Spice I Am

I’ve been going to the city for 2 decades and this is the first time I’ve ever tried this place and it definitely did not disappoint. The crispy pork belly with rice is a must try because their sauce really elevates the flavour without distracting you from the crispy pork. The only thing preventing it from Being 5/5 was the price and the portion size didn’t feel correct.

This place is amazing! We came here two years ago when we were visiting and have been talking about it since. We came for lunch again today and had a delicious meal with great service. We live in Thailand and I can confidently say that this place is authentic and legit!

SPICE I AM (90 Wentworth Avenue Surry Hills) has been a staple for the past 20 years, and it's no wonder why! Their outstanding Thai cuisine is served with perfectly balanced spices that leave your taste buds dancing. During a Wednesday lunch with two friends, we ended up enjoying a leisurely 2.5-hour sitting, unexpected (due to the popularity) but appreciated! The choice between the lunch and dinner menus gave us the flexibility to splurge on the larger portion dinner options. We started with the Tom Kha Gai, which was truly outstanding. (Up there with the best) For mains, we indulged in Pad Kratiem Anchovies, with prawns. Then the Pad Prik King chicken, and the Roasted Duck Curry – each dish bursting with flavour. Despite the casual seating on stools, the food at SPICE I AM, truly makes the experience enjoyable. Dishes were not that inexpensive (based on the dinner menu), however undoubtedly worth it based on the quality and larger portions. Staff were great. For a quick fix, the limited lunch menu offers exceptional value for a quality feed. BYO is a bonus. No bookings so get there early. SPICE I AM is a must-visit for any Thai food enthusiast looking for a delicious culinary experience.

Service and atmosphere were good. The flavour of the food is fine not outstanding. The servings are very small. Among other things we had a whole snapper which was so tiny we felt terrible for the poor little fish that should have been thrown back in. Do not order the fish!

Excellent Prawn Phad Thai! Traditional stir fried thin rice noodle with prawns, egg, bean sprouts, crushed peanut, garlic chives and tofu with lemon jest...I'll order Pork Pad Prik Pao next time as I enjoyed it very much the last time I visited earlier last June.

Actually, I often pass through this area, but this restaurant is too dark to be recognized. The food is delicious and the service is good, and for the price in this city area, it’s relatively cheap and the portions are generous. I chose the vegetarian option for pad thai because I don’t eat meat until Easter. And there are plenty of vegetables too.

Food was alright but the service was terrible. We just finished our meal and just wanted to chill a bit and finish drinking our water. However, the waitress quickly came over to our table and provided us with the bill prompting us to pay so they could get us out as quickly as possible. Rude! We wont be coming back!

You know something is good when you crave a particular dish from a particular place. I love stopping by here after work, or on the weekend with friends. In fact I’ll find any excuse to dine here because it is SO good. I’ve been over 10 times this year. It’s reliable, tasty, fresh and fast. Never change!

This was a fantastic find. The Thai food like a local. Awesome. The Massaman Curry was Devine, the beef salad was good (it contained cilantro/coriander which is not good for me. I picked it out. It's a BYO place and the bottle shop across the street had a good selection of Asian/Thai beers (always a good choice with Thai food). The service couldn't have been nicer having showed up for Friday night dinner. They easily found some travel tired tourists a seat. Calm, but alive with activity. The place was a buzz with people and you could tell the locals love it here too. The take away orders came and went quickly. Amazing night of food in a friendly place. Would try many more things from the menu.

An unassuming decor gives way to some stunningly authentic Thai dishes. The red curry with duck was spicy yet balanced heat with complex and aromatic flavors, and of course duck. The crispy pork belly was one of the best I've ever had. Crispy bits of crackling with a sweet and spicy glaze was incredibly addicting. The 2 of us fought to finish the last bites. Perhaps the only let down was the pad see ew. It was a bit undersauced and lacked the finesse of the 2 other dishes. Overall , I can see myself a regular here, just for the pork belly dish alone !

We tried this place out after seeing it on numerous blogs for a must try Thai spot. Great spot for authentic Thai and Thai street food. They have a fairly extensive menu and everything is pretty much shareable besides the noodle soups. Food is delivered quickly. The menu is fairly pricey for the size of the dishes but good experience away from the high end restaurants by the Harbor and hipster spots in the rest of the neighborhoods. We tried the crispy pork belly in Spice I Am sauce and Boat Noodles. The pork belly sauce was delicious and the meat cooked to a great texture. The boat noodle was very different from other boat noodles we've had.

