Thai Herb: The Gungahlin local legend that keeps people coming back

The words ‘suburban gem’ and ‘beloved neighbourhood spot’ get thrown around a lot. I throw them around a lot.

But how do you earn these sobriquets?

For me, it is a place where you feel comfortable and welcome, no matter what. It is where you can run in on a weeknight, in anything from trackies to a little black dress, and nobody bats an eyelid. It is where takeaway is the solution for a hard day and where an intimate celebration or a last-minute dinner can take place.

It is simply for the people who live nearby, who keep coming back because it is good.

Thai Herb in Harrison is that place. For a long time, friends in Gungahlin would mention it as their go-to and exalt its status as a local legend.

When you walk in, the first thing you notice isn’t the decor; it is the steady flow of takeaway bags lined up and ready for collection.

Amp Nakwirot, the manager, is in the thick of it, running the kind of tight and friendly ship where regulars are met with a hello and a smile. I checked the stats on Uber Eats, and they had a 4.8 score, which, based on my five minutes of research in the app, was the highest in the Gungahlin area.

“In winter, the split between takeaway and eat-in is almost even. People want the comfort of their own couch, but when it gets warmer, we see more faces at our tables, and we work hard to turn over available tables quickly so we can fit everyone in,” said Amp.

During my visit, what stood out was just how neighbourly it all genuinely felt. People arrived in all sorts of getups, work gear, gym clothes, and that after-school run look. It was nice to overhear a departing guest call out, “See you next week,” and Amp replied, “See you on Tuesday.”

The menu is what you expect from a suburban Thai restaurant: stir-fries, curries, salads, and noodles.

We had the thrice-cooked pork belly prik king. The skin is dried, oven-baked, deep-fried, and finally stir-fried with chilli, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, and green beans. We got a warning about the spice level (twice). Yes, it was spicy, but I enjoyed the ride. The pork is plump, and the fatty bits are satisfyingly chewy, while the crackling shatters. It is so filling that we had leftovers for lunch the next day. Amp told me their most popular dish is the milder crackling pork with Chinese broccoli, same textural delights but a gentler ride.

Since taking over management of the restaurant a couple of years ago, Amp has been quietly making adjustments. “My aim is to use really high-quality ingredients.”

“I recently swapped the regular scotch fillet for Wagyu in our nam tok beef, or, as some call it, Thai beef salad. It costs more, but it is better.”

Given the focus on quality ingredients, I was eager to try one of their specials.

Grilled lamb cutlets with somtum. Three fat, juicy cutlets came out, charred and sticky from the marinade. The papaya salad was fresh, but the lamb was the star, and with its caramelised edges, we couldn’t resist gnawing to the bone.

We ordered garlic rice to accompany the mains. Golden jasmine rice, stir-fried with so much garlic that it goes sweet, and truthfully, where has this been all my life? Why have plain rice when you can have glorious pungent vampire-repelling rice?

For dessert, on Amp’s suggestion, we finished with deep-fried ice cream. Not traditional, she laughs, but the owner’s favourite. What arrived was a brownie-like dome, with a puddle of salted caramel and a squirt of cream. I am not a dessert person, but it was fun and a fitting end to the meal.

Thai Herb is not trying to be anything it is not. It is simply a place that has been feeding its neighbours well for over a decade. For this inner-city dweller, it was worth the midweek trip down Flemington Road.

Thai Herb is located at 94/11 Wimmera St, Harrison. It’s open from 11 am to 10 pm six days a week (9:30 pm on Sunday).

Original Article published by Sophia Brady on Region Canberra.

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