Every week, Kate and Scorcher try the food from two different countries and then YOU vote for your favourite of the two cuisines!

In the last semi-final match up, Thailand took on India (scroll down to see who won).

Don’t forget to nominate your favourite restaurant serving up one of the cuisines going head-to-head next week for your chance to win a $200 Dineamic voucher. Up next week are Vietnam and France in the first quarter final game!

Thailand — Scorcher

THE CAPTAIN – Green chicken curry

I still remember my first Thai green chicken curry, which I smashed while sitting on a child-sized plastic red chair in Thailand. From that moment I was hooked, Thai food became my favourite cuisine. While Thai dishes are on another level in their native country, you can get some incredible Thai food in Melbourne. I got my green chicken curry from Pimm in Kensington, one of Melbourne’s best neighbourhood Thai restaurants. It’s cute as a button and the food is always top notch.

Pimm Thai Cafe, 170 Bellair St, Kensington

THE COACH – Pad Thai

Pad Thai is the global food ambassador of Thailand. It’s the captain, coach and king of all Thai dishes. Eat it on the streets of Bangkok and it will cost you less than a can of Fanta. Pad Thai is a punchy flavour bomb made up of rice noodles, prawns (or chicken), tofu, fish sauce, tamarind, garlic, chili and peanuts. I got my pad Thai from Bangpop on South Wharf.

BangPop, 35 S Wharf Promenade, South Wharf, bangpop.com.au

 Listeners’ Thai restaurant recommendations:

• Thonglor Thai Restaurant, 40 Edgewater Blvd, Maribyrnong, 3032,
• Thai Tiki Hut, 571 High St, Northcote, 3070
• Thai Herbs, 297 Buckley St, Essendon, 3040, thaiherbsrestaurant.net

India — Kate

Not just one of my favourite Indian restaurants, but one of my favourite restaurants in Melbourne – full stop – for its fabulous food, fun atmosphere, and terrific value is Daughter in Law, right at the top of Little Bourke Street in the city.

Make sure you try the Balls of Happiness (pani puri), the duck paratha, and the lusciously tender Tandoori chicken, grab a beer from the self-serve beer fridge, and settle in for a fun night.

THE CAPTAIN – Papadi chaat

If you haven’t tried chaat dishes, you’re missing out. You know those tasty fried starters you see on Indian menus, well with chaat they are just tastier and saucier. You can get potato chaat, samosa chaat, pakora chaat.

At Daughter in Law, they describe Papadi Chaat as Indian nachos – and it’s apt. At its base are “papris”, little crisp fried dough wafers, and they’re smothered in yoghurt,  grape salsa, cucumber, potato, pomegranate  – it’s a flavour explosion. Fun, colourful, seriously tasty.

THE COACH – Lamb Rogan Josh

This was really a case of “insert stupidly tasty Indian curry here”; at Daughter In Law, the most inviting sounding curry was the Lamb Shank Rogan Josh. Kyneton lamb shanks, slow-cooked with tomato, ginger, garlic, black cardamom and fresh chillies. Plenty of sauce, and big chunks of rich, tender lamb. Boom!

Daughter in Law – 37 Little Bourke St, City – daughterinlaw.com.au

Listeners’ Indian restaurant recommendations:

• Kasims Indian Cafe, 44 Mason St, Newport, 3015, kasimsindiancafe.com.au
• Roti Boti,  513 Hampton St, Hampton, 3188,
  rotiboti.com.au
• Bistro 1947 Indian Cuisine, 1/63 Stud Rd, Bayswater, 3153, bistro1947.com.au

THE RESULT

This was the closest round we’ve ever had in the World Cup of Food!

Thailand progressed to the quarter finals with 51 per cent of the vote, while India, with 49 per cent of the vote, narrowly missed out.

Thailand will go on to play Italy in the quarter finals!

Press PLAY below for the full segment.