All worries vanished, however, after we were greeted by the cheery Thai hostess, in English, and seated at one of only five tables in the snug (meaning small) space. A sneaky glimpse into the back room disclosed a miniature kitchen, bunches of green herbs and limes covering the counters. This looked promising.

Tummies grumbling, my companion and I didn't waste any time mulling over the menu. One small portion of Tom Yam Kung soup and an order of Dim Sum, please. In the meantime, we amused ourselves by sampling the various flavours of kroepoek (prawn crackers) that came in a rainbow of colours.

The starters arrived within minutes: one not-so-small-after-all earthenware bowl leaking tangy aromas and one bamboo basket stuffed full of steamed cabbage and luscious little dumplings. Swimming in the spicy-sour broth of the soup were giant peeled prawns, diced mushrooms, kaffir lime leaves, scallion and lemon grass, plus heaps of fresh coriander floating on top.

I slurped it down very quickly, regrettably, as I'd prefer to have drawn out the experience. The dim sum were just as appetising, six balls of soft, thin dough wrapped around a mixture of prawn, fish and crab. These were served with two sauces - soy and a spicy sweet & sour - although they had plenty of flavour all on their own. Thai Singha beer, a light and easy-to drink lager, provided an ideal antidote to all that heat.

Our main dishes arrived on enormous platters - Thai House Express for me, the chef 's personal favourite, and Kêng Ped for across the table, because it was the only menu option made with coconut milk. Every dish comes with a choice of meat or fish options and according to your preferred level of spiciness.

My House Express, then, was medium spicy with prawns - no less than 12 of them, extremely generous by Belgian restaurant standards. Next to this lay a myriad of fresh vegetables, competing for attention with lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves and sweet Thai basil. I could taste each and every individual ingredient on the plate, their flavours accentuated by the red curry base instead of being dominated by it, as is so often the case.

My companion was also pleased with his Kêng Ped with chicken, also in a medium spicy red curry sauce, but with sweet coconut milk to balance it out. Despite containing the same veggies and spices as mine, his dish was notably different - softer, less fiery. Both came with a side of aromatic, perfectly cooked white rice.

It wasn't until the end of the evening that we came to find out that the "hostess" is in fact boss, chef, server and cleaner. Together with daughter Gwenda, who helps serve, Bua (pictured) has been running the show here since opening six years ago. She treks to stores across Flanders on a daily basis to find all the fresh Thai products she needs. And that's a lot: the restaurant is also very popular for take-away.

Food aside, Bua obviously enjoys the contact with the public. "Nobody is a customer to me; they're more like family," she tells us as she brings complimentary mugs of tea and coffee. "I'm so honoured when they come back again and again."

www.thai-eethuisje.be
Plein 48, Kortrijk; 056.25.62.68 Tue-Sun, 18.00-23.00
Royal portions of Thai hospitality and flavour

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