I don’t know how you feel, but I am tired of heading into a Thai restaurant with the thought of taking in a nice and spicy pad prik gaeng, a slightly creamy tom kha or a light and almost fluffy pad Thai, only to exit having faced bland, watery and greasy food.

So I was over the moon when a good friend mentioned Tawai Thai restaurant. It’s in Cherng Talay, in the group of restaurants and shops that line the entrance to the Laguna complex. My friend had tried Tawai for lunch a few times and had good things to say about it, so I thought I’d join her one day and see for myself.

The restaurant itself is simple and plain, and dotted with various Thai artifacts from a wide range of times. Actually, it seemed like someone had spent the weekend at Chatuchak market and had randomly bought anything they set their eyes on, but it only added to the originality of the place. I was later to learn from K. Noi, the owner of Tawai, that it was a mixture of her family’s belongings and items her husband had picked up over the years.

We sat at the table farthest from the serving area as they presented us with comfy double chairs, perfect for lounging and relaxing. A refreshing cool breeze was also on offer here as the shuttered windows were open on both sides of us, allowing natural air conditioning to keep us cool. By this time, the sound of the gentle wind rustling through the trees were all we could hear.

It all contributed to a feeling of stepping out of the hustle of Phuket, and even more so, a step back in time. It somehow reminded me of a trip to Laos many years ago when I got a hint of how Thailand once was, with its slow but careful approach to life. I could feel myself relaxing and molding to the shape of the chair. But what of the food? Could it do the same and take me back to a time lost?

We started with cool iced tea, as it seemed to fit the occasion, and it was at this point that K. Noi arrived and introduced herself. Her timing was perfect as we were just about to order and needed to cut down our choices as there was too much I wanted to taste.

K. Noi is from the central Thailand and this explained some of the options on the menu as there were more than a few things I hadn’t seen since my days in Bangkok, hence the difficult choice. One of those is a real favorite of mine, which I rarely have the chance to sample nowadays. It’s yam tua pu (160 baht) or winged bean salad, and this was like no other I had tried before. K. Noi grinned with delight when I told her this almost as if she knew this would be my reaction.

The reason, she explained, was that it was a special family recipe and that all the food in the restaurant was prepared by family members. By now, my grin matched hers as I almost burst in anticipation of what was to come.

She took time to explain how much attention she paid to the food and how important the preparation of each dish was central to her philosophy of food. All chili pastes were prepared by family members, and ingredients were sourced from all over Thailand, although fish and vegetables were supplied locally.

The yam tua pu was one of our main dishes, but in true Thai style there was little separation between courses. I’ve always likened eating Thai food to be like sampling from an artist’s palette and the combination of tastes is definitely the best way to eat it.

We had started with prawn cakes (tod man kung at 180 baht) and another preference of mine, gai hor bai toey (140 baht) or chicken wrapped in pandanus leaf. Both were excellent, with large chunks of prawn visible in the cakes, which were crispy to bite, but soft as velvet to eat, and the juicy chicken gently flavored by the pandanus leaf.

A nice touch was the presentation of the rice. It was served in an interesting little rice pot the likes of which I had never seen before, and it served to keep the rice nice, warm and fresh throughout the meal.

As the pastes were made on the premises, we opted for a local curry with shrimp– panaeng kung. Although not a dish from K. Noi’s home region, the homemade touch gave it a familiar flavor, along with something a little special. The sauce was thick and creamy and had a touch of spice that grew the more you ate. Isn’t it amazing how addictive a bit of chili can be?

K. Noi also insisted we have some fish and she suggested pla pad cha (190 baht) as it used Thai herbs that apparently assisted the digestive process. This was probably a good idea in light of all the food we were consuming.

The pleasing thing was that the staff at Tawai seemed as knowledgeable about the food as K. Noi, and she told us that she looked after her staff well, as they were good and she didn’t want to lose them.

Unfortunately we didn’t have a chance to sample some Thai desserts, again homemade, but K. Noi insisted I return as they were worth the effort.

Return? I said, I don’t think I’m leaving. Return I will, though, as even without the ambiance, the food filled a void my stomach had been seeking to fill.

Tawai Thai Restaurant, beside BB’s Pub (across from Toto’s) at Tinlay Place, Cherng Talay. Open daily from 10 am to 11 am. Tel: 076-325381, 081-7875354. Email: toto@phuket.ksc.co.th