Spice I Am was pretty good! We were craving Thai and wanted something good. We came across this location from doing a little research. I'm glad we decide to come here. The location is super small so there might be a little wait. We got lucky and got there before the huge crowd so we were able to be seated after about maybe 5-10 min. You can tell they stay crowded but they get people in and out. The service was ok. The waiters could have been a little more friendly and welcoming but the food was good. Between the four of us who ate here, we all ordered different dishes. We started by all sharing the Deep Fried Mini Spring Rolls. They were good and no one had any complaints. For dinner we ordered the Spicy Fried Rice, Thai Fried Rice, Spicy Noodle, and Pad Thai. All of the dishes were tasty and you could tell they were homemade. The ingredients were fresh and tasty! I will say the Spicy Fried Rice was Spicy! I don't mind a little kick but this was hot! If you don't like a lot of spice I would suggest ordering the Thai Fried Rice. However, everyone liked their dish and the food was seasoned well. We all left with happy bellies! Overall, Spice I Am has some good Thai food.

Looking for authentic Thai food in Sydney? Then this is the place to be. Spice I Am is the closest you will get to Thailand from Sydney, in foodie terms. Upon entering the restaurant, the mix of flavours wafted around and I conjoured up memories of my enjoyable and relaxing trips to Thailand straight away. When a smell brings you back to a place and a time, you know that this is the real deal (I'd never had that before at any other Thai restaurant in Sydney, although there are several good Thai eateries). Every dish I've had is perfect. There is nothing that stands out as a recommended dish - they are all as great as each other! It's surpisingly hard to get an authentic Thai stir fry in Sydney, but Spice I Am does them well. Just be careful - their dishes are very spicy - they do it just like the homeland! Spice I Am is no place for lounging around and having a relaxed evening - in fact, quite the opposite. Be prepared to queue up outside the tiny little restaurant, squish on low stools, have waiters brush past you, and have the occasional odd customer at the next table. For this reason, Spice I Am doesn't quite reach the 5 star mark. Spice I Am is one of Sydney's little gems and definitely worth a try, espcially for the Sydneysiders!

First thing - it's hard to find if you don't know what you're looking for. It is very easy to walk by multiple times even with the address and GPS. The street sign extends above the sidewalk so you can't see it when you are on the correct side of the road. Once you're inside, the space looks pretty unassuming. I ordered the red curry with chicken and my husband had the pad kee mao (spicy noodles). I also had a Thai iced tea which turned out to be a good move as it was the spiciest curry I had ever eaten. The iced tea was perfect for calming the spice and was probably the only reason I wasn't literally in tears while I was eating. I don't profess to have the highest tolerance to spicy food but this was right at my limit. I would eat that red curry every week if I could. The food was AMAZING. I would have never come if it weren't for a David Lebovitz blog entry that recommended it. I figured that a famous chef and restaurant owner is probably a reliable source. Turns out that was a good bet as this was one of my favorite restaurants from our 2 week honeymoon in Australia. For anyone that enjoys Thai food - come here. 5 stars.

We came by later in the evening on a weekday and it was packed. THough it's not hard to become packed considering it's maybe 400 sq ft of space and can accommodate maybe 20 people comfortably but they still manage to get about 30 inside and another 10-15 or so outside. We only had to wait about 5 minutes for a table so it wasn't quick and they came by right away with waters, menus. The waitress was hard to understand and kept telling us the fish soup was "fishy" which made us nervous since it made us think it'd be especially oceany fresh. Fortunately, it was no more fishy than one would expect a fish soup to be. phewww. Thai fried rice and some sort of fish soup both of which were good but not sure 20$ is the appropriate pricing for a bowl of soup portioned for one or two people... I'd estimate about 20-24 oz, 1$ an ounce of overly spicy soup?! cray. The fried rice was a normal price though so maybe there was a lil something extra special about the soup. Worth coming here to try out but bring cash if you decide to come cause they will not accept the plastic we love oh sooo much :/

Great authentic thai food for a reasonable price. We got chicken pad thai and crispy basil chicken and both were delicious! I thought it was kind of silly to be charged $4 for the steamed rice that usually just comes with a dish. Waitresses were quick and attentive but weren't rushing us either. Skip the mango sticky rice - it wasn't very good.

