5 places for great Thai food Thaied and tested

24 Renfrew Street, Glasgow 0141 331 1315

Style: Updated traditional

Price: Starters (pounds) 4.50-(pounds) 5.95, mains (pounds) 7.95-(pounds) 15.95, two-course set lunch (pounds) 7.95

Wheelchair access: Yes

It's up there with what you put on your chips as one of the great Glasgow-Edinburgh divides: Asian food. Traditionally, Glasgow has been known for its exceptional Indian restaurants while, during the last decade, the capital has become

associated with Thai food.

Increasingly, though, that dichotomy is breaking down, not only with the advent of more curry houses in the east, but the launch of more Thai restaurants in the west. The latest, appropriately enough, is an Edinburgh export. The new Thai Lemongrass on Renfrew Street in Glasgow is the sister of the one that opened on Bruntsfield Place in the capital in 2002.

Like its east-coast counterpart, the Renfrew Street restaurant is one of a new generation of Thai restaurants in which particular emphasis is placed on style. When we step in

off the street on a cold, wet, windy October evening, it is a welcoming place, with its softly-lit pale-yellow walls, crimson beams and hardwood furniture. The restaurant favours gently-ambient music in place of the Thai soft rock which is the backdrop to many a green curry. On the ceilings, meanwhile, is a series of fans that look like aeroplane propellers with bamboo for blades. Motionless, they look like sculptures.

The worry in restaurants where so much thought has gone into design is whether as much attention has been given to food, but first impressions were good. The menu proved to be extensive without being overwhelming. Once my partner, our two friends and I were seated in an upholstered alcove, we were brought pleasantly spicy prawn crackers to graze on while we browsed.

Most familiar dishes are there, with a few innovative additions, though the rice/noodle alternatives are rather limited: devotees of coconut rice may be disappointed to find it absent, and raise their eyebrows to discover that chips are in its place. Our friends enjoyed their starters - the chicken spring rolls were lightly fried and crispy, not dark yellow and chewy as they can sometimes be, and the satay had a good, firm texture. My choice, grilled pork neck, a difficult meat at the best of times, was delic-ately flavoured and came with a fiery cucumber-and-chilli dip. The vegetarian starter, however, a clear soup, was a disappointment - ''bland'' was my partner's verdict, in spite of its promising aroma, and I had to agree.

He fared better on the main course, tofu in red curry sauce. The crispy monkfish was enthusiastically received, but

the whole prawn curry, which got good marks for flavour, was lukewarm. My monkfish sweet and sour would have benefited from a lighter sauce - the intensity of it unfortunately masked the flavour of the fish.

I never have desserts, but was sufficiently intrigued to try the chilled banana. It turned out to be sliced banana on ice, sitting in sweetened coconut milk. I wished I hadn't bothered, although one of my fellow diners enjoyed his.

The bill, when it came, was a bit of a surprise: for my partner and I, two starters, two main courses, two plain rice and a plain noodles, a bottle of house wine (very reasonable at (pounds) 10.95), a white coffee and a liqueur coffee, came to (pounds) 57.15. Add the dessert and it topped (pounds) 60. That is definitely the high end for Thai food and for a meal that was good but not excellent, it felt overpriced. Still, if it is a Thai dining experience you are after, then you will struggle to find a more appealing setting.

2 dusit

49a Thistle Street, Edinburgh

0131 220 6846

Style: Cosy Thai fusion

Price: Starters (pounds) 5.95-(pounds) 7.95;

mains (pounds) 7.95-(pounds) 17.95;

set lunch (two courses) (pounds) 9.95

Wheelchair access: No

This restaurant opened at a time when competition among Edinburgh Thai restaurants had never been greater, but within weeks it was permanently busy and has justifiably remained so. Partly, this is because of its relatively small size - manager Pom made it a policy from the start to make attentive service as much of a priority as quality food, which meant keeping the number of covers down. The food here isn't cheap, but you won't find better. The menu takes the best of Thai food and gives it a contemporary twist using the freshest ingredients: green curry lovers won't be disappointed but nor will those seeking original variations on familiar themes.

3 siam erawan

48 Howe Street, Edinburgh

0131 226 3675

Style: Traditional

Price: Mains (pounds) 8.95-(pounds) 15.95;

two-course set lunch (pounds) 8.95

Wheelchair access: No

Tucked away down some steps at the corner of Howe Street and Royal Circus, this restaurant has some neighbourly competition (Songkran and Spice of Life are just a couple of streets away). The Siam Erawan and its elegant sister, the Erawan Oriental by the Holyrood parliament, however, have held on to their client base over the years with a shared emphasis on fresh ingredients and aromatic rather than overpowering sauces. This is relaxed and elegant rather than trendy Thai dining; the tasteful decor does not compete with the food for attention. There are two arched alcoves that offer privacy, as well as a back room for larger parties.

4 thai fountain

2 Woodside Crescent, Glasgow

0141 332 1599/2599

Style: Traditional Thai

Price: Starters (pounds) 3.90-(pounds) 8, mains (pounds) 9.90-(pounds) 14.90, two-course set

lunch (pounds) 7.80

Wheelchair access: No

This Glasgow institution is still holding its own among the slowly-growing band of Thai restaurants in the city. Its opulent interior and attentive staff make it a destination for a special meal rather than a place to go when you can't face cooking, and being met at the

door by staff wearing traditional dress adds to the sense of occasion.

This is not a cheap option, but

the food and surroundings

are well above average.

5 songkran 2

8 Gloucester Street,

Edinburgh

0131 225 4804

Style: Traditional Thai

Price: Starters (pounds) 4.50-(pounds) 6.95,

mains (pounds) 8.50-(pounds) 13.95;

two-course lunch (pounds) 7.95

Wheelchair access: No

The second Songkran restaurant

in Edinburgh, situated in a

seventeenth-century building

on steep, cobbled Gloucester

Street in Stockbridge, is Thai

with all the cosiness and

conviviality of a Jacobean

tavern. Where other new

Thai restaurants try to bring something of the airy style

bar to their design, this one

sticks with low ceilings,

tastefully-chosen furniture made from hardwoods and closely-

fitting tables.

The result is a restaurant that you can really relax in, and the happy buzz of laughter and good conversation that greets you when you step inside is clear evidence of this. The food is simply delightful:

try the Gratium Prig Thai with

beef and you'll never want

beef done any other way.