In mid August, the office wound up at Satang Thai Exclusive (a decent restaurant serving tasty above-average Thai food) for a birthday celebration.
On their drinks menu was something I hadn’t seen before: a longan drink ($3.90). I’ve long associated longans with lychees, although longans tend to have a crisper mouthfeel and subtler taste, whereas lychees have a more punchy sweetness and flavour. Of the two, the taste of lychee would appeal to the average palate more easily; the taste of longans is somewhat acquired (a tad spice-y).
While I’m firmly in the lychee over longan camp, the longan drink was delicious. It tasted just like longans and was perfectly sweetened, a refreshing drink to cut through the spiciness and heaviness of the curries. There was a generous amount of longan flesh in the drink, although they were obviously canned and so lacked the crispness and flavour of the fresh fruit. But that’s to be expected.
Satang Thai Exclusive is at 204/107-121 Quay St, Haymarket NSW 2000.