Actually want to give it a 0. Been here twice, through friend hype, with friends, unimpressed both times. Beef salad was terrible, rare and unchewable. Chrispy fish salad, to buy the ingredients would cost 18$ but you could feed at least five people and be full. Lemon and salty dried fish isn't worth a small dish for 18$. 3 Mini pork sticks for 8$ is pretty much ur pinky size snack. And my hands are very small. Bland and pricy , there are MANY other better and great Thai restaurants near by, just crossed the road towards Capitol square, the Thai restaurants there Are much better. And if you want to drink as well. Turn right at the next corner towards world square. Please don't go to this spice I am place, it's a rip off! read more

Hell Yeah, I'm into this place. If you can brave the up to 1-hour wait on most nights, it's well worth it. Grab a bottle of wine- this BYO joint has no corkage- and cozy up to your neighbors on one of their small outdoor tables. I suggest you try the Green Papaya Salad as a starter ($13.90), which definitely has a kick to it. I usually couple this with the 6 mini fried spring rolls ($7.90), just to get the Thai palate warmed up. My two favorite dishes at Spice I Am are the Pad Thai with tofu and the Green Curry Chicken (both $13.90). It's hard to go wrong with a pad thai, and though some may argue that it's totally boring, I love the flavor and texture combination. The green curry has the perfect blend of richness from the coconut milk and punch from the chili. Just steer clear of the pig blood jelly, unless you're particularly adventurous. The service here is quick and waitstaff ever so efficient. I could swear they have a team of Thai ninjas working in the back to get the food out as fast as they do. Just be warned, though they are BYO, they are probably not going to be patient enough to let you enjoy your beverage post meal. With tables in high demand, expect to be chucked out on the street (in the most polite way of course) clenching your half consumed bottle like a hobo. read more

4.5 stars This is definitely one of my favourite places to eat in Sydney, but I usually only go on week days or odd hours on weekends as there is always a wait (and I can get impatient when it comes to food). The restaurant is very casual and BYO, so grab a friend of 2 for a good school night session. The food is really good for the price (on Australian standards). I'll sometimes have dreams about their Basil Crispy Pork Belly. This is my favourite location of all the 'Spice I Am's. The Darlinghurst location is better for dates (and possibly more expensive?) where as the Surry Hills location is more casual and noisy. read more

Spice I am is my favourite Thai restaurant. It's a restaurant that can easily go unnoticed. It's small with minimal decorations. But if you've met someone who's been you'll know it has huge hype because the food is jam packed with flavour and is BYO. This place is always busy so when I went with a large group, I was pleasantly surprised that we were seated and served quickly. We ordered the green curry/massaman curry, pad Thai and the basil crispy chicken. All dishes were packed with flavour but note that the dishes are quite spicy. This is a restaurant I will always recommend. read more

This restaurant came highly recommended by friends who live in Sydney. On a Sunday night, Spice I Am was packed for dinner. We dined at a few thai restaurants during our stay at Sydney and Spice I am was a clear winner. Its a small restaurant that only takes cash. BYOB is the only way to go while dining for thai food. I would recommend a nice white wine like a semillon or a dry riesling to pair with the seafood dishes here. We had the fried red snapper and a chicken dish. Let's just say the fried red snapper blew our minds - taste and heat. As a NY'er, I have had my fair share of spicy thai food. NOTHING compares to the spicy factor in the thai food in Sydney. So if you can tolerate only some heat, air on the side of caution and make sure to ask how spicy the food is. Spice I Am did not ask us because they probably assumed that we took the name of the restaurant seriously. Both my husband and I asked for extra napkins to wipe the sweat off our head from the spiciness. The red snapper was none-the-less delicious when paired with the mango salad. read more

First off, you can bring your own beer! They didn't even charge us bottle fees!! The food was definitely spicy...but wow was it good! The crisp pork belly was un real. The restaurant isn't that large, but gives it a nice sweaty thai feel. Give it a shot, and bring some beer! read more

Always popular!!! This place has been in existence for a couple of years now and it remains busy. That should tell you something. To be quite honest, they have streamlined their processes to bring out the food a little bit faster. Well, too fast. So fast that we know a lot of their dishes are well prepared way in advance - which means freshness cannot always be guaranteed. read more

Not worth a detour. I would not go again. Service very rushed. Even place half empty, must use table they point us too. Very crowded in here, neighbors rubbing included, would be nice if neighbors are cute. Food to spicy to taste if good. And price rather very high for very unattractive location. read more

For locals is a must It's super fast service and when u finish they give u the bill ASAP Love it Spicy most of the plates It's not a restaurant it's for fast and good eating only!! U can bring you're own drink read more

The food here is top notch! A gustatory delight for those keen for authentic, delicious Thai food! The place is a little awkward due to the small space. The service is ok, but could be better. Tough to rate (perhaps 4.5/5)... overall, your tastebuds will thank you for your visit :) read more

Loved the crispy pork belly the first time we came and had to come back to have it again. It is just a small casual place open to the street but is is licensed and has quick service. We will be back again for the pink belly for sure. read more

Spice I Am - Basil crispy pork belly - Thai Near Me - Surry Hills, NSW

Really great food! Just what we were looking for on a cold Sunday night. The pad Thai was delish, just wish there was more!!

