Nahm

Meanwhile, in Hyde Park Corner....

Sawadee pee mai! About two weeks too late, but never mind. Nahm, situated in the swanky Halkin Hotel, is Australian chef David Thompson's Michelin-starred Thai restaurant. His much-raved book, Thai Food, is one you couldn't possibly have missed, if only because of its bright pink jacket. The book very much captures the essence of Nahm, now in its fifth year: simple, traditional Thai cooking in a modern environment. Have a pre-dinner drink at the chilled-out lounge bar before being led to your table. The huge wooden double-doors open up to reveal a large dragon Thai silk print. The decor is sleek and minimalist, with earthy colours and wood panelling, and the service is super-friendly.

Menus are designed to provide a balanced, four-course Thai meal, combining sweet, salty and spicy flavours, and the waiters are more than happy to provide helpful suggestions. The menu varies regularly, but we opted for a sweet salad of scallops, long beans and tamarind, a mild monkfish green curry with baby green aubergines and galangal, and stir-fried aubergine. Sadly, my mobile photography skills on this occasion were rather sub-standard, so you'll have to take my word for it that it all looked very appetizing and tasted even better. I do have visual evidence of dessert, though, which was lamut (sapadillo) in coconut milk, with rice and coconut cakes topped with gold leaf.

Monkfish green curry

Lamut

Expect to do some damage to your bank balance, but for a really chilled-out dinner to celebrate Thai new year (without getting wet) after a week of New York carb gluttony, it's all good...