It’s been a few years now since hotelier Yenn Wong opened her first eatery in Singapore. Her latest venture, the Thaithemed Kha, is set in the lush, resort-like grounds of Hort Park and it’s easily her best effort, food- and looks-wise. The credit for the former rests entirely with the deft touch of consultant David Hamilton, who used to cook at Phuket’s luxe resort the Trisara, and the day-to-day supervision by executive chef Kunchit Srimuang.

Not that the interiors are shabby by any means. Local interior designer Wei Tan has limited the usual Thai kitsch to a dignifi ed seated Buddha at the entrance and swathed the rest of the space in warm teak, Maharam fabric and floor-to-ceiling windows that peek out to an alfresco deck framed by the park’s greenery.

But back to the food. Almost without exception, every dish (save for a lumpy, hard sticky rice and mango dessert) was executed with brio and the occasional flash of surprise. The salmon salad was magical as large chunks of lightly seared fish – the interiors the shade of pomegranate – were doused with a light citrus dressing and anointed with crispy shards of fried salmon skin and hits of kaffir, mint and coriander. The result was sweet, salty, lemony and addictive all at once.

During service, Srimuang, a cheerful and slightly plump man, made his way shyly around the tables greeting diners before disappearing back into the kitchen to conjure up more tricks. My favourites were delicate fans of crisp and fragile banana flower fritters; a mellow peppery soup with tiny sweet pork meatballs and cubes of soft tofu; and gently steamed sea bass bathing in a lightly sour tamarind broth strewn with julienned coconut heart and little knots of string beans.

If it’s not already clear, this is up-market Thai food for the modern urbanite. And so, the king prawns wrapped in fried vermicelli were paired with a honey mustard sauce, while the traditional sticky date pudding was worked over with a nutty rice pudding dripping with a tangy tamarind caramel sauce. At another dinner, the pomelo salad was tossed with roasted coconut shreds, peanuts, chicken strips and sweet, biting chilli jam. Low points were few and if there’s a complaint, it’s that for the price, some portions tend to be small. The tiny mound of coconut mousse served up in an unusual, aromatic jasmine syrup made an impact as much for its smooth flavours as its $14 price tag. But that’s fine dining in Singapore for you, I guess. Meanwhile, the service was cheerful though a little green and distracted. Our iced tea came out as an iced coffee.