New & Noted Restaurants

Urban Thai

What: Authentic, neighbourhood Thai – just like it promises on its business cards

Where: 938 Changle Lu, near Wulumuqi Lu. Tel: 3250 3863

Why: Because watered-down isn’t in your vocabulary

Shahla Salih is stickler for authenticity. Opening her own restaurant after five years in Shanghai’s F&B industry, she asked her mother, a Thai native and chef extraordinaire, to train the staff. When the cooks couldn’t recreate the flavours of Salih’s childhood, she convinced her mom to stay and head up Urban Thai’s kitchen – a decision that has paid off.

The menu reads like a who’s who list of Thai cuisine, but that doesn’t mean it caters to foreign taste buds. Sure, you can order the ‘toned-down’ versions of the dish, but ask for it Thai style - just make sure you order a glass (or five) of the homemade Thai Iced Tea, easily the best in Shanghai. The palate salving elixir tastes like smoked honey with a gentle squeeze of liquid sunshine.

The usual favourites deliver like a restaurant in downtown Bangkok. To get your lips tingling, order the papaya salad. It encompasses the holy trinity of Thai flavours: sweet, sour and spicy. The pad Thai is big on taste, with none of that overpoweringly fishy taste. A big bowl of red curry comes packed with roast duck and pineapple to create a satisfyingly rich rice-soaker. Our throwaway order, a cold spicy beef salad, is a new favourite with its carefully balanced fired-up steak and cucumber. Our only complaint of the evening was the texture of the deep-fried chicken. The dish was a bit tough, but unwrapping the chicken’s pandan leaf sheathing released an aroma that was so mouth-watering, the misstep was quickly forgiven.

The flavours are all there, and Urban Thai nails the ambience, managing to be casual without sacrificing its chic factor and small without feeling cramped. The environment is intimately cosy, service is prompt and the food comes out fast. It’s everything you could ask for in a neighbourhood restaurant.