My search for the best crispy pork belly Thai style is actually ended. Finally I found it! My favorite is always Phad Prik King, crispy pork belly, Phid king sauce so hot yet so yummy ... I think that's the best Phid King dish that I have been tasted in Sydney The complex of the dish is actually so hard to explain, crispy skin, not so much fat, spicy sauce and the fragrant from kafir lime leaves .. Just keep you going and wanting more. Tom Yum Gong also really good dish.. This aromatic broths with hint of chillies that accompany your choice of protein is so beautiful, and tonight we chose seafood. Succulent juicy prawns is cook to perfection. Pad see ew also really good, I think that's the only few dishes that not come with spiciness on the menu. Always wanting to get back for more

Don't miss out on the lunch specials! I highly recommend the crispy pork with Chinese broccoli stir fry. It's almost the best in Sydney. I kid you not.

Thai holy basil. Order anything with it in it. Its bloody fantastic! lol My favourite dish at Spiceiam is the Pad Kra Prao (stir fry with chilli, bamboo shoots, green beans and Thai holy basil with your choice of chicken/beef/pork/seafood). I like to order it with minced meat instead of bamboo shoots as I don't like them and its even better. But warning, its quite hot. Actually most of the dishes there are hot, so ask the staff before ordering if the dish includes chilli. Wash it all down with a milk ice tea or a young coconut juice. Delicious :) Other dishes to try include the Mieng Kuay Teaw, Pad See Ew, Basil Crispy Chicken (amazing!), Larb thai salad and the signature Green Papaya salad. Still one of the best casual thai restaurants in Sydney, even after all the hype is gone from a few years ago.

This place was highly recommended in a brochure in our hotel room. What is better is that it was right across the street from our hotel! Looking at the yelp reviews we knew we had to try this place out! My friends and I went during lunch right when it opened! I suggest you go early during the dinner time otherwise there may be a wait; there are not many seats available! I got the spicy fried rice, and it was just okay. I was a bit disappointed because it had a pretty strong burnt taste to it. Nothing was visibly burnt so maybe it was the oil? I'm not sure and maybe it was supposed to be like that. My sister got the pad thai which was delicious, and my gf got the pad kee mao, which was pretty good but too soy-saucy. For the lunch specials, I would recommend this place, but I am sure the prices are higher for the dinner meals. I would not come here for dinner, but I would come back and give this place another chance during lunch!

The food here is really good, but it seems oilier than the Thai food I am used to eating. My partner preferred it to the Thai places we usually go though, so I guess this may just reflect regional cuisine types or personal preferences. The food was also spicier than most Thai places around - I know it's in the name of the restaurant ("spice"), but most of the vegetables in my red curry chicken were just chili peppers. The curry puffs were oddly dry, and miniature (although the menu does describe them as "mini curry puffs"), but I still kind of felt like I was being ripped off. I always get food envy at new restaurants, and this place was no different - my partner ordered crispy pork belly with chili paste and green vegetables which was delightful. The sweetness balanced out the spice and with the veg and rice it was a perfectly balanced meal...if only it had been mine! Seating is extremely limited and I feel like they're trying to get more people in than they reasonably should. Sitting outside under heat lamps wasn't too cold even on a chilly night, but the ground is uneven, the table slants, and you're parked six inches away from two other tables on either side. Inside was equally packed, but service for food and bill seems a little slow if you're outside.

Down the Central Station end of Surry Hills, Spice I Am is consequently a convenient haunt for city workers after authentic Thai dishes at the end of the day - anytime from 6.30 onwards, you'll be hard pressed to score a table and it's not abnormal for the wait to be around an hour during peak meal times. No matter though, as the delightfully derelict Triple Ace Bar is just around the corner - put your name down for a table, then head here to buy yourself a bottle of vino, have a glass while you wait and in no time you'll be walking back over Campbell Street with the remainder of your vintage in tow. I'm not the biggest fan of spicy dishes, but as this place adheres to more traditional, not-watered-down-for-Sydney-consumption recipes, I find it pretty damn spicy. What makes it bearable is the freshness of the ingredients used, like in the chicken larb with plenty of fresh mint and lemon, and the green curry which comes with those little round green Thai eggplants no matter which meat option you choose - these spongy veggies soak up a whole lot of the soup, which they label as 'medium hot'. I beg to differ.

