Featured, Food, Restaurants, Reviews

Restaurant Review: The Humble Thai is a proud contender in the Newcastle food scene

April 9, 2024

Every weekend, my family and I treat ourselves to some of the best food our city has to offer. Lucky for us, Newcastle has a booming and thriving food scene – one that will delight anyone’s palette and preference on any given day. Last weekend, we were craving for some authentic Thai food and had a look around. I remembered The Humble Thai because we frequent its sister restaurant, the Grateful Thai, at Charlestown square and knew we had to try it out as well.

Quick bites:

Price: $
Reservations: No need for reservation, but you can call ahead for your order
Parking and Location: Street parking, convenient location, easy to find
Drink list: Wine and some spirits, Thai drinks, standard drinks
Wifi: No wifi
Hygiene: Overall clean and toilets available
Menu options: Gluten free and vegetarian
Are you going home hungry?: Absolutely not!

When it comes to cuisines, Thai food in Newcastle doesn’t fall short. I’ve mentioned in a previous review that one of the most loved cuisines here is Thai – and for good reason. Having said that, The Humble Thai is one of those Newcastle Thai restaurants I keep on hearing about, so we were really excited to try it for ourselves.

As I have learned, The Humble Thai comes from humble beginnings. This family owned business has been serving Newcastle locals for some years now, and is run by husband and wife team, Nikki and Wirat, with operations also managed by her sister, Ning. The duo has been in the food industry for over 10 years and Humble Thai is their first baby born out of this love of food. To date, they have now opened two more restaurants – The Grateful Thai and Oh My Papa – all three in the Newcastle area.

The Humble Thai sits on the tail end of King Street in the city’s center, a few blocks away from Newcastle beach. The muted green walls stand out amongst the beige and red buildings, and it feels warm, cosy, and inviting just by looking at it. As I entered the place, I was greeted with warm smiles and friendly hellos – a great start to a lovely afternoon. The place itself is quite small and fits around 50 people. What it lacks in space, though, makes up for its vibe and ambiance – it’s charming and quaint, with bright white walls playing with the sun’s light. It’s a perfect place to have a family day or friends’ lunch.

Let's talk food 🍲

Corn Pop, $10.90

Vegetable Curry Puffs, $10.90

Grandma’s Chicken Wings, $12.90

Appetizers:

The menu was extensive and unique in its own way. There were a lot of authentic Thai dishes mixed with some fusion dishes like the Seafood Humble Pasta – consider me intrigued! In the end, we stuck with what we knew and managed to narrow down the ordered items.

To whet the appetite, we started with a few appetizers:

The Vegetable Curry Puff: My husband absolutely loved and smashed this curry puff. It is almost mandatory for him to get curry puffs everytime it’s in the menu and this was so delicious. Flavors had depth and every bite was satisfying.

Next was the Corn Pop, which was a delightful surprise – for good reason! I’ve never had corn pops made this way before – every bite felt like a symphony of textures. From the crunchy coating to the melt-in-your-mouth corn filling. There were five pieces in each serving size and my two year old ate three of them! Smashed it.

Lastly, we had the Grandmas’ Chicken wings. I’m embarrassed to say we gobbled this down as soon as it hit our table! Crunchy, juicy, and with a unique flavor profile that comes from its curry paste and fish sauce marinade. This one was easy to finish.

Mains:

Royal Siam Curry Beef, $24.90

This dish feels like home to me – it’s one of those dishes that everyone has a rendition of. It reminds me of how we cook our Filipino Beef Stew but this time with curry paste. The lemongrass stands out in the flavour but the real star of the show was the tender, delicate beef that unraveled with every bite. Rice is a must when eating this dish! It’s perfect for the colder days, too, due to its low level heat and spiciness.

Pineapple Fried Rice, $25.90

Who doesn’t love a classic dish? This fried rice is known for its sweet taste thanks to the pineapple, and is satisfying with every spoonful.

Chicken Stir Fry with Oyster Sauce, $18.90

Another banger of a classic! Chicken strips with Mushroom, Chinese broccoli, garlic, baby corn, and broccoli. Can’t lose with this one. All the flavors we love, which hits the spot every time.

Dessert:

For dessert, we just had to taste their version of Mango sticky rice. It’s made up of Butterfly pea flower, sweet sticky rice, and mango sorbet, which they have a GF option for. The presentation was so beautiful, I didn’t want to mix it up! The sticky rice wasn’t too overwhelmingly sweet and complements perfectly with the sorbet and mangoes. We then ended it with the Thai Milk Tea, as I personally love this! The serving size is generous, which I appreciated, and the flavour was so yummy. Perfect way to end a great, scrumptious meal.

Mango Tango, $11.90

Thai Iced Tea with Milk (Cha Yen), $7.90

Should you go here?

Is it worth going to? Absolutely. The restaurant is a local favourite and after spending the afternoon here, I’m keen on going back for more. Make sure to arrive hungry!