Thai is so good in Sydney that you kind of just expect the Thai place around the corner from you to be good enough. You stop searching for the best spring rolls, that crispier Pad Prik King Crispy Pork Belly, the spicier green curry. I know I got into a little rut with the options on Glebe Point Road but I am glad I finally went to try Spice I Am (hard to find). The place is small and attached to a hostel so little singage. The menus seem super worn and the staff are not effervescently friendly but the food is probably the best I've had. We ate the fresh spring rolls and mini curry puff and friend spring rolls to start. The fresh spring roll was a little carrot heavy bit still awesome. Then the main dishes started appearing: Pad Prik King Crispy Pork Belly, Green Curry, Ka Nom Jeen Nam Ya Pa, a noddle dish, and Soft Shell Crab with Mango Salad. Everything was so good and I'll tell you why. The Pad Prik King has actual meat in it, not just whatever pork remnants most places put into their dish. I'm not normally a fan but I would eat this one every time. The Ka Nom Jeen was pretty mild on the first bite but then had such a complex flavor that it took really 4 bites to taste the whole thing. The noodles were great, well cooked. And mango salad is my fave, nice balance of heat without crushing the sweet fruit. I will say I didn't find too many veggie dishes on the menu which is a bummer but small price to pay for outstadning food. Its a bit of a hike for me but well worth it. read more

Spicy you are! I thought I could hand a little fire, but whoa these meals almost ripped a hole in my oesophagus! Not that it stopped me from eating every last morsel... The food here is fast, well-priced and delicious. It's been around for ages, and while it feels like a slightly awkward location, it's still an easy walk from Central Station or the CBD. Yep, you'll have to wait, but practise your patience and you'll be well rewarded. Even though another slightly more upmarket version has opened in Darlinghurst, I still prefer this Wentworth Avenue original. My personal favourites include the stir-fried chicken thigh with chilli and holy basil, and the crispy pork belly with signature chilli jam, spring onions and cherry tomatoes. Bloody hot and bloody good. read more

Spice I Am is some of the best Thai I've had in Sydney. Everything you've heard is true. The queue can be a bit out of control, but if you aim to get there by 6 or 6:30, you won't wait at all. I was there this evening and had the Panang curry, omelette with crab, and the green papaya salad. All are delicious. read more

Went to this place hoping to have the best Thai in Sydney, that didn't happen. Our food took forever to be ready and we finally got it it was ice cold, I told the waitress and she said "that's meant to be eaten cold!" This was referring to a prawn curry and a masaman curry...after much arguing we had our plates re heated, yes re heated on the microwave according to the waitress, a disastrous night. Definitely wouldn't recommend it read more

When I leave Sydney after my sabbatical year, this will be one of the Sydney restaurants that I will miss the most. Spicier than most Thai restaurants here but the spice levels seem about right; enough to give the dishes some zing but not so much that the spiciness starts to be overwhelming. Everything my wife and I have had has been very good or better, but we especially recommend the Roast Duck Tamarind. read more

Got recommendations for this place so we checked it out our first nite dining out in Sydney. We ordered three dishes and all were excellent. We would definitely go back. A couple of things to know before you go (which we didn't know beforehand)... Bring cash because it's the only method of payment they will accept. And, bring your own booze because they don't serve any. Four stars since they charged us for packing up our leftovers to go. read more

Excellent Thai food. V. Crowded. Small and packed. Usually a wait. Bring your own alcohol.

We read the NY Times review prior to visiting Sydney and decided to give this place a try. The food, atmosphere, and service are quite good, but not excellent. There are many options for Thai food in this area, this is a good one, but i would also try others next time i go back to Sydney. read more

Great food-- recommended by Travel and Leisure. Had the Pad Thai with Prawns and Spicy Fried Rice. Loved both. It's BYOB but there is a wine shop on the corner. Great experience!! read more

Rude, pushy and impatient waitstaff. Food not overly impressive, especially given the overall experience. Cash only, so an unexpected trek to the ATM was required. Not impressed. read more

This is a great little Thai restaurant, in walking distance from Central station. It is pretty busy but you don't have to wait long for a table. It has a great feel, lots of people all crowded together. Authentic and spicy. Worth a visit. read more

Seriously the best most fragrant most delicious Thai food in the whole of Sydney. Daily addiction. Just amazing.

