Naga Thai

Naga is a colourful Thai restaurant at Eagle Street Pier from husband and wife team Andrew and Jaimee Baturo. Andrew is best known as the co-owner of the Dap & Co hospitality group, which operates The Gresham, Popolo and Walter’s Steakhouse. Naga is the second venue that the Baturos own together, after French-Vietnamese restaurant Libertine in Petrie Terrace.

Heading up Naga’s kitchen is talented Bangkok-born chef Suwisa Phoonsang, who cooked at Libertine for six years. The Baturos first thought about opening a Thai restaurant with Phoonsang years ago, and finally she’s cooking the food she grew up eating (many of the dishes at Naga are based on family recipes).

The menu is expansive. Smaller dishes include house-made milk buns stuffed with massaman beef; flower dim sims; and chargrilled lemongrass and coconut beef skewers. Larger dishes include Mekhong Thai whisky drunken noodles with marinated pork; chilli pork-belly stir-fry; and Moreton Bay bug pad thai. There are also a few dishes that originate from the northern and north-eastern regions of Thailand, such as chicken and coconut curry noodle soup; chargrilled pork-neck salad; and a DIY green-papaya salad.

Drinks are focused around creative cocktails. The wine list features a large amount of rosés and chillable lighter reds (perfectly suited for the summer); there are a few beers on tap (including the Naga Lager); plus some house-made iced teas that can be spiked with a spirit.

The former dark and moody Pony Dining space has been injected with pops of colour – inspired by the tropical fruits and vibrant produce found in Thai markets – by renowned interior designer Anna Spiro. The '70s-inspired fit-out has splashes of orange; beautiful teak-framed chairs with woven fabric; a colourful bookcase stacked with an eclectic line-up of Thai cookbooks, Lonely Planet travel guides and more; and a ceiling adorned with glowing white lanterns. (The playlist is suitably ’70s too.)