On a cold winter night, a meal with a good dose of chilli is the ideal way to raise the body’s inner thermostat. That was precisely what Robert and I were after at Cafe Michael 2 on Rundle Street. The introduction of Thai Night Tuesday years ago was a roaring success and shaped the future of the restaurant. It is now exclusively Thai.

The specials board caught our eye. We ordered a plate of Miang Khun $12.90 – Betel leaves topped with toasted coconut, dried shrimp, lemongrass, ginger, coriander, roasted peanut and fresh lime.

“Amazing,” exclaimed Robert after taking a bite. I was impressed by the remarkable combination of flavours and the final warm afterglow of the chilli. The 3 serves on the plate left us scrambling to get the last one.

The wine list offered a wide range of local, Australian, NZ and French wines. We chose the Ravenswood Lane, an Adelaide Hills Pinot Gris $35.

Between courses we chatted to manager, Lori, who explained the restaurant’s philosophy. Thai cooks are employed with traditional Thai village cooking methods and flavours an essential part of every dish.

The second entrée dish was the Prawn Tom Yum $9.90 (pictured). A very generous serve of prawns and mushroom in a fragrant broth. This rated high on the chilli Richter-scale and had us fired up and ready for the mains.

The kitchen caters for those who like their food mild and for those who prefer dishes tending towards nuclear meltdown. Just mention your preference.

We shared three mains: the Drunken Noodles $19.90, Nam Tok (Northern Thai Beef) $23.90 and a Green Chicken Curry $20.90.

The noodles were light, fresh and not overly oily, and topped with chopped chicken, basil, vegetables and spices. This was a mild, flavoursome dish with crisp vegetables.

The Nam Tok was thinly sliced premium steak grilled with onion, mint, coriander, lemongrass, chilli and spices. It is always more satisfying to share your beef with a friend, especially when such a large serve is on offer! I enjoyed its lively freshness, in particular the subtle highlight of the mint. The beef was particularly tender.

The third main was a house favourite, and for good reason. The Green Chicken Curry was delicately flavoured in a tasty coconut sauce and was not overly creamy. The serving was generous, the meat moist and tender. Robert remarked that the flavour of the chicken meat was still noticeable and not overpowered by the coconut.

Cafe Michael 2 offers a broad range of dishes. Some, such as the Green Chicken Curry, will see you return, while others mean there is always variety. It is the ideal venue for a pre- or post-movie nosh stop, or as a destination in its own right.

Cafe Michael 2 is open for dinner 7 nights a week and for lunch Monday-Friday. Takeaway is available and home delivery is possible within 5kms of the city.

Cafe Michael 2

204 Rundle Street

Adelaide

Phone: 8223 3519