Red Opium

Great food, fast serving speed, friendly staff, baby friendly, reasonable price. Would definitely visit this place again. Amazing experiences.

The entrance to this restaurant is actually on Hill Street, and it’s just a small door to the basement level restaurant, blink and you’ll miss it.
There’s some interesting fusion going on here, like deep-​fried Thai style gyoza, and green Thai curry filled arancini. All the dishes were great, apart from one of the meat curries where the meat tasted like it has been frozen at some point prior to being cooked in the curry.
I was in between a 3 and 4 star review for this place, but the friendly service bumped it up to 4.

Located opposite the Perth Mint, the red opium is a taste bud adventure. Upon entering, let your eyes adjust to the mood lighting and intimate vibe they have created.
There is a set menu for around $ 45 – 60 I think or a la carte. For our UYE we couldn’t help ourselves and had to go for nearly everything on the menu. The waitress offered some recommendations on what is the most popular, so we got the green curry and prawn goyza, scallop ceviche, prawn skewers and crying waygu. All the food was artfully presented and you can see the attention to detail, not only in the display, but flavours and produce used.
For mains, we went all out and took one of everything: beef cheek masaman curry, F duck curry, spicy lamb cutlets, ribs and cod in banana leaf. I was super keen to try the roast duck curry and it did not disappoint! The cod fish was a bit too spicy for me, but I was still determined to keep eating.
The staff were attentive and took pride in the food created. The owner came over to check on us throughout the meal. For a perfect date night option or cozy meal with friends, red opium is the one.

TLDR: tasty food, great atmosphere, efficient and knowledgeable staff. Flexible enough to allow for special food requirements. Recomend.
REVIEW
Tuesday night, only a few tables occupied.
Décor: cozy, date nite venue. Good scattering of tables and is quiet enough to have great conversations.
Meal:
Tried all of their «big dishes,» 5 in total.
Flavours overall were kept authentic, with a dialling down of chili which is common in Perth. Luckily Chef is talented enough NOT to sacrifice spice flavour.
Standouts:
Lamb is delectable, with no «gamey» flavour.
F-​duck in red curry is wonderful.
Dessert: missed out, but means that I’ll be coming back!
Overall: Recomend.

Red Opium is a beautiful place to celebrate special moment such as anniversary or birthday in small group. All of our food came out promptly and each tasted very delicious.
Highlight of the night: the melt in your mouth wagyu and prawn (with superb sauce)! I will come back for more Modern Thai food at Red Opium.

This is a place to go if you don’t want conversation with your meal. I have eaten in sidewalk eateries in Thailand that are quieter, cheaper and with better food than Red Opium.
Don’t think I’ll go back unless it’s with a mute who is happy to pay for my meal.

This place is unique in design and looks really nice. I didn’t like the food that much. It is more of a fine dinning rather than Thai food. If you want to visit a different place go for it but if you are like me and think of green curry find another place!

Hidden gem! Understated décor, BYO, lovely atmosphere. We had the chef’s choice menu — 6 courses, all impeccably presented, delicious and special. They take Thai to the next level combining traditional Thai dishes with Australian produce. They can flex the menu options to suit those who cannot have certain ingredients, nothing is too much trouble. Unbelievably good value and a place I shall return to many times.

We had the fiesta tapas set. It was pricey for the size but very delicious. I don’t like seafood at all but I’m willing to try anything. Over half the meal was seafood and it was amazing. The staff was very friendly and provided great service. If you’re a foodie this is a great place to go.

Excellent dinner, we enjoyed the F-​Duck in red curry and Thai pork ribs that were melt in your mouth delicious.

The green curry is the best. Also try oyster shots. Overall good value for the price.

Great experience and excellent service. Modern Thai fusion food which was delicious. We asked the waitress to recommend dishes & as she is the chef’s wife knew everything we needed to know (and more!). Her suggestions were well received. Duck and massaman beef were super tasty. The scallop ceviche was amazing. Mango sticky rice at the end of the meal was refreshing. Definitely recommended.

