Okra

Like its namesake vegetable, Okra is versatile. On one hand, you can pop in for a quick pad Thai; on the other, you can linger in the rosy lamplight glow for a more leisurely experience. Firm steamed chicken dumplings snuggle individually in dishes containing sweet chicken broth, while the deep-fryer produces lovely shells of tofu filled with cabbage and prawn. A claypot lid lifts to reveal bubbling massaman beef curry, the aroma and flavour of kaffir lime leaves a special thread running through it. Fragrant Asian basil is a foil to a sweetish Thai green curry. Choo chee, similar to but milder than red curry sauce, adds to a generous dish of pan-fried salmon. The eponymous vegetable gets star billing in a dish with chilli and shrimp paste sauce. To finish, a dessert that will divide opinion. Some say durian smells like rotten gas but admirers of the spiky fruit come from far and wide for the house-made durian ice-cream.