SWEET, salty, sour, spicy. That’s Thai food for you.

If this style of cuisine tantalises your tastebuds give Kinn Thai Restaurant a go.

“Kinn” means “eat” in Thai. It was our first time at this casual dining establishment, which holds a prime location on Bunda Street, near the Canberra Centre.

You can expect big smiles and a warm welcome, super-efficient service, reasonable prices and pretty presentation.

Kinn has one restaurant in Canberra but six in three other states, so they’re no strangers to hospitality.

We decided it would be fun to lunch by trialling a variety of dishes from the “to start” section.

It transported us to Thailand and it was a lovely trip indeed.

First up was the betel leaf, a traditional Thai dish (seasonal).

Each beautiful, glossy, deep-green betel leaf carefully holds a plump tiger prawn topped with Thai herbs and Kinn’s special sauce.

Each one is a perfect mouthful of amazing flavours ($4 each).

Another one of Kinn’s secret sauces is served with the golden, crispy skin, soft tofu (six pieces for $6).

To add a bit of crunch, Kinn tops off these small delicate bundles with crushed roasted peanuts and chilli flakes. Great texture.

The scallop dish ramped up the chilli heat considerably and we loved it. The pan-seared scallops, cooked to perfection (slightly pale inside but not raw) were to die for and so was the super spicy chilli and lime sauce (two pieces for $9).

We were definitely on a “Thai roll” and kept going with the Kinn duck pancake (two pieces for $10).

Succulent roasted duck breast, with cooling crisp cucumber and shallots all wrapped in a delicate rosemary pancake, made in house.

The only dish that didn’t have the wow factor was the satay chicken skewers (eight pieces for $9.50).

They looked bland on the plate compared to the vibrant presentation of our other dishes and, although marinated, didn’t have a great deal of flavour. They were disappointing.

The outdoor dining area at Kinn is massive. Depending on the time of day, there are spots in the sun and plenty in the shade.

The interior décor is modern and inviting.

Relaxing over a meal with friends and family is so-very Thai and we “got it” as we sat sharing our selection of smaller dishes.

It’s a perfect way to dine. Besides, it was a stinking hot day and heavier options wouldn’t have suited.

We walked away just pleasantly, not overly full, and our tastebuds thanked us for the delicious trip.

With Kinn, you can order online with an estimated pick up time of 15 minutes. More restaurants are offering this option, which is super handy.

Kinn Thai Restaurant, Canberra Centre, 125 Bunda Street. Call 6247 1277.