Thai Village, Belfast

Thai Village restaurant, at Dublin Road in Belfast, states on its website that their menu "offers traditional Thai cuisine using fresh ingredients including premium spices and herbs imported directly from Thailand."

Our table had been reserved for eight o'clock and the four of us sat down at the table not far from the bar in the middle of the restaurant. It wasn't too busy at all.

We were given menus by the agreeable and attentive staff; and ordered drinks from the bar consisting of an orange juice, two Thai Tiger beers and a gin-and-tonic.

This is an unpretentious little restaurant, plain from the outside though the experience inside doesn't disappoint.

I ordered Kung Tempura, Deep-fried prawns in Thai butter served with sweet chilli sauce, as a starter at £4.95.

My main dish was Kung Priew Wan, Stir-fried prawns with cucumber, pineapple, tomatoes, red and green peppers, spring onion, coriander and sweet and sour sauce at £8.95; egg fried rice cost £2.50.

I opted for Irish Coffee - which was very good - instead of dessert.

I enjoyed my meal. Despite the helpings being generous in size, they were light and the batter was light. there were plenty of vegetables, as you'd expect from a stir-fry. The flavours were rather subtle; certainly not overpowering.

We stayed for about two hours when we took our leave and made for Auntie Annie's bar almost next door, which was busy though not completely full, since we found a table near the front door. I think we had about three or four rounds there; saw in the New Year; and took our leave at about twelve-twenty for home.