Tiger Lilly is a small cafe on the busy Melbourne Street cafe precinct. Seating exactly 44, the chairs and tables are nicely spaced without being too close to each other. The decor is nothing to write home about with a few decorative fans and paintings adorning the walls. The place does look it could do with an upgrade, however the place mats and meticulously folded napkins add a touch of elegance. The menu is fairly stock standard with all your favourite Thai dishes.

Last night, I ordered the Pad Thai. The dish was ready after a 10 minute wait and was nicely presented. The noodles were nicely cooked as they were firm and not stuck together. The chicken was lean and succulent, while the tofu was soft and delicate. Scrambled eggs were present in the dish, however it wasn’t distributed properly. The vegetables were fresh with the bean sprouts and peanuts providing a nice crunchy texture. I thought the dish was a bit dry and there could have a been a bit more depth.

My friend had the Lemongrass Chicken. She said the dish was good and basically finished everything on the plate.

The staff were friendly and the service was excellent. Drinks arrived promptly and plates were cleared as we finished. The atmosphere was relaxed and the pricing was fair. The Pad Thai came in just under $14 and it was a decent sized serving. As the owners of this cafe are Vietnamese, I’m just wondering whether I had their take on a Pad Thai. Different cultures have different tastes, and the way a Thai person cooks Pad Thai would be different somebody else’s interpretation.

I’d come back again but I’d possibly try some of their other dishes. The place isn’t too bad.

WHERE: 116 Melbourne St, Adelaide