And it came in second (behind Perth’s Dusit Dheva) in the national competition, which is quite an achievement if you follow the logic of the scoring system, which I’m not sure I do.

There is some great Thai food to be found in Brisbane and beyond, and I wonder how the likes of Spirit House (Yandina) and Thai Wi-Rat (Fortitude Valley) missed out. Are they not members? Did they not nominate themselves? There are machinations here beyond my ken.

But the politics of awards aren’t the point — congratulations Modern Thai!

It is a popular restaurant that has been plying its trade for nearly two decades.

Part of the allure are its layout and looks — glass front, covered courtyard, walk-in wine cellar, and a rather comfy interior that is showing the patina of its 19 years.

It’s quirky rather than lush, and some aspects of the quirk seem to detract a little from the atmosphere. For example, a dimly lit bar in one corner — more a service centre for staff than somewhere patrons would sit and sip — has gathered clutter.

And from that bar you can select from a helter-skelter selection of wines.

Some are excellent, such as the Teusner sauvignon blanc, the Oliver Taranga Corrina cabernet Shiraz, and Houghton’s Jack Mann Cabernet Sauvignon (2002), while others — the Patrick pinot noir, and Leasingham Bin 56 cabernet Malbec — are mundane.

It’s weighted towards full-bodied reds when Thai is white wine and bright, juicy red territory.

The service, however, is a strong point: welcoming and efficient, everything happens with a smile.

Aside from papadams and naan bread, Modern Thai’s menu doesn’t stray too far from the usual Thai offerings of curries, stir fries, curry puffs, salads and soups.

Specials include crispy barramundi salad ($26, inset).

And it steers clear of the extreme — jungle curry, offal, fiery larbs, fermented sausage, or the wealth of dishes you’d find in the streets and homes of Thailand but rarely in Australia. That’s par for the course. I might crave it — you might also — but two of us don’t constitute a viable audience.

The curry puffs ($7.90 for four) are delicious — nice shortcrust pastry and ground beef with a decent mix of spice.

Massaman curry ($19.90), ordered gluten-free, is passable, but hardly epic (the Massaman lamb shank at Rick Shores is in a different stratosphere), and choo chee coral trout ($22.90) is solid.

The best dish is ordered by my greens-hating, sugar-and-meat-eating daughter: stir-fried seasonal vegetables in peanut sauce ($19.90). Go figure. And it is really good: batons of fresh, perfectly cooked vegetables of all colours with a good coating of sauce.

So it’s good food, but in the swelling sea of modern Asian in Queensland, it’s hardly electric. As a local for residents of Mount Gravatt, however, it’s dandy.