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Spicy hot and sour, I like to think of it as Thailand's version of Scotch broth.

And I've struggled to find a better Tom Yum in the whole of Leeds than the one they bowl up at Thai Sabai.

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Teaming lemon grass with lime leaves, galan gal, chilli and coriander, you can choose to add generous hunks of seafood, prawn or chicken.
And the best thing of all is that you can tell yourself that indulging in this wonderful broth isn't an indulgence at all. You're actually doing yourself a favour.

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Tom Yum soup has many health benefits, you see. Its potent combination such a source of immune-boosting power that it's even been scientifically studied as a natural remedy for cold and flu.

Beat that, Lemsip Max Strength.

And if you don't fancy the Tom Yum there's always the seasoned chicken pieces wrapped in Pandan leaves which are steamed and then flash-fried and served with a sweet chilli sauce.

Or the Tiger prawns rolled in filo pastry, crispy fried and served with sweet and sour sauce.

Or the lip-smacking pork spare ribs marinated in special recipe sauce and then crispy fried.

A sign of a good restaurant is that it takes you a while to choose. And that's certainly true at Thai Sabai – it just all sounds so good.
Vegetarians are well catered for too – although usually I don't bother with that sort of stuff.

I always go with the Tom Yum on the basis that it means you can afford to be a bit naughtier when it comes to choosing the main course.
And when you're naturally attracted to coconut milk it's good to have a little leeway.

Another great thing about Thai Sabai is that almost everything on the menu is cooked to order, so you don't have to worry about your dish of choice being too hot to handle.

You simply find a dish on the menu which has the ingredients you like the sound of and they will make it as mild or as hot as you want it.
I've had the gang kiew wan at Thai Sabai before. It's their Thai green
curry and it's a beaut.

But like I said, it's not really a great restaurant if you're not tempted to order seven different dishes every time you visit.
So I went for the panang instead.

Now don't ask me what's in panang curry paste. I tried Googling it but the ingredients were too lengthy to list.

What matters is that it tastes fantastic. Nicely spiced and great with chicken, green beans, lime leaves and (you guessed it) coconut milk as they do it here.

My dining partner went for the whole sea bass steamed with lemon and chilli sauce and it was a beast.

The fish melted in the mouth and worked magnificently well with the lemon and chilli sauce, which looked simple enough but tasted out-of-this-world.

For next time I'm eyeing up the roast duck cooked with red curry paste with coconut milk, tomato, pineapple and grapes.

Or the baked king prawn with vermicelli and fresh ginger.

But don't make the same mistake we did by ordering two portions of egg fried rice. Unless you're one of those people who can eat their weight in the stuff one should be sufficient for two to share.

Speaking of sharing, we couldn't possibly have polished off a pudding
each so we asked for two spoons along with a baked Thai custard which was gooey, creamy and warming. A great winter dessert.

Thai Sabai recently cele-brated its second birthday and I'm slightly surprised it's made it this far.

Not because the food isn't top notch but because there are at least three other Thai restaurants within walking distance.

Not to mention the fact that this is student central and many undergrads don't make it past the dreary neon-lit takeaways lining North Lane.

But the place seems to be flourishing. From the outside it looks warm, cosy and inviting. And once through the door it's still all those things, as well as being friendly and boasting impeccable service.

Credit crunch notwithstanding, a long and bright future beckons.