New tow Anderson Street - Words by Stacey Carrick
Husband and wife team Miaye Sandar and Zinminyannaing Soe pride themselves on authentic Thai flavours with a modern twist at their newly opened Manoora restaurant.
“Our food is the real Thai style,” Miaye said. “It’s made fresh with our own recipes. We use local products, including all of our vegies and chillis. “We have a similar climate here in Cairns to the climate in Thailand, so it’s easy to grow good quality vegies that are fresh and tasty.”
Miaye said they had been very busy since first opening.
“We’ve had lots of repeat customers, people are excited and can’t wait to try our food,” she said. The couple operated a street stall in Phuket before moving to Cairns three years ago. Zinminyannaing said he grew up with a family who loved to cook and was taught by his father.
“I love cooking Thai food and it was my dream to become a chef,” he said. Zinminyannaing worked at various Thai restaurants in Cairns before fulfilling his dream to open his own restaurant in August. “I love making customers happy and I am happy to make food mild, medium or spicy at the customer’s request,” he said.
Zinminyannaing is hoping to increase the menu in the near future and would love people to try his food. Some of the most popular dishes so far include the cashew nut stir fry - sweet chilli paste and vegetables, topped with cashew nuts, with your choice of chicken, beef, pork, prawn or vegetarian; and the Thai larb salad, with ground chicken or pork mince, lime juice and fresh herbs. The chef’s specials are honey chicken, Thai style garlic pork or chicken and fried rice with crispy chicken. Thai Tea Time’s entrees have proven extremely popular, including dim sims, spring rolls, curry puffs and chicken satays. There are, of course, traditional curries - green, red, Panang and Massaman, and stirfries - oyster, chilli basil, sweet and sour and peanut, as well as Thai beef salad, papaya salad, Pad Thai and Pad Si Ew. Thai Boat Noodles have recently been added to the menu.
There is a range of sandwiches and burgers available if you feel like something different - ham, cheese and tomato toasties, bacon and egg sandwiches and burgers, lot burgers, crispy chicken burgers and chips. You are also welcome to drop in for a hot or cold beverage - Thai milk tea, Thai iced lemon tea, hot chocolate, iced chocolate, as well as traditional teas and coffees.
Thai Tea Time
Unit 14, 146-156 Anderson St, Manoora
4032 2056
Monday to Saturday 9am to 2pm and 5pm to 8.30pm.
