum rolls for entree with Crying Tiger Beef and Chili Cashew Chicken for mains. All had sensational flavour and the right amount of kick in the chilli. A nice open room which wasn't too loud. Win.

Jun 20, 2011