Restaurant review: Polished food at cheerful prices at Kinn Thai

We don't have much luck with trying to book on the phone, and with so many seats we figure that we'll take our chances as walk ins. The dining room is almost fully packed out when we arrive but fortunately for us, there's one last table left. Unfortunately, it's that one table by the door that gets the chilly draughts.

It's no matter though, there's a heater nearby and the smells coming from the kitchen are a wonderful distraction from the chill. The decor has had a noticeable update, and while some features of the old restaurant remain, much of it has been updated with hanging plants and woven cane furnishings that lend a contemporary casual vibe.

The drinks menu is long, filled with colourful cocktails reminiscent of Bangkok bars and the food menu even longer. There's all the usual suspects like noodles, stir fries and curries, as well as a selection of signature "Kinn's dishes".

It's undeniably busy here at Kinn Thai, but it's strangely comforting - almost like walking into a food court in southeast Asia. The food doesn't take long to arrive, and just like in Asia, dishes come out in no particular order - or all at once.

It's a little cliché, but it's hard to pass up the tom yum ($15 in a single serve, or $22 in a sharing serve) at a place like this. It's certainly not the best version of this dish I've had, the chilli factor has been pared back, but the soup is well-balanced, fragrant from lemongrass and galangal with a generous amount of prawns and oyster mushrooms.

The crab prawn roll ($7) isn't much to write home about - four little deep fried net rolls filed with crab and prawn, served with a plum sauce accompaniment that is overly sweet, and doesn't taste much of plum.

It's all uphill from here though. The seared scallop ($12 for 2 pieces) is fresh and perfectly cooked; slightly sweet and golden brown on the outside and the tangy nahm jim dressing makes the whole thing sing.

Chilli jam soft shell crabs ($27) is the kind of dish that I can't stop thinking about - as good as anything I've eaten at the likes of the much trendier big city, modern Asian type restaurants. The crisp fried soft shell crab is piled high, sitting in a light curry that's somewhere between a chilli jam and a red curry. It's fragrant, spicy, slightly sweet and rich from the base of onions and chilli. The deep fried crab stays crunchy throughout the meal, and between the satisfying crunch and the very moreish curry, it's likely one of the best dishes I've had at a restaurant like this.

A classic, the Pad Prik Khing ($26) doesn't disappoint. Crispy pork belly is stir-fried with finely sliced kaffir lime leaves, a mild chilli jam and green beans. It's not overly fishy as some traditional chilli jams can sometimes be. The pork belly is still crunchy, and the green beans add another level of crunch and freshness to an otherwise rich dish.

The egg net ($24) is almost like a side salad in our shared dining; a nice way to break up the full-flavouredness of the other dishes. Fresh beansprouts and herbs are tossed with cubed pork and prawns, finished with a light vinegar dressing. It's texturally interesting, light and fresh, but full of flavour.

Regrettably, there's not much by way of dessert options - berry, chocolate and vanilla ice creams, a chocolate lava cake, which seems strangely out of place here, and something called coconut sticky ($10), though it doesn't say coconut sticky what. The one option that I'm keen on, mango sticky rice ($10) isn't available - it isn't mango season yet, the waiter tells me.

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For a quick, casual restaurant, the food is of a very high standard at Kinn Thai. The portions are generous and the prices are fair. Every dish we've had tonight is well-balanced - sweet, sour, salty and spicy in varying levels.

I'll just come right out and say it - it may be part of a chain, but Kinn Thai is polished food at cheerful prices. The restaurant space feels trendy and the prices here match those at some of the more cheap and cheerful establishments across town. I think Kinn Thai is a step up from them though - and not just because they can cater to 268 diners while doing a bustling takeaway trade. There's not much by way of regional or specialty Thai dishes, but the food that is there is sure to please a crowd. There are so many options that there's bound to be something for everyone, which makes it a great choice for dining out with friends.

Address: 125 Bunda St, City

Phone: 62471277

Hours: Seven days, lunch 11.30am-3pm; dinner 5-10pm.

Manager: Suthida Boonmalert

Chef: Emily Surakote

Wheelchair access: Yes

Noise: Some ambient noise, but easy to hear your dining partners

Vegetarian: Plenty of options