If you were given these two choices of a location to eat Thai food, the answer would surely be a no brainer.
My wife and I were musing on a holiday we had a couple of years ago travelling across Thailand, a memorable few weeks of air, train, car and rickshaw rides, as we waited for our order at Tum Nuk Thai resturant in Clare Road.
It is unfair to make comparisons. We had dined in style and at the side of the road on our travels.
We had bought food from hawkers in Bangkok and been waited on hand and foot in Chang Rai. We stopped in the north east of the country in the Esan district and were treated regally by the family and friends of an old work pal who married a Thai girl and built them a home on the rice plantation owned by her parents.
And here we were on a rainy evening in Halifax. Trying ever so hard to connect with what had passed.
There was only a few covers and in such a large restaurant it meant the atmosphere was sadly lacking. At least we could hear ourselves talk.
From the moment we walked in we were well looked after. Attentive and ultra quick service in very acceptable surroundings.
We both like to cook Thai food and have a pretty good idea how a variety of dishes should look and taste.
I believed my version of Thai fish cake or Tod Mun Pla as they call it was pretty good though I have to bow to the professionals in this case. Just the right amount of spices. It was delicious and well presented.
I preferred it to Goong Hong Pah, the deep fried king prawns served as a kind of spring roll that my wife had. She disagreed.
We chose as different mains as was possible. I had Gang Pa Neua, a northern jungle beef curry with red chillies and a watery red gravy that kicked like a mule just when you thought you were safe.
The big mistake was pairing it with Pad Thai, stir-fried noodles and bean sprouts. It would have been better with a sticky rice to soak up the juices, but you cannot win every time.
Across the table a serving of Pad Prik Moo, stir fried pork with oyster sauce and spring onion was being consumed with enthusiasm. By contrast the noodles were perfect with this dish.
We helped the meal down with a glass of traditional Thai Singha beer and thought the bill, which came to £37 was reasonable.
There's no doubt the Tum Nuk Thai, with its lovely displays of elephant figurines and traditional decor, would appear very different at busier times.
But the few that had ventured out appeared to be enjoying themselves and we left feeling well fed and talking enthusiastically of another trip to the Orient.

Name: Tum Nuk Thai
Address: 5, Clare Road, Halifax HX1 2HX
Phone: 01422 352500

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 2 stars
Service: 4 stars
Value: 3 stars

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