Yim Yam Collingwood

''WE'RE a staff member down," says Brian, our waiter. Good to know, as we sit for 10 minutes, parched and dead-keen for a lager. A bag-wrapped bottle on a nearby table offers a clue: Aha! BYO. Brian informs us the bottle-o is a four-minute gallop up the road.

Three-month-old Yim Yam is the third of its kind, a warm-hearted spot with an auspicious gold statue of Nang Kwak, the shrine evocative of Thai temples. With four levels and 75 seats, waiters earn their keep.

It's owned by Lylah (Walaipan Churatana) and Guy Hatfield, with Lylah overseeing the small kitchen. She grew up on her parents' prawn farms at the swampy mouth of the Chao Phraya river, and Guy lived in Thailand for more than 15 years (for 10 of those as a Buddhist monk). They also did a three-year stint in Laos. Yim Yam's claim of "authentic cuisine from both sides of the Mekong" is well-founded.

The menu spans 103 dishes, including a green papaya salad (chilli-ranking: two) with crunchy green beans, peanuts and fried freshwater crab, and the rich, hand-ground red curry, with sliced duck breast and sweet pops of lychee, apple, pineapple and grapes.

For fans of Yim Yam's crying tiger salad, it's here: a plate of sliced beef in a sticky, sweet, dark soy marinade with a tangy chilli dipping sauce - it's spicy but not as blow-your-head-off hot as the triple-chilli rating would suggest.

The Laotian grilled sticky rice cakes were a bit bland with a heavy taste of oil. More interesting was the spicy Thai and Lao sausage plate, a trio of lean, handmade, all-pork sausages: a skinless Chinese-style; a sparky mix of coriander, lemongrass and ground chilli; and a garlicky number mixed with rice.

About a third of the menu features new dishes specific to Collingwood, such as the gang khi lek (a creamy yet bitter curry made from cassia leaves) and the Thai coconut pancakes with shredded dried pork.

Respect to Yim Yam for opening in the off-season, a tough gig for the most experienced restaurants and a time when places are usually mobbed. On my visit in early January, there could have been more communication between kitchen and floor.

The pacing of the food was a little sporadic, dishes we had ordered were suddenly unavailable, the signature soup failed to arrive, and we were given the wrong bill - a whopper for a table of eight.

Sure, a few bungles, but low on the radar of what was a top night: the vibe was buzzy, the food was worth it and Brian was a champion.

Also Yim Yam Yarraville and Yim Yam Moonee Ponds (moving to 415 Mount Alexander Road, Ascot Vale, this month).

nrousseau@theage.com.au

Where 76 Smith Street, Collingwood, 9419 3985
Prices Starters, $6.90-$12.90; curries, stir fries and noodle dishes, $12.90-$24.90; salads, $13.90-$18.90; desserts, $5-$7.90
Cards MC V Eftpos
BYO Corkage $2 a head
Open Daily 5.30-10.30pm; Mon-Fri, noon-3pm
Website yimyam.com.au
Cuisine Thai/Laos