Easy Tiger

Two months in and it has hit me. I hate Winter! It happens every year. At first I think 'oh the beautiful roasts and toasty fires, it will be so cosy' and then all of the sudden I have had enough. The cold weather, the flu, the potato, pasta and more potato...

Last night my neighbours Kate and Ausma and I decided to escape our babies and escape Winter, if only for a few hours. Our little holiday in our own city took us to Easy Tiger. Easy Tiger is a modern Asian diner on my favourite street for eating, Smith Street in Collingwood.

Other reviews I have read mention a lack of seating and as we hadn't made a reservation, I was concerned we wouldn't get a table, alas when we arrived it looked full but then the friendly guy at the door led us through the restaurant and into the toasty warm oasis that is the courtyard. The courtyard immediately transports you to Thailand with the bamboo, bonzai and a woodfire.

Now that I was on holiday, chilled sake in hand, it was meal time. Did someone say Son in Law Eggs? Everything on the menu sounds so delicious you really have no other choice than to share in order to taste as many dishes as you can.

We started with the delicious Son in Law eggs followed by mains of sweet pork, mandarin and cashew salad with lemongrass, coriander and mint, red curry of roasted duck with mangosteen and baby corn, steamed snapper in lemongrass & ginger broth with snake beans & roasted eschallots. The pork salad was my favourite with beautifully balanced flavours of sweet pork and sour dressing it was a perfect accompaniment to the curry which was a lot heavier with richer flavours. The steamed snapper was divine.

Easy Tiger isn't cheap, but it isn't overly priced just don't go expecting the same prices as your local Thai restaurant. The quality of the food and the service is spot on. The street food ranges from $4 to $15 and mains range from $25 to $35 dollars. We drank Payten Vignerons Pinot Noir at $48 with our mains. This was the cheapest red wine on the menu and worked very well with the food that we ordered so don't be afraid to order the cheapest wine on this occasion.

So, if you are a fan of Gingerboy and Longrain, you will soon become a fan of Easy Tiger. The only thing I would change would be to offer a few cheaper wines on the menu.

I will be back at Easy Tiger soon, it is too good to stay away. Next time I will take Nick because I think he could probably do with a little holiday too.