Iima

First published on 4 Feb 2010. Updated on 3 Nov 2010.

While the menu isn't quite as exciting as the Chat Thai on Campbell Street, there's still plenty on there to please. It's loud, it's rambunctious and you've got to roll with the punches a bit here (English isn't the first language with a lot of the staff who are all Thai but persevere - they speak menu, and they're all super-accommodating). The good thing about Iima, though, is its proximity to beer. Mr B's doesn't offer table service but it does offer plenty of variety on tap, and cocktails if the spirit takes you.

Deep-fried food – it's popular the world over. The Japanese are expert deep fryers and the Scots have never seen a fish, Mars Bar or pizza slice they didn't think would look better battered and dunked in sizzling oil. Hell, if you've been to Finland you may have even tried a deep-fried meat pie. At Iima, they offer a deep-fried som tum – shredded green papaya, chilli, peanuts, cherry tomatoes and dried baby shrimp – which is as wrong as it sounds.

But there's good news, too. Deep-fried salad might make you want to run screaming (or not, if, like us, you're curious) but a light, fluffy omelette studded with plump, briny mussels with chilli sauce will have you glued to your seat. There are all the usuals and they're all done well – crisp pork belly with Chinese broccoli, pad Thai – but then there's the entire section of the menu dedicated to the noble pancake. Our picks are the pandan pancakes with mango and vanilla ice cream - yum - or plain pancakes with pandan sauce. You've gotta love Thai desserts.

It may not be up there with your favourite Thai restaurant, but as inner-city pub Thai goes, Iima is representing the A team.