As an Indian curry man through and through, my relationship with the cuisines of the Far East has always been a shaky one.
Indeed, my travels to Thailand some years ago only served to reinforce my scepticism of the region's food and on my return I forcibly vowed never to pick up a noodle again.
Subsequent visits in Britain to Chinese and Thai restaurants merely gave me further ammunition to fire in the wake of derision from friends and family.
However, a recent visit to Patara , a Thai restaurant in the Fulham Road, leads me to do something alien to me – admit I was wrong. It seems I was just a little too hasty in my dismissal of the region's fare.
I will, though, offer some mitigating circumstances – not once during my budget backpacking trip, or indeed here, was I ever made aware of such delights as wild boar red curry or slow braised beef in aromatic coconut sauce. At Patara, there needn't be a noodle in sight.
The restaurant, part of a small worldwide chain which includes three other branches in London as well as in Geneva, Vienna and Singapore, is intimate and welcoming, the tables laid out in a style that maintains Thai tradition but the overall décor a pointer to the stated desire to give the food a contemporary twist.
The one thing I always found bearable on my travels was anything involving satay sauce and, to that end, I rather unadventurously plumped for kebabs of prawn, chicken and beef with a generous helping of satay on the side.
The beef was of the melt-in-the-mouth variety, the prawns were plump and the chicken had not been processed into cardboard. A good start.
Had I not been feeling slightly under the weather I would have washed my entrée down with one of a number of cocktails on offer, which is what my companion did with his chilli scallops – apparently the margarita is a perfect antidote to the fiery fish.
I was seriously looking forward to seeing how well the wild boar curried, and it didn't disappoint. It's a hearty meat which deserves a sauce of full flavour and that is exactly what it got. It was a curry to savour, the broccoli and mushroom side a welcome alternative to the dreaded noodle.
My companion went for the slow braised beef, which, as the menu promised, was aromatic, incredibly so in fact.
To finish we both went for pancakes filled with fresh fruit, which was a lovely, healthy alternative to the rich stodge I usually go for.
For a Thai sceptic like me Patara was a delight, it's warm staff, welcoming décor and exceptional food making it a very decent Fulham venue.
For a Thai aficionado, it would be a struggle to find many better eateries in the neighbourhood.
A three-course meal with cocktails come to about £70 for two.
Patara
181 Fulham Road
0207 351 5692