I had the pleasure of dining at Red Opium last night and it was the best meal I’ve had in recent memory. Between the fresh-​tasting, beautifully-​plated food and the attentive, genuinely hospitable service (the chef/owner’s wife, Penny, is the sweetest and most gracious host in Perth)– this place earns top marks.
I came to Red Opium with my boyfriend in tow. We ordered the following dishes:
–Crying Wagyu (beef marble rating of 9 – the highest found in Australia)
–Sumo-​thai Ceviche
–Son-​in-​law Eggs
–Assorted Spring Rolls
–Red Opium Eggnet
–Tom Kha-​puccino
While I can say that each dish we ordered was tasty and satisfying, I have to give special praise to my favorites: the Crying Wagyu, Son-​in-​law Eggs and the Tom Kha-​puccino.
The Wagyu was the most tender and flavorful piece of meat I’ve had in years. It was definitely the star of the show for me.
The Son-​in-​law Eggs were so unique and so flavorful. The dish came with two eggs, halved, with each half topped with a small chile. The server instructed us to hold the chili with our fingers and alternate bites of the egg with tiny bites of the chile to enhance the flavors. It worked!
The Tom Kha-​puccino at RO is something I’m going to dream about until I have the privilege of tasting it again. We selected the «Hot» option (on a scale of Mild — Hot — Very Hot) and I found that level of heat to be absolutely perfect, however, my boyfriend (a bit less tolerant of heat) was unable to take more than a few bites before his mouth began to burn. It was the most beautifully complex and fresh-​tasting version of Tom Kha that I’ve ever had.
All in all, I can’t recommend Red Opium enough. If they weren’t closed on Mondays I’d be back in there for dinner tonight!

Beautiful thai food– so authentic and full of flavor. Really couldn’t fault anything. Service was of the highest and the staff are so friendly. The food is reasonably priced $ 15 entrée and $ 27 – 30 main.
We started with the assorted spring rolls, crispy and hot. Mains were deconstructed fish thai green curry– flavor was spicy and authentic. We also had the lamb cutlet jungle curry. Maybe a little underdone for my liking. But my partner loved them. And let me just say, the roti is a must. It’s a crispy doughy flat bread that was my favorite!

I highly recommend giving Red Opium a go, but there are few things to take note of when you’re planning your visit. The restaurant is a little difficult to spot but you’re definitely better off entering on Hill Street as opposed to Hay Street.
Red Opium is definitely on the finer side of Thai dining, but if you prefer something that’s more casual and has group friendly servings, do give S&T in Northbridge a try. Our spread of dishes were on the thinner side for my liking and I’d definitely recommend ordering a set banquet for groups of 4 and above.
The service is impeccable and there was not a dish that left us disappointed. If you’d like to treat yourself or someone special — this is definitely the place to do it!
Dishes to try:
F-​Duck — Roast Duck, Rd Curry, Veggies & Lychees ($ 28.88)
Deconstructed Green Curry — King George Whiting, Green Curry, Veggies ($ 28.80)
Chef’s Salad — Green Apples, Soft Shell Crab, Dried Chillies ($ 18.80)
Crying Wagyu — Wagyu Beef MS 9, Greens, Spicy Dipping Sauce ($ 18.80)
Red Opium Eggnest ($ 17.80)
Do take note that their credit card and eftpos carry surcharges and that most of their dishes are designed to be shared between groups of 2 – 4 and were challenging to share amongst our larger group of six.

We were a party of 7 on a Saturday night and we had the supreme tapas set menu. We were initially worried the portions were too small, but had more than plenty by the time all the tapas were served. Not only was the food very tasty, the service was just right — personalised attention without being overpowering. We’ll definitely go back.

