With dishes sporting names such as “Daft Punk is Playing in My Mouth” and “Too Many Italians and Only One Asian”, it’s safe to say Nora is unlike anything we’ve seen before.

It’s a wild ride that Jean Thamthanakorn and Sarin Rojanametin have in store in their tiny Carlton dining room; self-taught chefs who deliver a degustation-only journey that teams the duo’s Thai heritage with a tasty dose of whimsy.

An opening act called “Beneath the Ground”, where a deep-fried sardine skeleton sits on a “soil” of mushroom and scallop dust, is arresting in both looks and tastes and sets the scene for the next two hours, where sleight of hand delivers many moments of wow. An edible oyster shell filled with confit chicken heart? Wow. Green mango “tagliatelle” of fermented garlic, school prawns and sator pesto? Wowsers. Smoked bread and shrimp butter and baked potato that’s actually dessert? The surprises — and hits — keep comingPatently proud service and a wine match that’s expectedly eclectic complete a package that’s oh-so-Melbourne — and oh-so-very good.

Must eat dish: Thai Cupcake wanting to be Western