I FIRST reviewed Madame Woo’s in Kingston in January, 2004. Way back then I wrote: “Eating great food without paying a fortune for the privilege is enough to put a smile on anyone’s face. And a smile is what you’ll get at Madam Woo of Kingston.”

It’s appropriate to start this review exactly the same way since Madam Woo still offers great value for money and tasty dishes, to boot.

What has changed is the interior, with a major renovation just completed. New furniture, new décor and a brighter, lighter space. A sign that this restaurant is here to stay.

It was tempting to go for one of the specials ($12.90) that included, the day we lunched, a beef brisket with rice or rice noodle soup, Mongolian chicken with rice and other dishes such as satay beef with noodles. Instead, we took our time wandering through the pages and pages of items on the main menu. It was challenging to choose.

In the end the Madam Woo coconut and lime chicken won over ($17.80) and, interestingly, it was one of the dishes I wrote about in 2004 (although I didn’t recall that at the time). It’s a medium hot dish made with yellow chilli paste created by the chef. The chicken breast was thinly sliced and not overcooked or dry. The coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves (lots of) and fresh chillies made for a fabulous dish that packed a punch on flavour ($17.80).

The basil and chilli tofu with vegetables was also super satisfying and filled us with our vitamins for the day. Even if you’re not a big tofu fan, give it a go.

Madam Woo also has the usual suspects on its menu – dumplings, soup starters, wok-tossed noodles, duck, seafood and more.

On many occasions over the years I’ve indulged in the Prawn Tom Yum Soup ($7.80), a perfect balance of sweet and sour, served with juicy, plump prawns, spiked with chilli and refreshing coriander.

Madam Woo is also fiercely proud of its exotic and memorable laksa, which it claims is one of the best in Canberra.

My only thumbs down with Madam Woo’s is the wine list. It’s very limited and on our visit even more so with several of the whites and reds listed not available.

There’s a red house wine for $22.80 a bottle. The whites include a Yellow Tail Semillon sauvignon blanc and a smattering of other labels at various price points. We opted to pay the $7 for corkage so we could enjoy a bottle of our own.

Madam Woo,  38 Giles Street, Kingston, open Monday to Sunday, lunch and dinner (last order 9.30pm). Call 6239 6932.