Thai food-deprived Gubei residents have reason to celebrate. This new spot serves up all the staples from pad Thai to coconut curries with piquant, savory-sweet flavors. The river bass Mandarin fish (RMB138) is refreshingly tender, but make sure you specify how hot you like it, as an overwhelming amount of Thai chilis are cooked in a pungent sweet and sour soup—it’s enough to make your eyes water. The curry portions are a little on the skimpy side, but the flavors are spot on. We recommend the massaman curry with potato and peanut sauce (RMB52) for the melt-in-your-mouth chunks of beef cooked in a fragrant sauce infused with roasted peanut flavor.

The stir-fried morning glory (RMB35) is overly salty, but the stir-fried pork with holy basil is much better with ample bits of minced pork and chilis served with lettuce leaves. Dessert, however, is a disappointment. The red water chestnut with coconut milk (RMB32) and mango and sago with coconut milk (RMB25) constitute no more than three bites each, and at these prices, are better left on the menu. Dessert aside, this restaurant is a solid choice for Thai lovers who appreciate bold flavors.

Our rating: 3.5/5

DETAILS

What: Nini Thai

Where: 3/F, 37 Shuicheng Nan Lu 水城南路37号3楼

Tel: 3256-5287

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