A Thai gem unearthed in Seaham.

IF such a thing as the perfect dining experience exists, then I reckon I have found the place, in a somewhat unlikely East Durham location.

Mostly renowned for its beach, and historic links to the mining industry, Seaham may not be the first place that springs to mind when seeking out a Thai restaurant.

And the town may seem slightly off the beaten track for these pages. But believe me, this is one track worth beating.

The Pan Din Thai opened in Seaham harbour a year ago, and quickly established itself as a favourite culinary hotspot amongst those living in the area, and beyond.

The owner, I’m told, has visited Thailand on many occasions and wanted to replicate a genuine Thai dining experience in the North-East, with specially selected Thai kitchen staff creating authentic food at sensible prices.

Prior to my visit, I was strongly advised to reserve a table, as the restaurant is usually fully booked on weekend evenings.

My partner, Sean, and I received a warm welcome as we entered the first-floor restaurant, which comprises a small bar area, with the dining room situated across a small landing.

It is cosy and intimate, and the decor and fittings are both upmarket, and authentically Thai, yet there is enough space between tables to prevent a sense of overcrowding.

The vast, a-la carte menu caters for all tastes and budgets, and makes for fascinating, mouth-watering, reading.

To whet your appetite, visit www.pandinthai.co.uk, which includes a take-away menu.

Early bird menus offer three courses for £8.99, on weekdays from 5.30pm to 7pm, and lunch menus offer three courses for £6.95, Monday to Saturday, from 11.30am to 2.30pm.

Being relative newcomers to Thai dining, Sean and I opted for one of the four set menus, which contains a selection of dishes, for a minimum of two people.

Our platter of starters included one portion each of pork ribs marinated in honey and soy sauce, chicken satay strips, king prawns in a thin pastry, vegetarian spring rolls, Thai fish cakes, and a spicy cabbage, cucumber and carrot salad.

It was beautifully garnished with vegetables hand-carved, by the staff, into flowers and leaf shapes.

The main courses included yellow curry with chicken and potatoes, stir-fried beef with oyster sauce, stir-fried pork with garlic and white pepper, stir-fried bean curd with broccoli, and egg fried rice.

The food was a triumph. We enjoyed every fragrant mouthful.

The yellow curry and rice arrived first, and we were halfway through our first delightful portion, when the pork arrived. Quickly followed by the beef, and vegetable dishes.

I particularly enjoyed the curry, which was fragrant, aromatic, and warming.

Sean said the beef his favourite, due to the tenderness of the meat, and strong flavour of the sauce.

Our leftovers were kindly placed into take-away containers, at our request, for us to take home. It made a perfect post-pub midnight feast later that night.

We rounded off the meal with two scoops of ice-cream each.

This is not your standard, supermarket ice-cream. This is the sort of luxury ice-cream I would associate with exotic, foreign holidays. Flavours range from Grand Marnier and apple, to pistachio, and delicious fruity sorbets, including mango and passionfruit.

Our menu of choice, the Bangkok, cost £17.95 per person, and the final bill, which included two pints of Worthingtons, and two diet cokes, came to £42.70. We thought it was outstanding value for money.

The waiting staff should also be commended for their attentiveness and friendly, but not over-bearing, manner.

This really is a hidden gem of a restaurant, and one that I cannot recommend highly enough.