This place definitely lived up to my expectation! My two buddies and I arrived at the restaurant at around 6.20pm on a Saturday evening and there was already a huge crowd outside, waiting in line. We were told there would be a 30 minutes wait. Since it was windy and cold, we settled for this since the heat lamp outside the restaurant was keeping us relatively warm-ish. Even though the turnover was pretty fast, our wait was more than 30 mins. 40 minutes into the wait, one of the waitresses handed us the menu and asked us to place our order. (To be honest, this is probably not a bad idea because food would be served the moment we were seated, also it's probably good for the business since it could increase its turnaround time). And within 5 minutes after we placed our order, we were seated & food was served within 2 minutes ! *impressed* Mini Curry Puffs - good ! Mini fried shrimp rolls - not too bad, not spicy Pad See Ew - Definitely one of the best I had in Sydney , two thumbs up Basil Crispy Pork Belly - SPICY but soooooo goooooooood !!! Portion is pretty generous too. Highly recommended ! However, as soon as we were close to finishing, the waitress looked like she couldnt wait to clear our table so that we can get the f*ck out. I understand that there were still a lot of people waiting in line...but hey! I hate being "chased out" of the restaurant ! The restaurant itself is not classy/ cozy kind. So I wouldnt recommend it for a dinner date, but if you want good thai food, that's where you want to be. =)

Spice I am is one of those restaurants that you have to go to because it gets a lot of hype from anyone who has been. It's amazing how some restaurants just have something special about them. Walking past Spice I Am you would be perfectly right to not take any notice of it because it's not beautifully decorated or a place that offers scenery to blow your mind. It's simply located in a street with views into Central station. So clearly there's another reason people go here. Spice I Am offers exceptional tastes and flavours and put simply that's what makes this place amazing. It's true there's no better praise then word of mouth and word has spread about this place because Anytime I have been or walked past this place is busy. I was with a friend and I was like we need to order a few dishes even if your not hungry. So we opted for Duck Red Curry , ginger chicken and a papaya salad. The Papaya Salad is really great and they justify the name because it was quite Spicy just the way I like it. The Ginger Chicken was loaded with protein and really satisfying to anyone who loves ginger. The Duck Red Curry arrives out to your table inside a coconut. How cool is that right! The coconut perfectly compliments the curry and for those wanting to make it milder simply scratch the inside with you fork to break of more coconut. The flavours were great on this dish also and I really enjoyed it and it was a big portion. Definitely justifies the hype surrounding it. Will be back again because the rest of the menu looks amazing too.

Some of the best Thai food ever! I came here with my family and there was a 45 minute wait. You can't make a reservation or call ahead, so we almost ate somewhere else. I am SO glad we decided to just grab a drink down the street. Well worth the wait and would have waited longer. This place is tiny and casual, which is the perfect atmosphere. It kind of has a hole-in-the wall look, and really adds to the authentic experience. The seating is small wooden stools and small tables. Heads up, this could be uncomfortable if you like to be spread out and have a lot of room and privacy. The menu has just about any Thai dish you could imagine, and the vegetarian options are clearly marked. They are also able to make the dishes without fish sauce! I ordered the jungle curry, and were properly warned by the wait staff that it was very spicy! It was so good. The vegetables in it tasted very fresh and the curry was amazing. Will recommend this for anyone going to Sydney!

Thai food is delicious just about everywhere we went in Australia, and this was no exception. It is a small place, crammed full of wooden tables and stools, which added to the atmosphere. We lucked out because we came during a rainstorm, which meant no lines, and were seated immediately. Food came quick and was delicious! Probably some of the best Thai food I've eaten. Got the Pad Thai (thin, delicate noodles that were seasoned the way I like it), Thai fried rice (very tasty) and tofu massamon curry (slightly sweet and spicy with just a faint crispiness).

My boyfriend used to attend QANTM College down the street (and works there now) and brought me here when I was asking for good Thai food. He comes here pretty often for lunch and had fond memories of the location and the food while he was a student and wanted to share it with me. This place is absolutely, hands down amazing in pretty much every way. I don't care if it is crowded, or a hole in the wall (those are the best places though), or loud or whatever. The food is awesome, the people working here are friendly (they do want to turn the tables, which is understandable for a small place), and I love this place as much as he does. I'm a massamun curry fanatic, and the massamun here didn't not (what? *did not, wow much typo) disappoint. I call it Thai pot roast, and this stuff is aromatic, flavorful, and rich. Perfect for a cold winter's day. The pra ram chicken is also lovely here. Spice I Am is hands down the best Thai food I have had in my lifetime, and I have eaten quite a bit of Thai in my nearly 30 years!