Friends took me there. They ordered their four fav dishes, and I have to admit that I was impressed with every single one of them. I'm still dreaming of having the crispy pork belly! read more

Great little place with awesome, friendly service and sizable portions. It was a bit hard to find for a minute being a bit of a whole in the wall but worth it. Not a lot of seating. read more

Very nice and authentic Thai food serve in this restaurant. Be warn the queue is long though. The service is fast -- this is not the kind of place to sit down, relax and eat. Food portion was abit small but the food are all very delicious. The crispy pork belly is really good. The fish is also very good. Food served in this restaurant can be very spicy, if you can't take spicy food, make sure you request for less chilli when you make the order for food. A bit pricey for this sort of Thai restaurant. read more

This place is all about the food, which is some of the best Thai food that I have eaten in my travels. The place is packed so be prepared to wait for a table. Seating is elbow to elbow. There is no liquor here but BYO is free. There is a bottle shop on the corner. We got there late and several items were out. I take this as a good sign of fresh preparation but still disappointing. We ordered pretty standard dishes that we eat routinely like Massaman curry, Pad Thai, Lar Nar and Papaya salad. There preparations were tops. The Lard Nar noodles were home made. The massaman had a deep, rich herbal flavor. The salad was spicy! We ate every bit. I have eaten these dishes in cities around the world and these were amongst my favorites. It is a bit of a dive but worth it for the quality of the food. read more

3.5 was a pretty long wait here and kinda disorganized. given the many good thai options, I wouldn't say this was a definite must eat. good overall, but not my most fav read more

I was recommended to dine here because of it's traditional menu, which was also written in thai. However I was extremely disappointed with the service and food. I visited on a Wednesday evening, it was busy but service was quick. Firstly, we got the curry puffs as an entree which were about the size of a 50c piece and tasted like they came out of a freezer box. Second, the waitress denied us the option of having any dish 'mild' despite me asking if less chilli could be added. She also was adamant that pad see ew was the same as pad kee mao?! Lastly, the dishes were of average quality (and of course we had to suffer with a mouth on fire). I would not go back as I know a LOT more thai places that are more worthy. Also, note all meals are about $15/16 with some specials up to $26! By the way, if you do find this place well done! There's no sign. read more

Consistently outstanding. Food is always solid, friendly staff and the best crispy pork belly in Sydney. Don't go past the pork Larb! Best value Thai around!! read more

Our dining experience did not go so well. We ordered the following: Pan Nang and Red Curries along with Satay. The Pan Nang was satisfactory, but did not taste much peanut sauce. The Red Curry was not good not much taste and too watery. Both dishes were spicy, but not enough for me. The Satay was small compared to what we would receive in the states. Price $14.50 for each curry. On the high side. Same dish in the states about $ 9.00. Oh forgot one more thing rice was not included( $ 3.00 extra), this is very unusual. I don't know many Asian dishes that don't include rice since it is a staple. Service was very rushed if you would stop to take break someone was trying to remove your dish. I had to stop them several times. They seemed to be annoyed with this. They would ask, but not wait for reply before taking the plate. Bottom line if you are going to charge that that much for food, spend a little more money on some decent furniture. I felt like I was sitting on a bucket with the person behind me holding me up, since we were so close. read more

We just finished dinner here and we were so disappointed I had to write my first review. This place is always busy and was highly recommended by hotel staff, we thought we would give it a try. Of note, we had AMAZING meals (lunch and dinner) the day before off Campbell St, west of Elizabeth st in Thai town. So the bar was set high. We got seated right away and were greeted by very pleasant and friendly staff. Service was good and food came out quickly. The restaurant was so loud, we had a hard time hearing each other. We had the larb, basil with chicken, basil with seafood, crispy pork belly, and pad see ew. The basil dishes needed more basil and was not spicy at all (ordered medium spicy). Larb, not to be desired here. Crispy pork belly was good as was the pad see ew, though the beef in the pad see ew was plain, without flavour. This is an average Thai restaurant, and quite over rated. Go down the street off Campbell in Thai town for truly delicious Thai food and more reasonable prices. read more

Sensational food service a little too quick. Don't let them rush you but we will go back again and again.

I really don't understand how this place can be packed and people can give it a good review. Had a table for 6, we were sat on the street (which I wonder if they have a council permit for) felt pressured into ordering quickly so I just had pad Thai, which was lumpy and sloppy, I have paid less for way better. All the meals came at different times and as soon as the last mouthful was ate a bill was placed on the table, I hadn't even finished my drink and we where asked to leave, which I expressed that I wasn't impressed with. Terrible service, bad atmosphere and not so good food. Don't believe the hype people! read more