Walking home on a bitterly cold January evening is hardly my idea of a good time, but one positive side-effect is friends' willingness to try out any restaurant I pick - just so long as it has some form of central heating.

We'd only been walking a few minutes when I suggested the cozy and inviting Thai Bangkok Restaurant on Spadina. Between dim lights, Thai-inspired decor and photos of spicy noodles in the window, it was an easy sell. We walk in and are quickly greeted by a friendly waitress, already carrying a pot of hot tea for everyone.

Browsing the shiny laminated pages of the menu, there are plenty of entree choices (mostly $6.95-$8.95). For variety, we choose from four different sections and then kick back to wait while enjoying an order of crispy home-made Spring Rolls ($3.95).

Tom Ka Kai Soup arrives first and fills the room with the sweet smell of its feature ingredient: coconut milk. Close your eyes now and imagine tender chicken, mushrooms and lemongrass along with a side of fresh jasmine rice ($1) all mixed into a light, yet rich, milky broth, and you can begin to see this simple soup could quite well be the ultimate winter meal.

Spicy Tofu & Vegetables along with Cashew Nut Chicken arrive next. Both are pretty standard finds at most Thai and Asian-fusion restos, so Thai Bangkok shows a little extra care in preparation to make sure we remember theirs.

Our sides of rice are star-shaped (how cute) and the dishes are both packed with a wealth of freshly chopped veggies and tangy sauce. The tofu dish could have been spicier, but the cashew nut chicken is indeed super-nutty (that's right). When they say 'cashew' here, they really mean it.

An order of Glass Noodles doesn't disappoint either. The delicate soy-infused noodles are stir-fried with egg, tofu, broccoli, shredded carrots, bok choy, and Asian mushrooms - delicious as a standalone dinner or for sharing.

Just as we were ready to ask for the bill, the waitress appears with complimentary sliced watermelon to end the meal off on a sweet note... just one more reminder of all the special touches Thai Bangkok Restaurant brings to the table.

I've definitely found my new favourite Thai hideaway in the city.