THE Royal Orchid lies on a South-east Asian fringe of Manchester's Chinatown around Portland Street.

Although looking a little run down from the outside, stepping inside the restaurant is like a trip back to the colonial era. The tables are laid out in a magnificent large, high-ceilinged room, with chandeliers dangling. On the walls are full-length portraits of past Thai dignitaries, dressed stuffily in suits and bowler hats as if determined to out-British the British. In corners, bizarrely, lurk gaudy merry-go-round horses.

It was a Saturday night when we visited, and although the many tables filled quickly, the service remained quick and courteous throughout our meal.

For anyone who hasn't tried Thai cuisine before, think of a cross between Indian curry and Chinese stir-fry, with a sweetness and nuttiness which is all its own. The freshness and variety of vegetables makes it a great choice for vegetarians - although, disappointingly, none of the set menus included a vegetarian option.

I ordered Thai-style spicy corn cakes (£4.90) for a starter. Although not especially spicy they were very pleasant - my only criticism would be that they were a little too filling, and meant I couldn't enjoy my main course as much as I would have done if I had been more hungry.

My partner had crispy Thai wantons (£4), which had a subtle flavour that came alive when dipped in sweet chilli sauce.

For a soft Westerner like me, Thai food generally comes with only one drawback - when it comes to chillies, Thai chefs don't err on the side of caution. A Thai "mild" can be the equivalent of an Indian jalfrezi, so for "medium" read "vindaloo" - and for "hot", "death in the fires of Hell".

So it came as a relief to discover that the Royal Orchid has adapted Thai cuisine to suit a more namby pamby palate. My main course was green curry with mixed vegetable (£6.50), and the spices were subtle rather than overpowering. I'd got off lightly - or so I thought.

There were more vegetables in my curry than I could name, but everything was cooked just enough to be easily digestible without turning mushy.

My partner had Thai-style sweet and sour beef with soft noodles (£7.50), which had a simplicity which belied its skilful preparation and delicious taste. We both dipped into a generous portion of egg fried rice (£2.50).

Singha beer (£2.70 per bottle) is a light but deceptively strong lager, and forms a perfect accompaniment to spicy food.

When it comes to garnish, Thai cookery has elevated this from an afterthought into an art form.

Our plates were shaped like boats, with a special compartment in the "bows" for lotus flowers and vegetables carved to look like lotus flowers. A cautionary tale, however: while the lotus-like things make for a tasty salad, steer clear of the round, red, shiny things.

My boyfriend was convinced they must be fake, so to prove him wrong I took a bite. It certainly wasn't fake - but it was a chilli pepper. Somebody could have warned me they're not all long and pointed.

One bottle of Singha, two glasses of water and a mouthful of ice-cubes later, and I was starting to get the hyper-ventilating under control.

But if the waiters and waitresses were tempted to laugh, they exercised super-human restraint and just calmly kept my drinks topped up.

A fruit sundae (£3) was the perfect way to round off an excellent meal.

The total bill for the two of us including drinks came to a reasonable £38-50.

And, writing this five days later, most of my taste-buds have now returned.

Royal Orchid Thai Restaurant, 36 Charlotte Street, Manchester.

Telephone: 0161 236 5183

Opening times: Monday to Friday 12pm to 11pm,

Saturday 1pm to 11.30pm,

Sunday 1pm to 10.30pm

Star rating ****