Nana Thai

169 Bourke St
Melbourne, VIC 3000
https://www.nanathaistylehotpotandbbq.com/

Dinner at Nana Thai was three attempts in the making. The first week I decided I didn’t want to line up outside in the sleety rain, and the second week I caught a cold (despite not having lined up outside in the sleety rain), but now we’re finally here. In the recent profusion of Thai restaurants in Melbourne, what makes Nana Thai stand out is that it was the first place to offer mookata – a hotpot and BBQ hybrid that I fell in love with instantly in Thailand. They really really tap into the street food thing here, with décor kept deliberately cheap and grungy, and even fake corrugated iron fencing and exposed wiring slung against the walls. But it’s not just empty threats; in addition to hot pot and BBQ, the menu is packed with a range of unapologetically authentic dishes, with an emphasis on the more rarely seen regional salads, in addition to all the usual suspects (and then some). What results is one of the most popular Thai places in town, packed with people who want a taste of Thailand without the travel price tag.

Rating: 14.5/20 – food and vibes on point.
Good to know: don’t be too intimidated by the line – it moves at a reasonable clip, and the restaurant actually has a much larger upstairs section.
Beware: the salads are automatically made with 5 chillis, which is described as ‘Thai medium hot’. so unless you’re thai or want your head blown off, make sure to request fewer – you can taste the heat even with 1 chilli!

The Mookata Set ($45) for two is an absolute steal, featuring two whole platters of meats, seafood, veggies, and carbs to sizzle and swish to your hearts’ content. The best way to go about it is to start by putting your meat on the dome to grill (make sure to grease it first with the piece of pork fat), and as it cooks, letting the juices run into the soup moat, so the veggies and noodles can soak up all the flavour.

Ok so let’s be honest here for a second – this is not the most gourmet of meals. The meat runs a bit scrappy, and the veggies are unlikely to impress. What this excels in however, is pure deliciousness. The fattiness of all the cuts of meat means that it is almost impossible to overcook, and ensures that each piece is full of flavour, especially the pork neck marinated in a sweet soy. Better still, all the fat and charred bits get right into the soup, which means an absolute umami-packed bowl of veggies and noodles at the end. It is communal interactive eating at its finest, and an absolutely joy-sparking experience.

There’s a saying in Chinese when you’re dazzled by choice – 眼花缭乱- which is to say that your eyes have become blurred and confused. That’s exactly how I felt about the salad menu here, which extends over a whopping 3 pages. I ended up falling back on a classic favourite Papaya Salad with Grilled Pork Neck ($19), which was predictably great. The coarsely shredded papaya was crunchy and fresh, pounded down with ample amounts of dried shrimp, tamarind, and palm sugar, forming a delectable balance of sour, tangy, savoury, and sweet. It was the perfect thing to accompany the fatty slices of pork neck.

I was thrilled when I saw they had Yum Nam Kao Tod ($18) – a crispy rice and pork sausage salad that I fell in love with in Sydney, but have since been unable to find. This stuff makes papaya salad look bland (sorry). It is packed with crunchy deep-fried rice, juxtaposed with fatty pieces of tangy fermented sausage, thin strips of chewy pork skin, all tossed with of chilli, onion, and spices. Give it a go – I promise it’ll be your new fave as well.