Actually I am big fan of not only Spice I Am, but this particular store of the business. As an ex-restuarantuer this site has it all worked out as they tend to cater really well for the lunch time crowd. the food comes quick, fresh, tasty, inventive, well presented and most importantly ..... spicy (where necessary). I have discovered though, it is easy to get carries away with ordering. My suggestion, if possible, order one dish at a time, especially at night and at lunch only order one of the mains on the main menu as they are good size servings.

Always quick, cheap and easy. I love the beef salad (it's very spicy), Tom kha gai, garlic veggie stir fry. They take credit card now and have a few outdoor seats.

So just so we are clear - this Spice I Am is the OG one, more of a small but quaint restaurant, whereas the Darlinghurst one is one of a proper sit down, dining experience. Went to the Darlo one first, then came here expecting the Lychee Mojitos and hot chocolate lava cake with ice cream but was gravely disappointed. This is a no frills, all about the food (no dessert), BYO, small hole in the wall kind of place. We got there around 6PM and it was starting to get crowded. My friend got their first but couldn't get the table until we arrived. Within minutes all the seats filled, so early is best.

So anyway, it was our fortnightly Spice I Am night and there we were basil crispy pork belly and my date was was all "Ooh, basil crispy pork belly!" and I was like "No way! Basil crispy pork belly" and then our basil crispy pork belly came and I was so basil crispy pork belly I could barely basil crispy pork belly before I had to just completely basil crispy pork belly. PS: basil crispy pork belly.

5 stars. Five, fi..ver..ino, fiiiive big ones, Brendon Fivola. Really really good. Go alone, no one really wants to share this food. Try the prawn salad with lemongrass and cashews all by yourself. I got told/heard/read that ordering in Thai means the chilli gets turbo charged - I dont speak Thai except to say thank you very much "tenchewberrymud" or "cup poon ca". I remember being taught by Apichart, a drunken Thai lawyer, that it is different if speaking with a woman or a man. Its either "cup poon cup" or "cup poon ca" but I cant now remember which and I dont want to upset the nicest people in the world. Where was I? - Spice I Am, trying to get my insides scorched. Haven't had better anywhere in Oz since David Thompson cooked at Newtown in the pub at Darley Street and Prasit cooked at the Union Hotel in North Sydney, the real Prasit - whose actual name got pinched by every wannabe Thai chef this side of the Mekong and he never did a thing about it. That, junior Yelpers, was a very long time ago. Young'uns, this is stuff you will remember.

Spice I am is my favourite Thai restaurant. It's a restaurant that can easily go unnoticed. It's small with minimal decorations. But if you've met someone who's been you'll know it has huge hype because the food is jam packed with flavour and is BYO. This place is always busy so when I went with a large group, I was pleasantly surprised that we were seated and served quickly. We ordered the green curry/massaman curry, pad Thai and the basil crispy chicken. All dishes were packed with flavour but note that the dishes are quite spicy. This is a restaurant I will always recommend.

In the three months I've been living in Sydney, I've probably been to Spice I Am at LEAST 10 times and tried 50% of the menu. I'm actually ridiculed for it by friends. I'm a fatty at heart and I own it! Sadly, I have to return home to NYC where no one knows how to make stellar Thai. We crush Australia when it comes to Italian food, but I digress... There's another location that's more fine-dining, but this one is literally a gaping hole in the wall. Might not be the type of place you choose for a first date (especially since they can try to be pushy to turn the table); it can get loud and there's no ambiance, but the food is mind-blowing. Put your name in at the entryway and prepare for a 20-minute wait. Solid picks are the young coconut (turned me into a coconut fanatic), Panang curry, Chu Chee curry, crispy pork belly with basil and chili, fried chook wings (order them first as they take a while), green papaya salad with soft-shell crab (a must must must), and any of the whole fish dishes. BYOB, cash only.

