Patara, an international chain of Thai eateries, boasts a string of branches stretching from London to Singapore.

The idea of eating at a branch of a global chain might not fill most diners with joy, of course, and many are pretty dire – just think of the ‘Polynesian’ offerings of Trader Vics, which only spent a few unhappy months in Beijing before mercifully disappearing. But Patara has a reputation for taking Thai food seriously and offering a diverse, authentic range of dishes.

Patara’s menu is certainly ambitious and includes a wide range of starters, an entirely separate section for vegetarians and a few flights of fancy, such as crispy pork knuckle quick-sautéed with wild ginger, chilli and kaffir lime leaves. And the chefs seem to be up to the task of producing such lyrical sounding dishes.

Green mango salad with crispy soft shell crab made an excellent beginning, with the very lightly battered, perfectly cooked crab nicely set off by the tart taste of an accompanying salad. The pandan leaf duck is the restaurant’s variation on the classic chicken fried in pandan leaves and the substitution gave a welcome lift to a dish that was always in danger of over familiarity.

As for the main courses, the pricey deep-fried whole garouper was so authentic (Thailand is a sweet-toothed country and smaller eateries often place a pot of sugar on their tables) that the uninitiated might find it a little treacle-y, although the fish itself was done just so. An assorted vegetable red curry on the other hand was pleasant but bland, raising the thought that some of the dishes may have been adjusted for perceived local tastes.

There’s no doubt that Patara is on the path to becoming the leading Thai restaurant in Beijing. Indeed, with its subdued but tasteful décor and pleasant service, there’s only one real drawback: the price. But then this should come as no surprise given its location in a shopping mall on upscale Jinbaojie, where neighbours include the nearby Lamborghini and Bentley dealerships.

For those after just a quick lunch for two, though, Patara will have to up its game from better-than- the-rest to stunning if it is to draw back visitors.

Address: 6th Floor, Jinbao Place, 88 Jinbaojie, Wangfujing, Dongcheng District 东城区金宝街88号金宝汇购物中心6楼601号

Source: timeoutbeijing.com