As its name suggests, MIXT is a mixed bag. It’s in an airy space decked out in chic contemporary style and features a compact one-dish menu to suit speedy urban lifestyles. Unfortunately, its sexy red-and-black dining area is often left empty despite its prime location in popular CentralWorld. Visiting on a recent Friday night, we couldn’t help but wonder why we were the only customers. After browsing the menu, we suspected that the prices might be what’s keeping people away. Seriously, who wouldn’t be scared off seeing that a simple khao kaprao gai is B85 and tom yum goong is B450? (The prawns are supposedly flown in from the Salawin River—here’s a thought: why not use local prawns so locals can afford it?) The service is also spotty—the staff are friendly and enthusiastic but clueless about what they’re serving, leaving the job of recommending dishes solely to the helpful manager. Or maybe it’s the food, which is more “miss” than mixed. We began the meal with goong paow klui. The deep-fried prawn sticks were enjoyable and addictive thanks to the crispy and non-oily dough, though more shrimp would be an improvement. Another recommendation: chicken MIXT salad, which matched crispy-skinned roast chicken with fruit salad and Thai-style tangy dressing—a good choice for health-conscious women. Side dishes and main courses scored slightly lower than the appetizers, as they were either too salty or too sweet, leaving us to balance things out with big spoonfuls of rice. Though we appreciated the tender chunks of beef in the massaman nuea, the nutty curry was so rich and sweet that even the accompanying roti couldn’t help it much. The next course, a set consisting of stir-fried soft-shell crab with black pepper sauce, garlic rice and a bowl of clear soup, was also fatally flawed. We were shocked by the giant portion of garlic rice, but it soon made sense when we tasted the soft-shell crab, which was far too salty to be eaten on its own. Also, if you’re not a die-hard cheese fan, give the Rasabora a wide berth: this is essentially baked spaghetti carbonara topped off with succulent-looking but rubbery shrimp and squid. Thankfully, unlike the other dishes, it didn’t contain too much salt, as our bodies couldn’t take any more seasoning by that time. In fact, after we had left the restaurant, “something” (MSG, we suspect) kicked in and our tongues went dry and we felt like we’d been stranded in a desert for a week. Too bad, because otherwise the taste of the food is OK. If MIXT went easy on seasoning, maybe things wouldn’t be so mixed up.