I've heard so many good things about this place that I think my expectations were blown out of proportion when I visited. Came on a Sunday night with a friend and we were promptly seated to our surprise...nice. The place isn't large at all and you could tell it's frequented by locals. We ordered the basil crispy pork belly, green papaya salad, and pad thai. If you like spicy, you need to come here because true to its name, Spice I definitely Am. Everything was good, but nothing stood out enough to warrant the more expensive price tag compared to their nearby competitors. Definitely worth a visit, but temper expectations and eat quick, as there's always a queue.

The original Spice I Am is still the best. Nothing beats pulling up a stool and quickly enjoying some of the best Thai food in Sydney. Seriously! This restaurant was a serious hit with local thai's until food critics blew the lid off this place and Sydney-siders were queuing to get in. My tips on how to dine at Spice I Am Surry Hills - Arrive at Spice I Am early and get your name on the list for a table - expect to wait 40 mins to an hour. - Head up the hill to the Hollywood Hotel and grab a nice drink while soaking up the arty laid back atmosphere. - Once your table is called head down the hill with a pit stop at the pub to buy a bottle of wine to go with dinner. - Pull up a seat at your table at Spice I Am and prepare for a taste sensation. - Start with the rice paper rolls, then go for the Green Papaya Salad, Basil Crispy Chicken stir-fry and the Yellow curry. - Don't linger. Finish your food, pay your bill and remark how reasonably priced the food is. If you want a more relaxed dining experience go to Spice I Am Darlinghurst, where you can sit for as long as you like but you'll pay for it.

Hmmm....okay. I feel a little odd giving this place a 3 star when everyone seems to worship it, but I'm just going to come out and say that it's a little overrated, or perhaps I just had extremely high expectations from all the things I had heard about it. Maybe it's because there happens to be an amazing Thai very close to my place which I have been a regular of for a few years now, where the food is amazing, affordable and the service is great, that I now compare lots of Thai restaurants to it, and they always fall short. Anyway, back to Spice I Am...the food is great, yes. The pork belly is amazingly crispy, indeed. The spicy curries are great and burn you throat nicely, but that's where it ended for me. They made a big deal out of bringing peanuts on the side, which is something most Thai restaurants do without any issues and free of charge, then charged $3 for it. The service wasn't the friendliest, or maybe it was just that particular night I went. Rice portions were very small, and I found the restaurant lacked ambience/atmosphere compared to a lot of other Thai restaurants in Sydney. Overall, I wouldn't say it was bad, as I definitely enjoyed the food and would go back if I was with friends who wanted to go, but since I have been to much better Thai restaurants in Sydney, I just couldn't exactly understand what the fuss was all about.

I have dabbled in Thai before but having not been exposed to much "real" Thai I've tended to steer clear and avoid it. But no more, I lost my Thai virginity at Spice I Am, and you know how you always remember the first time, right???? I had the soft shelled crab which was their special. The crab was crisp and crunchy with tasty veggies and did it pack a punch. There is nothing like fresh spicy food and this hit the sport. I enjoyed that along with some pork belly and rice-everything was delicious and satisfying. Not a place you'd linger, just pick up a few stubbies from the bottle shop down the street, grab a table if one's available, put in your order, down your beer and enjoy your meal. Once your done, off you go. The place is small and fills up quickly so you may have a wait, but it's worth the wait!

Had dinner here tonight with my host as it is a) close to his work and b) his fave Thai restaurant... We ordered the crispy basil pork belly & the soft shell crab with mango salad and shared both dishes.. the pork belly was tasty but almost a tad too spicy for me to appreciate all the flavours as all I could think was "my mouth is kinda on fire"... the soft shell crab was delicious and the mango salad it came with had the perfect balance of citrus to its spice.. The fresh spring rolls we had to start were nothing especially exciting.. I liked that you can BYO drinks, there is a bottle shop just down the street which is handy.. the wait was only 15 mins tonight which was (I'm told) pretty reasonable.

From Order To Table: Perfect timing. Like when toilet paper is on sale right when you've run out. Service-ometer: Cookie cutter service. Stomachability: Like a home cooked dinner from mum. If Mum enjoyed putting so much spice that by the end you're crying, can't feel your tongue and the next day is volcanic. That's the kind of mum I love. Spice I am used to be one of Sydney's best kept hidden secrets, but now it's not, the only thing that has changed is waiting times. I am a self appointed spice addict. The more pain the better. Spice I am really delivers in flavor and punch. It's amazing how they manage to fit in so much enjoyment into a meal after your tongue has completely numbed. There are also not so spicy options, but they're not as fun, and well, if you're not looking for spice you should be visiting "nice I am"

Really great food! Just what we were looking for on a cold Sunday night. The pad Thai was delish, just wish there was more!!

