by MATHILDE RABBAT

Ever noshed on goodies from the Bangkok counter at Le Faubourg? The eats are good, yeah, but that food court atmosphere isn't exactly what you might call inspiring. Now, just across the street and west on Ste-Catherine, you can have the very same scrumptious authentic Thai specialties with the atmosphere to boot.

This relatively new eatery's menu spans several pages with a choice of entrées and north-east selections, incorporating Thai salads, poultry (chicken and duck), beef, seafood (including mussels, shrimp, squid and fish) and tofu dishes, as well as phad thai and phad se-ew (large noodles with soya sauce). All items are affordably priced under $10.

As soups are a main staple of the Thai diet, the menu showcases various permutations incorporating veggies, seafood and chicken in tom yum and tom khaa varieties. The soups, priced between $2 and $3.55, are far from disappointing. If you want to make sure to thoroughly enjoy the rest of your meal, however, wait till the soup cools off before diving in because the broth is piping hot, as in the opposite of cold - dishes generally tend not to be on the super spicy side unless special mention is made. Soups from the regular menu are sure to warm you up and are served in small bowls that can barely contain overflowing ingredients. The vegetable tom yum ($2), for example, contains lemon grass, cabbage, carrot, green onion, baby corn, mushroom, zucchini, broccoli and a big slice of tomato, stimulating the appetite for the colourful delights to come.

The daily special, which you'll find on looseleaf inserted in the menu, is definitely worth sampling. The portions are satisfying and both the soup and the freshly prepared main dish are flavourful. For instance, for just under $10 you can feast on a mushroom, tomato and green onion soup suspended in a light but tangy translucent broth, followed by a mound of steamed, short-grained, sticky white rice erected beside a vegetable sauté of frilly carrots, square slices of onion, ginger twigs and mushroom, all cooked in a light Thai basil, garlic and chilli sauce. What really make the dish, though, are big white tender chunks of basa fish (catfish), that nicely complement other ingredients without overpowering them.

If the lunch special doesn't particularly strike your fancy, or if you show up later for dinner, you can also choose from a list of main dishes served with rice that incorporate many of the aforementioned ingredients along with other components such as eggplant, peppers and cashews. Curry and ginger in some of those preparations reveal Indian and Chinese influences on Thai cuisine.

Desserts range between $2.50 and $4.50 and include fried banana sprinkled with coconut and drizzled with honey or maple syrup, and an exotic fruit cocktail. But I can't wait to try the sweet sticky rice with mango, only offered when in season. With a full tummy, you can pay for your meal by swiping your card through a nifty wireless gadget.

'Please do not touch' signs are something that you'd expect to find in a museum, but a resto? Never… till now that is. In this case, the signs are even visible from the sidewalk, as the management would prefer if you kept your paws off the floral arrangements anchored in glass beads on the window sill. The flower theme recurs tastefully throughout the space in a variety of 2D and 3D forms, as both centrepieces and in the artwork, such as the bold painting of a giant lily that greets visitors. There's also a large bronzy image of Buddha seated in meditation and ornate hooded archways, and sunny colours abound. With this space, Bangkok manages to successfully combine quality dining at reasonable prices with a pleasant space in which to savour it.

59 Bangkok
ADDRESS: 1639 Ste-Catherine W. (Guy metro)
PHONE: 846-1003
HOURS: Mon–Sat 11:30am–10:45pm, Sun 5:30pm–10:30pm
BEST FEATURES: Extensive menu at affordable prices for lunch and dinner, colourful and tasty Thai dishes, pleasant atmosphere
ALCOHOL: Yes
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: One low step at the
entrance but washroom is accessible
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Yes
CREDIT CARDS: Yes
NON-SMOKING SECTION: Yes
PRICE: $15–$20 per person for a full meal
(excluding tax, tip and drinks)
RATING: *** out of ****