Ying Thai 2

YING THAI 2 - 110 Lygon Street, Carlton, 3053

Another one of my favourites: my favourite Thai restaurant in Melbourne :) or as I like to refer it to as: the place with the mouthgasmic coconut rice :P~. I was quite surprised with this place when I first went here especially where it was located and that's in Melbourne's "Little Italy": Lygon street. Didn't really picture Lygon as having good Thai restaurants until I stumbled across this little "groovy-looking" restaurant. The actual restaurant itself looks like it was painted by children with lots of bright fluorescent colours which makes the restaurant feel and look very vibrant, including the table and chairs , not just the walls. Not something you'd expect from a typical Thai restaurant which gives it a more unique feel. 

The size of YT2 is very small so it's better that you come to this restaurant with only a maximum of 4 people (including yourself). Seating is very limited but there are times of the day that are guaranteed to get you a seat. The quiet time for Lygon would be anywhere after lunch until mid-afternoon so 1:30pm-4:30pm ish. Once it gets to 6pm-9pm, don't even bother trying to get a seat unless you want to wait for 20-30 minutes. Like Kaneda, this place also has a very relaxing and chill atmosphere, great for taking a friend to catch up over a meal and the colours of the restaurant will turn your frown upside down ^^. The service here is also very good and the staff are very friendly and attentive and somewhat sociable :).

Now onto the food... The food here is amazing especially the coconut rice. Out of all the Thai restaurants I have been to, I have not eaten a more aromatic and flavoursome coconut rice as they serve here at YT2. The sweetness of the rice really compliments any savoury dish you might order on the side for the rice and one of my personal favourites is the green curry with coconut rice. The curry is also cooked to perfection with the right amount of flavour, texture and a good infusion of spices. The menu consists of different types of curry such as green, red, more spicy curries etc with your choice of beef, chicken or pork for around $12-13 and seafood or duck for $15.50-16. Other items on the menu include noodle dishes including my all time favourite: Pud Thai, which is a stir fry sweet and sour noodle dish with your choice of meat aforementioned for around $12-15 and the entrees/little meals including the salads that can range from $4-12. In addition to the delicious meals you can top it up with a delicious thai milk tea just to make the meal complete.

Overall I would have to say that up to date, Ying Thai 2 is definitely my favourite Thai restaurant and should be made famous for its coconut rice. Next time you pay a visit to YT2, make sure you order the coconut rice with any dish you might order for an extra $2 it's so worth it and have your meal with their Thai milk teas and you will have yourself a great Thai culinary experience :D.

Restaurant setting and atmosphere: 4.5/5
Quality of food: 5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Value for money: 5/5

Overall: 4.75/5