Every time I come to Sydney I try to make it to Spice I Am. This is by far one of the best Thai restaurants I know. It's small, takes cash only, the food is served quickly and they turn around tables fast (because the line outside is long). But man the food is just amazing. It's hot and spicy. It flavorful it's beautiful to look at. It's plentiful and it's reasonably priced. It is by far my most favorite Thai restaurant.

Not worth a detour. I would not go again. Service very rushed. Even place half empty, must use table they point us too. Very crowded in here, neighbors rubbing included, would be nice if neighbors are cute. Food to spicy to taste if good. And price rather very high for very unattractive location.

Loved the crispy pork belly the first time we came and had to come back to have it again. It is just a small casual place open to the street but is is licensed and has quick service. We will be back again for the pink belly for sure.

This was my favorite Thai restaurant during my time in Sydney! I split the Tofu Pad Thai and Tofu Spicy Noodles (Drunken Noodles) with my friend. The flavors were on point and the tofu was cooked well. I would recommend going with one of the noodle dishes on the menu--my other friend got the Chicken Pad See Ew and was impressed as well. They do get crowded (it's a small restaurant), so try to get there early! It's definitely worth the visit if you are in Sydney and want some fantastic Thai food! Spice I Am grateful to have you ;)

Look, I love Spice I Am, I'll always have good things to say about Spice I Am. Problem is, I'm one of way,way too many people doing the same thing. On a recent visit I realised the Rubicon for Popularity for this place has long been passed. The number of diners, both expectant and seated, way exceeded sensible numbers, especially considering the prices, and especially considering equally brilliant places like Chat Thai (some lines) and Yok Yor (little to no lines) are just around the corner. My date and I were promptly seated (after the requisite wait) in a section I fondly called 'The Utility Room', in the back section of the restaurant. Service was slow. We yelled to get their attention, they yelled our order back. Everyone yells there, now. Our promptly served and reliably delicious meal was eaten to a soundtrack of diners squeezing their way in and out of the restaurant, and with an added audience of hungry onlookers. I recommend the special duck massaman; although if you're in the mood for a stress-free meal that's easy on the ears (and your vocal cords), that you get it to go.

This place is pretty good. It is very expensive than what I am used to back in Los Angeles. I ordered my favorite Nam Kao Tod, its rare for a place to cook it so whenever I see a place that does I have to order it. If you dont know what it is look it up and try it, you'll thank me later. Back in LA I can get a large order of nam kao tod with an order of rice for $8 USD but here at space I am it costs $18 AUD and rice is an extra $2.50 AUD. CRAZINESS. It was good, $20 good? Not really. I wish the peanuts were worked more into the dish not just put on the side. The place is tiny, I probably would not like to come here on a hot day. Coming at night is perfect. The wait might seem scary and you should expect to wait at least 25mins. However they let you place your order fairly early, so by the time you sit down your food comes out pretty quick. When it does come out you are so pleased at the speed that you almost forget how long you were waiting for a table...! =) This place is definitely worth a try, being Thai myself I do not think it is as spicy as some of these reviewers might think. I would say this place is a must, expect to wait, great for groups of 4 or less.

I haven't had such amazing Thai food in Australia ever! The closest place that was as good would probably have to be Thainatown on Pitt Street 10 years ago. Spice I Am is not only authentic it is also simply a no frills type of coffee shop that just takes pride in the food they serve. In and out, the food is quick to come out and service is on the ball. No surprises there as I'm sure they're keen to get their next wave of customers in after you!

I Love, Love, Love this place. I have two pleasures at Spice I Am - going there to eat by myself and taking friends there for the first time.

Finally - I made it out to Spice I Am! Honestly, if I didn't hear about the greatness of this place, I probably wouldn't go in only because I thought all the backpackers go there since it's next door. But nope, it's actually legit food. Yea, it's spicy (especially for those who can't handle the chili but there are other dishes to accommodate to your weakness..hahah jk) so embrace it and regret it the next day. WHAT?!?! Nothing... Anyways, get away from the typical dishes like Pad Thai or Pad See Ew and venture into the more traditional Thai dishes. One thing though, I did think that the Yum Woon Sen was a bit dry for my liking so I'll be ordering something else next time. No bookings, get there at the beginning of 6ish and you'll get a table straight away. Make sure all of your party is there and ready to cry, I mean eat. Oh, and BYO!

