Coco Nine

What could be more relaxing than a spot of lunch overlooking the softly lapping, though somewhat muddy, waters of Lake Burley Griffin on a sunny day? 

There are so many, very trendy places on the foreshore to have a meal. But let's go for this one - CoCo Nine, an unprepossessing Thai restaurant right next to another Thai restaurant. It's got tables that stretch right out onto the pavement, with sun umbrellas and a carpet of fake grass for that tropical feel. We take a seat and the lone waitress comes over with some cool water and a big smile to get us started. 

The menu is typical of so many Asian restaurants - big, sprawling, filled with probably too many dishes and too many standards. There's a section of "chef's recommendations", another of "classics". It's a bit too much. But there are some interesting dishes on the list - a "crying tiger" salad, some fried chicken and a "furious tilapia" which all sounds good. 

The drinks include a brief list of half a dozen reds and whites, mostly Australian and New Zealand wines, and nearly all available by the glass. But there are also some good traditional options, such as the creamy Thai iced tea, sweetened with condensed milk, glasses of coconut juice and chilled Thai-style coffee.

A platter of deep fried chicken wings ($8) is beautifully coloured and admirably crisp and caramelised on the outside, sans batter in the Asian style. The meat inside, however, is fairly dry and we're not as impressed with the chicken wings as we could be. Larb balls however, are much better ($9.90 for four). These are attractively presented - each ball stabbed through with an edible skewer made out of a  deep fried noodle and balanced on a slice of cucumber. They're slightly too big for a mouthful each so we have to take a couple of bites but they're good, properly crunchy on the outside and with a grainy meat and coriander filled interior and plenty of Thai spice. A thin chilli oil sauce does the job for dipping, though it won't tax anyone's chilli metre.

One of the chef's recommendations was the "furious tilapia" ($28.90). This turns out to be a beautiful whole poached fish, served up on a plate and covered thickly in sliced shallots, chopped onion and chilli flakes. The waitress asked us if we'd like it "medium" or - with a twinkle in her eye and a knowing nod -  "very spicy" and I'm glad we chose the latter option. It's nicely hot, as though the chef had opened the throttles on the chilli in the kitchen and ramped up the cooking to match. It doesn't overpower the fish though, which melts into the palate, nicely seasoned and well spicy, perfect with fluffy white rice. It's a simple, wonderfully fresh dish with plenty of flavour, worth ordering again.

The roasted duck curry ($26.90) is a world away from the fish - filled with sweetness, coconut milk and pieces of fruit. It's all the things that Australians appear to crave in their Thai dishes, or perhaps it's what Asian restaurateurs think Australians crave? The roasted duck slices are excellent, tender and full of meaty flavour, and the creamy sauce is full of lychee, chunks of pineapple, tomato and cucumber. This is comfort food, sweet and rich and not spicy. And it's perfectly fine, if that's what you feel like after a long day. 

Emotional animal-themed dishes appear to be a recurring thread in today's meal - it's now time for the "crying tiger" salad ($18.90). This looks colourful and attractive as well - thick slices of beef speckled with bright red chilli seeds and nestled next to wedges of tomato and slices of zucchini. The meat is a little chewy, the chilli a little one note and there's not terribly much of any other flavour to play off the beef and heat. The salad's heavy and robust - everything needs cutting or slicing before eating. This dish leaves us a little disappointed. 

CoCo Nine has been a nice enough experience - cheerful service, a quick flurry of dishes that hit the spot if you're in the market for standard Thai dishes. The tilapia has been a standout with its fresh and spicy fish. And the Kingston foreshore spot has other distractions, such as the warm sun, the waterfront and the opportunity for unabashed people watching. We're close enough to the footpath for passersby to watch us right back. "Ooh, that looks nice," says one woman, stickybeaking at our duck curry and pointing it out to her husband. You're welcome, lady.