In 1990, shortly after migrating from Thailand, Adul and Sunida Ratankosol opened a restaurant at the Yarralumla shops. When the couple’s sons, Mork and Benn, wanted to open a place of their own, they drew on their experiences growing up in the restaurant.

Morks opened in Florey in 2008, before eventually moving to its current lakefront position on Kingston foreshore. Mork himself is the man on the pans, while his brother Benn is the affable face of the restaurant.

Over the years, Morks has earned itself plenty of acclaim, but there’s no pretension here. The dining room is dark and uncomplicated, with simple furnishings and minimal adornment. The kitchen casts out a warm, inviting glow.

The contemporary Thai menu is filled with familiar dishes tweaked with ingredients and techniques borrowed from other cuisines. Past dishes have included a katsu sandwich-esque soft-shell crab sando, and kangaroo spring rolls spiced with Burmese chillies.

A must is the Angel Prawns, a fan favourite that made the jump over from Mork and Benn’s parents’ restaurant and survived the move from Florey to the foreshore. It emerges from the kitchen sizzling theatrically, each prawn topped with a small clay hat. The claypot it’s cooked in is traditionally used for a coconut-based dessert, but in this dish it brings an earthiness and smokiness. There’s a wide array of curries here, and the roster changes often. Whichever you end up going for, though, be sure to order some coconut rice to soak up all of the sauce.

Most dishes are designed to share, but when it comes to dessert, we recommend you order a deep-fried ice-cream just for you.

Local Canberra wines and international bottles share top billing on the drinks list, and they’re joined by colourful cocktails and house-made sodas.