with its more relaxed vibe and quiet location in alwarpet, benjarong makes for a nice hideout to chill and have good thai food. benjarong prides itself on not using msg in any of their dishes and aims to serve authentic thai food, so you may find some dishes that you haven't seen in other thai restaurants. when the thai cravings come knocking, head down to benjarong for excellent tom yum soup, great thai green curry and spot-on service.
get your appetite going with the som tum, a green papaya salad tossed in a zesty, spicy, savoury dressing and topped with peanuts to provide crunch in mouth. you might find yourself munching it all up before you even realise.
you can't and won't go wrong ordering the classic tom yum goong soup - rich, spicy & flavourful prawn & mushroom broth, tender juicy prawn, sliced mushroom, fresh kaffir lime leaves and crushed red chili peppers. the tom yum goong soup here is tangy yet subtly sweet, and will kick your butt with its spiciness.
if you need a drink to quell the spiciness, their thai summer cooler will do the trick.
gai hor bai toey is a crowd pleaser as well, essentially a thai-style pandan wrapped chicken - juicy and packed with meat. put it your mouth, and wait for the party to begin; the flavours and textures are pretty damn amazing.
get the goong tod prik thai, which are deep fried, crusty, bite-sized, juicy prawn meat, paired with sweet chilli dipping sauce. the prawns are marinated properly in special aromatic spices, deep fried, massive, topped with tender green peppercorns, and not for the faint hearted.
do yourself a favour and get the steamed seabass in chilli lime. the pla nueng manow is fresh and steamed to perfection, and the gravy taste sour, spicy and salty, this is one feisty fish. it doesn't look like much, but the slow cooking packs in the moisture so you get soft, fresh fish that's perfectly cooked.
finally order the thai green curry with jasmine rice; the combination goes surprisingly well. the green curry chicken is aromatic and pleasantly lighter, so you can pair it with jasmine rice without feeling sick. the thai green curry is creamy & flavourful and goes exceedingly well with the accompanying thai jasmine rice.