This small eatery is run by three friends who like to cook, paint, design and even sing, something you’ll get to hear if you visit at night when they will serenade you on the piano. As you push open the door (with its five doorknobs) and enter the place, you’ll notice the intimate (there are only five large tables), slightly fairytale ambience. The split-level design and the hand painted backdrop of trees on the wall feel wonderfully theatrical, a mood enhanced by the vintage clocks, furniture and dresses, which are all for sale. As for the menu, the brief list of fusion dishes on offer shows creativity and a distinctly Thai palate. The angel hair with stir-fried liver and garlic, for example, is simple but works quite well. The pasta isn’t al dente, but the liver is tasty and nicely cooked, which lends a natural sweetness to the dish. The signature dish of the house turns out to be a snack, delicious fried potato wedges with dips. It comes with an impressive 30 dips to try, from liver pate to leek or shoyu. We recommended the Pork On Fire (shredded pork in mayonnaise and chili)—it’s dangerously addictive. For something more Thai, the fried tofu with fried chicken on top is delightful thanks to the very firm fried tofu. It’s not all a total success. The chicken in gravy, comes served with the options of mee krob (crispy noodles), rice, sticky rice, mashed potato or roti. The taste is a little bit bland and we would like it better if the mee krob was served separately, so it could remain nice and crispy. Also, the kor moo sauce makham (grilled pork with tamarind sauce) is just overly greasy and is certainly not fancy enough to deserve the high price tag. Despite the fact that the food occasionally misses the mark, we can’t fail to appreciate and applaud their efforts, the eye for detail and the overall charm of IfItIs.
