Down Caldera Gardens in Dutugemunu street is WaysideThai cafe, a haven for authentic Thai food. The cafe is set up in the garden of the family home of the owners, and this sets an incredibly welcoming and homey vibe. When we first entered, we were not only greeted by the team but also Tigger the doggy - the latest addition to the Wayside family. They just celebrated their 2 year anniversary, and have absolutely loved their journey so far. The chef at Wayside is from Thailand, making sure they offer the most authentic flavours in all their dishes.
The food menu of the Wayside Thai Cafe is extensive, with a variety of rice, noodles, soups and side dishes to pair them with. They have vegetarian options as well as chicken, seafood, and beef. After 10 minutes of browsing, we ordered Vegetable Spring Rolls (Rs.450), Pad Thai Noodles with Stir Fried Beef (Rs.480), Fried Jasmine Rice with Prawn and Calamari (Rs.500) and Stir Fried Chicken with Cashew (Rs.800).
Our appetizer, Vegetable Spring Rolls were served sizzling hot with a Thai Sweet Sauce which is made in-house. We got 4 rolls for the price of Rs.450 which was not too bad. The rolls were perfectly crunchy and the filling was soft and bursting with flavour. Overall, they were wonderful and it was the perfect start for dinner. Bonus points for the Thai Sweet Sauce - it's simply the BEST you can find. A side note worth mentioning, all sauces are homemade and their spicy kochchi sauce can be ordered only through Uber.
Afterwards, we were served giant portions of Pad Thai, Jasmine Fried Rice, Stir Fried Chicken and Cashew on the side. All three dishes were loaded and worth every rupee. The Pad Thai was served with crushed peanuts, chile flakes and a wedge of lime. The noodles were evenly cooked and almost every bite came with chunks of well-cooked beef and crunchy cabbage. It maintained the perfect balance of flavours that made the best Pad Thai we have ever tasted.
The Fried Jasmine Rice with Prawn and Calamari was an unbelievably large portion of soft, steaming, flavoured rice mixed with perfectly cooked seafood. The portions, which served with slices of cucumber, were extremely generous. The first mouthful of rice completely blew us away with the perfect authentic thai flavour. The Stir Fried Chicken was the best companion for the rice because the mild flavour of the rice and the richness of the stir fry was a very good combination.
The stir fry was again a generous portion that was comfortable enough for two. The chicken and the cashew was cooked in a thick and rich sauce. It was not too spicy but was packed with a lot of flavour. This is definitely a must have when you visit the Wayside Thai Cafe.
Dessert was a bowl of Sticky Rice with Mango (Rs.500). It was a delicious deal of sticky, creamy and milky goodness with the sweetness of well ripened mangoes. One bowl is meant to be shared by two because it is quite filling. The mangos and the sweet and sticky rice was the perfect sign off for a delicious evening.
Why you should visit them:
Suggestions: The music at the cafe was a definite area for improvement
P.S. They are BYOB so don’t forget to pick up a bottle of wine to set the mood! The cafe is perfect for dates or intimate family dinners. They have a space downstairs which is ideal for large groups or friends.
