A Fling With Betty

Bangkok Betty may be a fan of alliteration, but she certainly knows how to keep a menu interesting. We’re not actually sure if she exists herself, but her namesake is a small hole in the wall Thai restaurant in Mosman, serving typical and tasty Thai in a small and intimate setting.

Betty may resemble other Thai restaurants, except for one thing – reading the menu is guaranteed to be part of the fun. Bored of the Thai language names which may mean very little to some customers, Bangkok Betty adopted a more original approach by whimsically naming all their dishes. And it works. Ordering and discussing with friends about whether we should get one or two serves of ‘Betty’s Magic Wand’ (otherwise known as skewered prawns) certainly provides a more interesting debate than the typical ‘massaman curry vs. green curry’ back and forth.

Let’s face it, there’s no other place where you could order: ‘Razzle Dazzle, Chilli and Basil’, ‘Betty Loves Bling’ (dumplings), ‘A Fling With Betty’ (deep fried ling fillets), and ‘Betty Bites Back’ (spicy seafood salad) – with a straight face and not get laughed at! But that’s part of the appeal. It’s different; and when you’re competing against so many restaurants that are doing much of the same, different can be good. Even if it’s really different!

Sure, it’s not for everyone. Thai restaurants have notoriously been given a bit of poetic licence when coming up with names, as anyone who has seen a ‘Thaitanic’ or ‘Thai Me Up’ restaurant will agree; and it’s easy to imagine this creativeness transferring across to . But it’s not just for Thai restaurants, either. There’s no reason anyone can’t be a bit funky with menus every so often, maybe rebranding a special, or a dish which needs to be moved. It can be a way to show a sense of humour, or have an inside joke with foodies or regulars. We guarantee it’ll make calling out orders much more interesting.

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