Sticky Rice

Tugun

Sticky Rice is a cool tropical-themed Thai restaurant and bar found up a concrete set of stairs in Tugun's main dining and shopping precinct.

Customers can take a seat in the main dining room, which features tropical palm murals, bamboo curtains, rattan light fittings hanging macrame plant baskets and a dark green banquette along one wall.

There is also an outdoor deck where there is more casual seating at white BBQ tables, which are shaded by umbrellas.

On the delicious menu, which is designed to share, are small plates such as satay chicken, Thai fish cakes, salt & pepper tempura calamari with chilli jam, fried garlic & fresh lime; fried eggplant & tofu (coconut-crusted with chilli jam & toasted sesame) or betel leaf (grilled prawns, coconut, peanuts & ginger with lime & coconut satay),

Large plates include Street BBQ chicken (charred marinated chicken thigh with papaya slaw, lime & house sweet chilli); Pad Cha prawns (prawns stir-fried with chilli herb paste, snake beans. onions & Thai herbs); and crispy pork belly (stir-fried with Chinese broccoli, garlic & oyster sauce).

Other mains include the likes of Yellow Curry with roasted eggplant, sweet potato, onion & fried shallots); pan fried salmon fillet with rich Panang curry & Kaffir lime leaves; or Som Tum (green papaya salad with cherry tomatoes, snake beans, chilli, garlic, peanuts & lime dressing).

There's also Pad Thai, Pad See Ew and Thai Fried Rice, and, for dessert, coconut lemongrass panna cotta, banana spring rolls, nutella roti, sticky rice with fresh mango and toasted coconut ice-cream (house made).

On the drinks menu are refreshing Thai-flavoured cocktails like coconut mojito; lychee spritz; Mekong Mule and Tomy Yum Collins; Tiger lager beer on tap, a concise eclectic wine list, and a mix of standard and boutique spirits as well as fresh young coconut, iced green tea with fresh lime and virgin pina colada.