Thai Hut

Fare Many Thais consider this one of Hong Kong's most authentic Thai restaurants. The owner is a chef from Songkhla in southern Thailand, which is famous for its spicy dishes, and the staff are all Thai.

Ambience It is as much a stall as a restaurant, with just a few tables and bar stool seating that spills out onto the busy pavement. Opened in 2000, it's become a late-night institution (it stays open until 5am every day), but it attracts sit-in and takeaway diners, many of them Thai, at all times of the day.

Cost An average spend of HK$50-HK$100 each.

Who to bring The pretty girl you just met at Mes Amis across the road, or your buddies when she says no.

Turn-ons Many of the ingredients are imported from Thailand - for example, the curry pastes, herbs, fruit and vegetables, and rice - and you can taste the difference. The tom yam goong is fresh and fiery and packed full of squishy mushrooms, and the baked fish, in a rich and fullflavoured paste, pulled away from the bones like butter.

Turn-offs If you order from the kitchen, rather than the already prepared dishes at the counter, expect a wait as dishes are made fresh. We would have preferred the papaya salad to be a little spicier, and there were a few bits of gristle in the minced beef with chilli and basil.