Holy Basil: Stimulating All Your Senses

Holy Basil has always been abuzz with diners, chatter and music. It was one of the first sophisticated restaurants with a fresh new vibe to come to Canley Heights and has been popular ever since.

I came here with my boyfriend keen to try their famous fresh dishes. We know their fried icecream and other desserts are delicious hands down so we decided to concentrate on their savoury dishes.

Walking in, you are greeted with the amazing Thai/Laos themed decor including these golden statues.

Loving the South East Asian Vibe

For my drink I ordered a  Lemon, Lime and Bitters which came in this amazing tall glass which reminded me of an exotic holiday destination. The drink was very delicious and refreshing and for me personally, it's good to see the layers in the drink before I mix it up myself.

Lemon, Lime and Bitters $4.50: My favourite drink

 For the mains, we ordered the Roast Duck Red Curry which was fantastic. It came out and the first thing I noted was the immense amount of duck in the curry. Usually restaurants can be quite stingy with meats like duck so I was very impressed. The curry was good too however there was not enough curry to eat with the rice and the duck. 8/10

Roast Duck Red Curry $17.90: So ducking good

Our Chicken Pad Thai was also very delicious with all the flavours being very balanced (thank goodness it was not overly sweet) and the noodles were a perfect 'sauciness'. I've encountered too many extra saucy or extra dry pad thais that I think Hallelujah to myself when I think of this dish. 8/10

Chicken Pad Thai $12.90: An Oldie but a Goldie

 Lastly, our Salt and Pepper Calamari was also cooked close to perfection. The calamari was clearly fresh and not the frozen ones you can find at Fish and Chip shops. The batter on the outside was also crispy without overtaking the calamari or being too oily. The two sauces it came with - Sweet Chilli and Chilli Fish Sauce were great to dip with the pieces because it made the whole dish seem fresher and light which just made me want seconds. My only criticism is that there was not a distinct salt and/or pepper taste to it. 7.5/10

Salt and Pepper Calamari $15.90: They outdid with the squid

Overall, Holy Basil, as it's name suggests, has food that deserves a following. It lives up to its reputation and we had great service. It was time for the kitchen to close for lunch and we never felt rushed. I would definitely return.
Rating: 8/10