Holy Basil, Canley Heights

I like shiny gold objects so it’s always a pleasure to eat at Thai or Laotian restaurants. I haven’t been back to Canley Heights for about 2 years, so the first thing I did when I was there was visit Holy Basil. Despite arriving at about 5:45pm, there is no more room in the main restaurant. So, my group was seated elsewhere.

Holy Basil is so popular that they’ve also opened Le Caravelle, a dessert bar, next door. In the early evening, Holy Basil is packed so some diners are seated in the dessert bar next door. It’s actually pretty good if you’re seated there because once you’ve finished your meal, you can get up and select some ice creams for dessert.

Jackfruit shake, custard apple shake ($5.90 each)

As I scanned the drinks menu, my eye is drawn to the jackfruit and custard apple shakes. Both fruits remind me of the holidays where my mom would cut open a custard apple for me or add slices of jackfruit into my chè (a Vietnamese dessert soup). Jackfruits have a sort of creamy pineapple flavour and custard apples taste like a cross between a banana and some type of citrus. If you haven’t tasted either fruit before, I strongly recommend trying it.

Laos pork sausages ($11.90)

I’ve had traditional Laos grilled pork sausage a few times before and I’ve got to say that this is one of my favourite ones. It’s not dry and has a little bit of spice in it. There’s also visible pieces of kaffir lime leaves which added a nice crunch, in my opinion.

Marinated dry beef ($11.90)

This is the first time I’ve had beef jerky with a spicy dipping sauce. These thick slices are a little tough on my jaw, but aside from that the caramelized flavour pairs well with the chili in the sauce.

Nam khao ($13.90)

Nam khao is a crispy rice and cured pork salad, and one of my absolute favourites in Laotian cuisine. Fried rice balls are tossed with cured pork, coriander, shallots, kaffir lime leaves, and onions. The reason that this is my favorite is because it’s crispy and a little sour.

Combination pad thai ($17.90)

Whenever I order pad thai, I always push the bean sprouts to the side and squeeze a little lemon on the noodles. It’s a thing. Digging into the mountain of noodles, I don’t find as much meat or seafood as I’d like. There’s also some egg stir fried into it, but if I was making this myself, I’d add an extra egg.

Roast pork belly in chili basil and garlic sauce ($18.90)

This plate of roast pork belly stir fry with beans, basil, bamboo, onions, garlic, and chili hits the table and my first thought is “pork belly get in my belly!” I made sure to get some nuggets of soft, fatty pork in garlicky sauce on my plate before it all disappears, and that was definitely a good decision.

Lychee, taro, coconut and pandan ice cream ($8 – three scoops)

If you’re like me and are seated in Le Caravelle, you can get ice cream for dessert and bring it back to your table. The coconut and pandan ice cream was a really interesting swirly mix of white and green. You can’t see the scoop of taro, but you’d think it’d be purple right?! Nope, white. My favourite is the lychee, it’s lighter than the rest.

If you ever drive through Canley Heights in the evening, the restaurant is always packed with diners, and for good reason too! I used to visit Holy Basil quite a lot and the food is just like I remembered: yummy.

Holy Basil
233 Canley Vale Rd
Canley Heights NSW
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