Nu Suandokmai, who gave Adelaide one of its first tastes of authentic Thai cooking, is behind this ambitious project in which a dilapidated warehouse has been re-imagined as a restaurant and bar.

Stripped brickwork and timbers, hanging lanterns, potted greenery and old advertising placards give the place real atmosphere and it isn’t hard to imagine being in a back lane in Bangkok.

Nu’s menu, much of it inspired by the dishes prepared on his family farm in central Thailand, goes well beyond the normal formula.

Start with street snacks such as the mieng, a betel leaf wrapped around prawn, coconut, peanut and lime, or barbecued pork balls.

Serving sizes then increase gradually, from smaller plates such as the northern Thai sausages or crispy squid tentacles, to salads and stir-fries, to richer, coconut-based curries that are definitely best shared.

A slow cooked beef cheek in red curry with Thai basil and wild ginger is a stand-out, the meat falling apart at the gentlest prod of a fork, the sauce complex and lingering.

A young coconut half stuffed full of fresh tropical fruits such as lychee and a scoop of coconut ice cream makes a refreshing finish.

Two shared menus are offered but the cheaper version at least doesn’t really give a good representation of what the restaurant can do.