Surawong is to dubious Thai-Italian eateries what Nana is to dubious Thai-Indian eateries. So littered are the sidewalks with sandwich boards boasting pizzas and pad Thai that any self-respecting non-tourist would be at a total loss. It was only the relative attention to décor at Sip that lured us in: the concrete finish at the bar, the lack of garish fluorescent lighting. We were quickly disappointed that the cute front room was not air-conditioned and that the air-conditioned back room was dingy and largely filled with aging banquet furniture and the ghosts of diners past. The picture menu, too, is tri-polar with Thai stir-fries, Isaan salads and a few pasta dishes. And yet, despite the odds, things turn out well. Their poh piah tod (fried spring rolls, B80), while not glorious, are perfectly respectable—crispy, not greasy, on the outside and generously stuffed. Among the pastas, the spaghetti with surf clam and basil is surprisingly pleasant—the noodles suitably firm, the seafood fresh and the spice and seasoning needing no adjustments. And the khao pad gaeng keow wan (fried rice with green curry, B80/90) is almost a revelation, packed with flavor and color without being at all soggy or fraught with inedible herbs. The only major misfire, in our opinion, is the lemongrass salad, which is inedibly sour and spicy, but at least the lemongrass is fresh and bright. Oh, and the house red wine which, although cheap, tastes like super-chilled grape juice. To counter that, though, we must say that the service also belies our low expectations. On our last visit, our waiter was confident and helpful and made suggestions without ever becoming overbearing. He left us alone but seemed to always appear seconds before we needed him. So while we can’t say we’ll ever really push our way through the crowded sidewalks of Surawong to have a nice dinner at Sip, you might want to put this place on your lunchtime rotation if you work nearby.
