HOT: Citrus Mint Thai Restaurant, 357 Victoria St, West Melbourne

West Melbourne is a funny place. It straddles the city and trendy North Melbourne in a kind of grungy business/pretty residential mix and it?s not somewhere that necessarily comes to mind for dining out.

However, for locals of West Melbourne (and North Melbourne for that matter), Citrus Mint is a nice little neighbourhood Thai restaurant for those nights where you just want an unpretentious, reasonably-priced night out.  Neither the setting or the dishes are cutting edge ? I?d call it comfortable and familiar instead, and that?s not a bad thing on a Tuesday night when you?re just looking for a hot meal.

I liked the fact that the décor wasn?t overtly Thai with temples and purple silk everywhere, but was just decorated with subtle touches of Thai screenprints. As there was only one other table the service was prompt and on the waitress? recommendation we went for Dory fish fillets in red chilli paste tossed with snake beans, red peppers, wild ginger & kaffir lime leaves ($18) and the day?s special of green curry with tiger prawns, calamari, eggplant. basil and chilli ($20), served with jasmine rice ($3 each).

The dishes arrived extremely quickly and both were laden generously with seafood. The dory fillets had a good red chilli kick to it and it was easily preferred over the rather insipid green curry ? not terrible, just a bit unremarkable. I also noticed that one of the other tables was tucking heartily into some satays so I might try them next time.

Citrus Mint is not somewhere I?d necessarily cross town for. But it?s pleasant enough that if I was in the area it?d be one of my choices for a meal.