Tui's, Yorkersgate, Malton

Malton has always been a good place for a bite to eat. There are numerous cafs, pubs, Italian and Mexican restaurants, a trendy bistro and numerous take-aways. But things just got better.

Tui's caused a wave of excitement when it opened earlier this year after the extensive renovation of a former bathroom showroom in Yorkersgate.

Standing in the venue, it's easy to see why. Tui's has added a touch of glam to Malton with its impressive glass front, wooden floors and immaculate dcor - the terracotta hues of the walls complementing brown leather seating and contemporary furniture with subtle placing of Thai artefacts.

My antipodean boyfriend and I sipped bottles of the strong Thai beer Singha (£2.50) while perched on a high stool at a window table as we waited to be shown to our table.

We could see that Tui's was now a venue on the pub circuit, with weekend drinkers popping in for a pint or to try authentic Thai beer Singha and Chang (£2.50).

This shouldn't put off diners, however. The bar is separated from the two dining rooms by a lounge area with squishy leather sofas and stools. Even on busy Saturday nights the bustle of the bar is separate to the tranquil dining area.

Smiley, polite staff placed us in the cosy dining room on leather banquettes set into the walls; an ideal spot for larger parties of people.

I could rave on for hours about how marvellous Thai food is. I feel robbed that I didn't eat authentic Thai cuisine until the age of 27. Thai cooking uses wonderful ingredients such as eggplant, daikon, Chinese broccoli, lime leaves and young ginger as well as spices including cinnamon,

Tui's has an extensive starter menu. The Australian and I shared the mixed seafood lover (£13.95). This huge platter is a selection of starters recommended by the chef, including fish cakes, prawn cakes, prawn toast, squid in batter, king prawn in batter and crab sticks. It comes with two dips - a pickled vegetable and the scrumptious Thai sweet chilli. It's ideal for people who are new to Thai food and want to taste a variety of dishes. But, with the amount of batter and deep-frying that went into creating it, it would have got any dieter chucked out of their slimming class.

From the wealth of main dishes - chose from very spicy Thai salad, chicken, pork, beef, lamb, duck, seafood, curry, and a large vegetarian menu - I decided on Phed Himmaparn (£8.50), which is special Thai roast duck stir-fried with cashew nuts, onions, pineapple pieces and shrimp in mild chilli oil. The dish was excellently presented on the crisp linen table cloth in plain white crockery with a Thai flower for decoration. I chose Kow Souy (£1.50) a steamed jasmine rice, to accompany it, which was fluffy and perfect, but just enough serving for one. The vegetables were crispy and although the duck was slightly fatty, as duck tends to be, this was a medium spiced, slightly sweet, delicious dish.

Our friendly Thai waitress brought the rugby player Kae Pad Khin (£7.50), which is stir-fried lamb with ginger, black fungus mushrooms, bean sauce, peppers and garlic. This was rich, tasty and spicy.

We also shared a dish of Pad Thai (£7.50) so we could both reminisce about buying it for around 17p from street vendors who had cooked it on a cart in the searing hot and frenetic Bangkok streets. It's a popular dish of rice noodles stir-fried with chicken, king prawns, egg, bean sprouts and crushed peanuts. Tofu is sometimes added.

For diners who would like to pick and chose between a few dishes, there are set menus for two or four people ranging from £14.95 to £24.95.

This was all washed down with a couple of Chang (£2.50). Although I don't eat dessert (at least not in the presence of the other half) we ordered pistachio ice cream (£3.95) which was straight out of the freezer and on to a plate. It resembled a hockey puck and had a similar rigidity. The choice of some fruit would have been nice, or maybe even a Mars bar pancake, a delicacy I discovered on the Thai island of Ko Phangan.

Tui's restaurant is already popular, with weekend tables booked up well in advance. Tui's has given the Malton restaurant scene the extra spice it needed.

Tui's, Yorkersgate, Malton.

Tel: 01653 692865.

Victoria visited on Friday March 4, 2005.

Food: authentic

Service: enthusiastic

Value: good

Ambience: plush

Disabled access: Yes

Restaurant reviewers aim to be fair and accurate. Any comments on this review should be addressed to Chris Titley, Features Content Editor, Evening Press, 76-86 Walmgate, York, YO1 9YN or email

features@ycp.co.uk

Updated: 08:32 Saturday, March 12, 2005