This tiny restaurant had been recommended to me... I have to say their recommendation was valid... Small potions but so flavor some and fragrant that your senses are filled just as your belly ends up being. The ginger pawns had ginger thinly sliced that they appeared like noodles and very refreshing. Pop in for a casual no none sense lunch.

The food is pretty good and I sometimes crave some of their signature dishes. However the service is dreadful (plain rude), the wait is often long, it's a very basic setting (sit on flimsy stools) and it's cash only (a bit sketchy). Not cheap either. I guess sometimes you put up with the negatives to get the food you're after.

Actually want to give it a 0. Been here twice, through friend hype, with friends, unimpressed both times. Beef salad was terrible, rare and unchewable. Chrispy fish salad, to buy the ingredients would cost 18$ but you could feed at least five people and be full. Lemon and salty dried fish isn't worth a small dish for 18$. 3 Mini pork sticks for 8$ is pretty much ur pinky size snack. And my hands are very small. Bland and pricy , there are MANY other better and great Thai restaurants near by, just crossed the road towards Capitol square, the Thai restaurants there Are much better. And if you want to drink as well. Turn right at the next corner towards world square. Please don't go to this spice I am place, it's a rip off!

Hell Yeah, I'm into this place. If you can brave the up to 1-hour wait on most nights, it's well worth it. Grab a bottle of wine- this BYO joint has no corkage- and cozy up to your neighbors on one of their small outdoor tables. I suggest you try the Green Papaya Salad as a starter ($13.90), which definitely has a kick to it. I usually couple this with the 6 mini fried spring rolls ($7.90), just to get the Thai palate warmed up. My two favorite dishes at Spice I Am are the Pad Thai with tofu and the Green Curry Chicken (both $13.90). It's hard to go wrong with a pad thai, and though some may argue that it's totally boring, I love the flavor and texture combination. The green curry has the perfect blend of richness from the coconut milk and punch from the chili. Just steer clear of the pig blood jelly, unless you're particularly adventurous. The service here is quick and waitstaff ever so efficient. I could swear they have a team of Thai ninjas working in the back to get the food out as fast as they do. Just be warned, though they are BYO, they are probably not going to be patient enough to let you enjoy your beverage post meal. With tables in high demand, expect to be chucked out on the street (in the most polite way of course) clenching your half consumed bottle like a hobo.

4.5 stars This is definitely one of my favourite places to eat in Sydney, but I usually only go on week days or odd hours on weekends as there is always a wait (and I can get impatient when it comes to food). The restaurant is very casual and BYO, so grab a friend of 2 for a good school night session. The food is really good for the price (on Australian standards). I'll sometimes have dreams about their Basil Crispy Pork Belly. This is my favourite location of all the 'Spice I Am's. The Darlinghurst location is better for dates (and possibly more expensive?) where as the Surry Hills location is more casual and noisy.

This restaurant came highly recommended by friends who live in Sydney. On a Sunday night, Spice I Am was packed for dinner. We dined at a few thai restaurants during our stay at Sydney and Spice I am was a clear winner. Its a small restaurant that only takes cash. BYOB is the only way to go while dining for thai food. I would recommend a nice white wine like a semillon or a dry riesling to pair with the seafood dishes here. We had the fried red snapper and a chicken dish. Let's just say the fried red snapper blew our minds - taste and heat. As a NY'er, I have had my fair share of spicy thai food. NOTHING compares to the spicy factor in the thai food in Sydney. So if you can tolerate only some heat, air on the side of caution and make sure to ask how spicy the food is. Spice I Am did not ask us because they probably assumed that we took the name of the restaurant seriously. Both my husband and I asked for extra napkins to wipe the sweat off our head from the spiciness. The red snapper was none-the-less delicious when paired with the mango salad.

First off, you can bring your own beer! They didn't even charge us bottle fees!! The food was definitely spicy...but wow was it good! The crisp pork belly was un real. The restaurant isn't that large, but gives it a nice sweaty thai feel. Give it a shot, and bring some beer!