Thai Sunset

The steady increase in popularity of Thai cuisine in Britain, and elsewhere, is one of the more heartening indicators of the eating out scene. Over the years we have absorbed other national cuisines with relative ease, and most are here to stay. But there has always been the feeling that Thai is rather special, rather more shrouded in Eastern mystique than some and with a reputation for often being created and served by Thai ladies of great beauty and dexterity.

It is therefore even more of a pleasure to write about a new Thai restaurant in bustling and quietly prosperous Bushey, the sort of place where Thai cuisine thrives. David Krite and his Thai wife, Anotai have been married 18 years, during which they have talked about setting up a restaurant, but life passes by and there are other things to be done. So they are now devoting their retirement to this long term dream, not the sort of occupation that most people think about for the second half of their lives.

Anotai works the magic in the kitchen, David looks after front of house, a combination that clearly works well. For many Thai cooking is still something of a mystery, so their six well constructed set menus, two of them vegetarian, are more than a little welcome. One such starts with prawn spring rolls, chicken satay, fish cakes and port toasts before moving on to scallops with fresh chilli and garlic; larb gai which is minced chicken with lime juice and herbs, followed by mixed vegetables in red curry with coconut milk and lime leaves, all supported by a dish of steamed aromatic rice.

Now even writing that has got me going, so what it must do for somebody seated in Thai Sunset with a well developed appetite and a liking for Far Eastern cuisine is anybody's guess. For those with more knowledge there is an exceptionally enterprising à la carte from which to choose, with 15 starters, two of them for couples to share, and including golden bags, those little wonton delicacies, grated chicken, sweetcorn, peppers, onion and garlic - a real treat. Thai soups are tops; take tom yum goong - yes, take lots of it - prawns in a hot and sour broth with lemon grass, limes leaves, coriander and mushrooms and always a hot favourite.

Thai salads are really quite substantial affairs with tuna, beef, sliced duck breast and minced pork deployed, and yum woonsen offers a glass noodle salad with minced pork and prawn and a spicy dressing - a simple but effective combination. Fourteen curries, both red and green, await the connoisseurs of such matters, and the tender beef in red curry with coconut milk and lime leaves comes well recommended.

And so onwards through magnificent stir fries, twelve fish dishes with sea bass, red snapper and salmon, culminating in the special dishes, one of which is the grilled lobster tail with white pepper, cream sauce and spinach - just naturally good. No Thai meal is complete without rice and noodles and here at Sunset there are fourteen from which to choose, each of them delicious in their own right.

Thai menus sometimes seem to have a small difficulty with desserts, but here there is a clear definition between more Western versions and others more akin to the spirit of the place. So check on, say, a banana split or a more Oriental dish, coconut with palm sugar wrapped in a pandan leaf pancake and served warm with one scoop of ice cream.

A wine list chosen from across the world takes heed of the sensibilities of the cuisine. For instance a chenin blanc from South Africa provides just the right sort of clean and ripe fruit flavours. In case you have any difficulty with understanding some of the ingredients used, a helpful one page glossary in the menu should answer all your questions. They really do think of everything. This is altogether an admirable new venture which we wholeheartedly commend.