Delicious Meals at Son in Law

Son in Law is situated on a road in Collingwood, where it’s impossible to miss the brightly designed orange building, inside full of dado walls and fluoro seats that’ll have your inner childish fanatic coming out as soon as you step in – a fantastic representative of Thailand and its charming culture.

It’s said that the name of the restaurant came about from the tale of a Thai street dish – ‘son in law eggs’, where, if a mother in law feels that her son in law is not being loyal and kind to his wife, then he’ll be cooked and served deep fried eggs as a warning to be kinder. Usually, the eggs were given in twos, so it more or less just understanding the subtle message of the tale. Additionally, there’s that tale and the fact that husband and wife duo, Tony and Oh Rungpradit, have taken much of their dish inspirations from Oh’s mother, showcasing the importance of family relations in the concept of dining.

The décor of Son in Law is nothing short of the food that you get – if you’re after a bit of massaman curry, or pad see ew, yes there’s that. There’s also fusion if you’re more into something contemporary, which consists of salads and tacos. With a bit of everything for you to scan the menu for, Son in Law replaces what’s missed within the Melbourne scene of multicultural food.

With a small, yet cosy space, it’s easy to get lost in conversation as you wait on your meals to arrive while radio music is blasting the background, and a warm heat is circulating around the area. Inside you get the beauty of split up tables, some hidden behind walls and some by the front. There’s also an open outdoor space with even more colours, lights and a family-friendly feeling if you can brace the gusty wind outside.

The embodiment of vibrancy and energetic seeps through every corner as you take in the surrounding walls – blue, yellow, white with illuminations of purple and pink lights to make it all the more wonderful. Even when the dishes and drinks come out, there’s absolutely no lacking in the amount of care and detail put into appearance. From the way the dishes are neatly prepared and served, to the adorable presentation of iconic Thai milk tea drinks, it makes it feel, as if mother Oh might have been in the kitchen whipping up that very meal with traditional flavours and ingredients.

Don’t be fooled by the way portions of the dishes – handled onto big plates make it seem easily done, but once you tuck into your drinks, your meal and the additional rice, you’ll quickly find that you’re full before you even hit half way, even if you’re still desperate for that delicious flavourful mouthful of pork. To top off the euphoric experience of authentic Thai, there’s nothing better than (if you can handle it) asking for a desert, Thai milk tea drizzled over a hotplate filled with roti and ice cream.

It’s fun, fresh and a unique taste on Thai cuisine without losing quality for anything less. Son in Law is the place to be, for all kinds of eaters with pleasing dishes and a delightful atmosphere.