"Elegant, fragrant and spicy are the words to describe the food served by Saowanee de Glanville who hails from Phuket. Paw paw salad is a hot fiery authentic dish on the comprehensive menu and there is a good selection of traditional dishes". Sunday Times Magazine (STM)

".... is worth more than just a try: the food, like Phuket, is seductive enough to make repeat visits highly likely".
The West Australian,Gavin Simpson, Dining Out.

Fire and Flavour from Phuket

The West Australian,Dining Out Review, May 29, 2002 by Gavin Simpson - Rating 15/20 "on the boil to red hot".

When Saowanee de Glanville came to Perth from Thailand's, island paradise of Phuket 33 years ago she could find only one shop that sold Asian food supplies.

So she set to work pounding and mixing her own ingredients and teaching herself to cook the deliciously spicy food cooked by her family. That experience has stood her in good stead over the years, firstly with a catering business and now with her own restaurant, Saowanee's place.

She picked the name, she says with a shy, laugh, because her friends so enjoyed her food that they would always be saying, "Let's go to Saowanee's place".The food in her elegant little North Perth restaurant is a joy to eat, fragrant and spicy with more than a touch of fire in some of the dishes.

Saowanee presents her food in true Thai style not watered down into a Westernised version. Food from Phuket, particularly the curries, she says, is hotter and spicier than from other parts of the country. She is happy, however, to tone down the heat.

One of her favourite dishes, where it is wise to ask for the milder version, is a memorable paw paw salad. Grated green paw paw is mixed with prawns, roasted peanuts, lime juice, palm sugar, snake beans and a fiery dousing of chilli. The first time we tried it we were left gasping but the second time we asked for a milder version which had all the flavour without the heat.

There is no shortage of choice on Saowanee's menu, with all the Thai favourites and some additions such as a Burmese-influenced version of roti bread with curried chicken or beef.

Entrees include light, delicate and decidedly non-rubbery fish cakes, delicious wontons, spring rolls and chicken satays with a mellow Thai-style sauce. There is also a good selection of spicy tom yum soups and chicken, prawn and beef salads. Main courses include stir fries, noodle and fried rice dishes with prawns, beef, chicken and vegetarian combinations. There is also a deliciously savoury Thai-style omelette.

Of the curries, there are the traditional green and red versions with prawn, chicken, beef or fish and a panang version which incorporates a smooth-tasting red peanutty sauce. The moist and tender chunks of beef smothered in a mildly spicy sweet and sour Massaman sauce are also well worth trying.

Saowanee is considering adding even more dishes to the menu, some from Burma. Her own Thai favourite is a sour bamboo shoot curry with fish but she's not sure about how Westerners would react to its pungent fish sauce aroma.

"Saowanee's Place itself is worth more than just a try: the food, like Phuket, is seductive enough to make repeat visits highly likely." Gavin Simpson, Dining Out, (The West Australian, May 29, 2002)