The place is decked out like a cheap warehouse selling Bali style furniture, but it has its charm. The service is reasonable, a bit awkward but very friendly. Location is a little hidden away so they’ll be relying on word of mouth rather than walk in traffic!
BYO at $ 3pp is reasonable, and makes the night so much more affordable!
We tried the Crying Wagyu, tom yum soup, prawn and fish cakes, the duck in red curry with lychees and beef cheek massaman with potato and peanuts. YUM! We wrapped our tender, falling apart beef massaman up in our rotis — not the best I’ve had, a little dense but flakey enough, and the whole thing was lovely. The potato needed a bit more time cooking as it was a little hard, but overall the flavour of this curry was great. Not too spicy but with a bit of heat (you can choose between mild, hot and extra hot) and creamy with coconut without feeling like you’re eating suncream. The duck was rich but not too fatty or full flavoured. It was spicy with the welcome respite of sweet lychees cutting through the chilli. Plenty of sauce, make sure you order extra roti or rice!
Our starters were all great, the fishcakes being disappointing but everything else up to standard. Presentation is lovely and food is very fresh, with interesting and well balanced dipping sauces.
We thought that we pretty much ordered everything that really interested us, but enjoyed our meal and would come back with friends if they were keen on a visit. A nice place!

Have the set menu. It is well priced and the good is different and delicious. I enjoyed the deconstructed green fish curry last night. The staff are welcoming, knowledgeable about the menu and discreet in their service.

Red Opium was like we stumbled upon some old Chinese opium lair with huge paintings of Chinese ladies lazing around in couches smoking, lots of red chiffon drapes, wooden chairs and tables, «antique» Chinese decorations and a traditional opium smoking «bed». It reflected the name of the restaurant brilliantly!
The menu at Red Opium is crafted by head chef Jak. It marries fresh Australian produce with Thai-​inspired cooking and fare with the flavours of Thai and olé school favourite Thai dishes expressed in an exquisite style.
We started off with the small plates — Yin and Yang. It was presented in a cute wicker basket scale that held two different dips — a white dip that was a creamy prawn and minced coconut balanced on the other side is the red dip of minced pork and tomato. The dips were accompanied by papadum-​styled crackers and lettuce. The white dip was the perfect mix of coconut and cream with chopped pieces of prawn through it. The chilli helped cut through the richness of the cream. The minced pork and tomato had hints of spices and chilli through it and was oddly similar to my parent’s version of «minced meat spaghetti Asian style».
The next dish to come out was surprisingly yummy. Son in Law Eggs — The eggs are boiled then lightly fried to have a crispy exterior drizzled with tamarind and topped with dried chillies and fried sweet garlic. The sweet-​tart flavour of the tamarind, the creamy texture of the egg with the hints of chilli flavour was just divine. Just make sure you DO NOT EAT THE DRIED chillies because they are HOT (unless of course you like it like that).
To offset the creamy rich Thai-​infused dishes that were coming out, we decided to cut through it by ordering the Crudo tuna. The Crudo tuna was served on Chinese spoons. The tuna was fresh and the flavours of lemongrass, lime and hint of chilli was refreshing on the palate and was almost like a palate cleanser.
The last small plate we ordered was the crab crawls. Golden and crunchy on the outside with succulent crab meat on the inside.
If the small plates left you wanting more there are larger plates that on offer and they are also perfect to share.
F-​Duck … Roasted duck and veggies in red curry flavours with sweet lychees throughout the dish. We made the F-​Duck mild in chilli, but if you think you can handle it go up the heat radar. It was so delicious, the curry needs to be soaked up, so make sure you grab yourself a side of steamed rice!
Kiss of Death with lightly fried king prawns with fried lotus leaves on homemade corn chips tossed through chilli flakes and coriander leaves. The prawns were plump and juicy with the perfect amount of heat, it was a beautiful kiss of death.
The dishes at the Red Opium are fabulous and I can’t wait to try more of the menu. Price wise it’s reasonable and it’s currently on the Entertainment Card. The service? It’s fabulous. Friendly, personal, cheerful and informative. The only downside is that they are a cash only venue. If you get a chance, check out Red Opium, t it’s a little twist on traditional Thai dishes, but the flavours are most definitely there.

Mmmm. read all the «rave» reviews… very very disappointed… food was ok… not great and certainly not «different»… Can’t believe how noisy the place was… don’t bother…