PingPong Asian
Newstead
PingPong Asian brings Thai street food with a creative twist and luscious cocktails to its funky hot pink restaurant bar in Newstead's Gasworks plaza.
A cloud of coloured spherical lights hover above diners in the stunning split level venue, which also features a secret green jungle room out back.
The lamp-lit jungle room, which is tucked away on the mezzanine level, provides a retreat from the bustling bright pink room below, and features curved green booths, carved monkey statues and is festooned with plants and greenery. Diners can also take a seat at the bar or on the garden terrace adjacent to the spectacular gas ring.
The menu is a match for the decor, with its bold creative flavours that extend beyond the borders of Thailand. For starters there's raw plates like natural oysters with green chilli nam jim or beef tartare with kaffir lime, lemongrass, chilli, mint, coriander and rice snacks. Hot snacks include the likes of betel leaf wrapped caramelized pork belly, peanut, coconut and pomelo, turmeric chicken satays with brioche bread or Yum Khao Tod (crispy rice, chicken mince, chilli, coriander, mint, lemnongrass, lime, peanut and lettuce).
Also highly recommended are the panko mushroom bao (with lettuce and truffle kewpie) or the sriracha and honey chicken bao. Standouts from the hot large dishes include grilled Moreton Bay bugs with chu chee sauce and kaffir lime leaf, charcoal OP rib on the bone whilst delicious salads include coconut poached chicken with banana blossom, pomelo and chilli jam or green papaya salad.
PingPong offers the usual range of Thai curries, taken to the next level, with the melt-in-the-mouth Massaman curry (beef cheek, macadamia, cinnamon, baby potato and coconut) a must-try. There's also a small selection of rice and noodles, including a delectable Pad Thai and drunken wagyu mince fried rice.
This is one Thai restaurant where you'll want to leave room for dessert, with the likes of Thai tea ice-cream sundae, peanut parfait or chocolate and sago mousse on offer. And if, after reading the menu it all sounds too hard to choose, then you can order a 'Feed Me Now' banquet of 8 courses ($50pp, min of 4 pax) or 'Me So Hungry' - 12 courses ($65pp, min 4 pax).
Cocktails at PingPong are a popular accompaniment, with seasonal slushies, Ping Pong colada, blueberry and ginger slings going down a treat with the food. The wine list includes a selection of drops from Austria, NZ, France and Australia and champagne including Roederer Cristal. There's also liqueurs like Mozart Dry or Dark Chocolate and Paradiso lychee and, at any time of day or night, you can enjoy a cup of 5 Senses Coffee or green tea.
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