Authentic Thai Favorites at Sweet Chili Thai Fish and Noodle House

Who doesn't like Thai? I know I do! So when an opportunity comes to try some fabulous food, I know better than to miss it. Sweet Chili Thai Fish and Noodle House has just opened on July 26 to bring a carefully selected menu of fan favorites to the Manila food scene, and the man behind the resto has nothing but good things to say about his Thai food! According to Gerry Apolinario, the entrepreneur behind the famous Gerry's chain of restaurants, "The combination of sweet, sour, hot and salty flavors make Thai cuisine exotic and distinct. With its immense popularity, it is impossible not to find a Thai restaurant even in Western countries." To guarantee great tasting, authentic Thai dishes, Sweet Chili only uses the best possible ingredients. Gerry adds, "There are no shortcuts when your aim is to delight customers. We import some of our key ingredients so that you taste nothing but real Thai cuisine."

The Gerry's Grill team with Chef Kiat, the man behind the Thai food.

Curiouser and Curiouser

Located on the 2nd floor of Fisher Mall along Quezon Avenue in Quezon City, Sweet Chili Thai Fish and Noodle House simply offers delicious food graciously seasoned with traditional Thai seasonings like fish sauce, curry paste, coconut milk, chilies, pepper, lime, shallots and garlic. Not rocket science-- it's just Thai food. How faithfully they stick to nothing but traditional Thai comfort food takes the cake, though. Just take the Thai Lemon Iced Tea (Php 45) on the left, for instance. It's a mild yet sweetened glass of slow-brewed Thai tea leaves with a hint of lemon. The Thai tea isn't too strong the way I prefer it, but it's sweet and mild, a sip is like a young courtesan dancing on your tongue. /end poetic inclinations That's a drink. How about the actually food, you ask?

Bagoong Rice Php 185

I love Nama Nama's bagoong rice, to be honest. Actually, I like bagoong rice, period. I make some at home, and I used to order a huge portion of it at Eastwood City Cybermall's Nama Nama every chance I got back in 2012. So I already had high expectations.

Sweet Chili's Bagoong Rice struck me as a bit on the bland side, but for good reason. (Reason being customers are given a simple dish to work with, and they can make their food spicier, sweeter or whatever according to their preference.) A serving is really good for just one Kax, since I can eat for two people on a good day (which is kind of everyday), but the soothing flavors of bagoong, red onions and green mangoes give the dish a surprising punch that even just a spoonful can make a cynical man's heart grow larger.

Grilled Liempo Php 215

Personally, Sweet Chili's Grilled Liempo is not the restaurant's best offering. It tastes average, as in just like your average great tasting liempo (hellooo, Gerry's Grill!) What I particularly like, with this dish, is how perfectly grilled and yet juicy it is.

Kingfish with Mango Relish, Php 365

One of the more unique offerings on the menu, Sweet Chili's Kingfish is freshly fried until golden brown and served with one of three sauces: Red sauce - herbed sweet and sour sauce Mango relish - thai sauce with fresh green mango shreds and crushed peanuts 5 kind herbs - sweet and sour sauce with garlic and thai herbs

The Mango Relish is highly recommended!

Phad Thai with Egg Php 185

Very phat.

If you don't like eggs, shame on you, but you can order the plain phad thai for Php 175

My all-time favorite Thai dish: The Pad Thai! Sweet Chili's may not be the best one I've ever tasted, but it's still Pad Thai. Though a little on the bland side, seasoning it is easy because there are seasonings available to make the food suit my taste. Fresh ingredients, from the peanuts to the scrambled egg, make this dish worth a try. My only real gripe is that they served calamansi (Philippine lemon) instead of a wedge of lime.

Chicken Pandan Php 265

Holy smokes, the best chicken pandan ever! Sweet Chili's Chicken Pandan is a force to be reckoned with, ladies and germs. The sauce is home-made, specially seasoned to suit the Filipino taste buds. It goes well with the chicken, and yet anyone can just eat the chicken on its own! It's just brimming with the wonderful flavor of pandan leaves.

Ayotaya Special Noodles Php 185

Another unique dish, the Ayotaya Special Noodles is Thailand in a bowl. It is, it just really is! Perfectly cooked glass noodles submerged in perfectly seasoned soup-- what more can you ask for?

Seafood Tom Yum Php205

Sour, spicy and coconut-y! I've grown used to tom yum without the coconut milk, as well as to laksa with lots of coconut milk. Admittedly I was taken aback by the onslaught of flavors on my taste buds, but I warmed to it quite quickly. It's hearty, perfect for a rainy day.

Thako Php 85

Maja mais meets pandan-infused sago basically. And Sweet Chili's unique dessert is just divine. The shredded coconuts add texture to the creamy coconut, er, cream, and the pandan-infused sago are delightfully chewy. And it doesn't look like thakos are full of calories, so I think I can maintain my weight just eating these bite-sized portions everyday.

VERDICT

Don't want to sound biased, but Thai food is good!  I just wish the serving size was a bit bigger. Budget: ~Php200 per person Food: 3.5/5 Value: 5/5 Overall: 4/5 Sweet Chili Thai Fish & Noodle House Location: 2F Fisher Mall Quezon Ave. cor. Roosevelt Ave., Quezon City Business Hours: Mon - Sun 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM Facebook