Last time I went to Longrain it was a long time ago and although I'd enjoyed the food, wasn't comfortable at our table as it was too low and the chairs too high so it wasn't too great an experience.
This time round we had a great table - round and with a lazy Susan built into it so it was very convivial. We ummed and aahed over banquet or no banquet but with different dietary requirements it soon became apparent that it was probably easier for everyone to pick a dish, share it and add some communal plates too!
So we ended up with:
- Filled eggnet, pork, prawns, peanuts, caramelised coconut
- Cone Bay barramundi, sawtooth coriander, hot & sour broth
- Crispy whole fish, chilli, tamarind, lime
- Stir fried Chinese broccoli, chilli, oyster sauce, fried garlic
- Salt & pepper silken tofu, fried eschalots, sweet soy
- Blue eye jungle curry
- Lamb shank massaman curry
- Caramelised pork hock, five spice, chilli vinegar
- Dry duck leg curry
My favourite was the barramundi and the coconutty broth it came in was just so tasty. The fish itself was delicate and soft and perfectly cooked.
Also worth a mention was the beautiful silken tofu that was tasty and just a lovely slippery texture. The filled eggnet looked impressive and was a cold dish which was a nice additional plate of food to have in a feast as it's light and refreshing but I think if it was one of only a few main course, it could be disappointing. Pork hock is always good and this version was better than Red Spice Road's offering in my opinion; mainly because it wasn't as heavily battered or fatty.
Service was friendly initially but as the place filled up, the wait staff seemed stretched so it became harder to catch someone to ask for refills of water, rice and we also wanted extra greens and tofu. It also took a while to be able to ask for the bill.
However the lack of service was forgiveable given we were able to get a table in the first place and the food was delicious. It was exactly what a team dinner should be about.