Royal Siam, Shrewsbury

Reviewer's rating *** It was an inauspicious start to the evening, writes Andy Richardson. When we ascended the stairs of Royal Siam, in Shrewsbury's Butcher Row, we thought we'd probably be greeted by a waiter or waitress who'd inquire about our booking. We thought wrong.

We stumbled through the doors alone and, having failed to elicit a greeting, were on the point of calling: "Hello. Anyone home,?" when we spied the Thai waitress.

She was on her knees and appeared to be fixing her mixers deep in the bowels of the bar. As she become aware of our presence, her head emerged unapologetically from the rack of J2Os. With a minimum of grace, she showed us to our table.

My wife and I had eaten at Royal Siam on one previous occasion, when we enjoyed a fair-to-middling dinner. This time, the dinner was simply middling.

Menus were brought to our table by the indecorous young Thai waitress and we were left to peruse the mix of dishes on offer.

Before I go on, I should make one thing clear. I love the food of south east Asia. The national cuisine of Thailand, like the food of nearby Malaysia, Laos or even Singapore, is fragrant, fresh and exciting. Herbs and spices are used to great effect to add zing and zang to lightly-cooked fish, vegetables and meat. There's rarely pretence or over-elaboration.

I've eaten in all of those countries and in plenty of British restaurants that endeavour to replicate the flavours on offer there. Dishes should be cooked in short time and arrive sizzling hot, emitting wafts of light, steamy aromas that perfume dining rooms. In Thailand – whether it's on the streets filled with snack vendors or in the restaurants used by locals – food is invariably served with deference and humility. Sadly, those defining characteristics aren't always imported to the UK.

In the hands of the wrong people, Thai food bludgeons diners with too much grease, a lack of subtlety and overpowering flavours like chilli and ginger. On both counts – service and food – Royal Siam was perilously close to being on the wrong side of the tracks.

But what do I know? As a recent correspondent from Ludlow's Dahn Drive suggested, food critics are no better placed to comment than rank and file diners who eat out at local restaurants week in and week out. So let's explore what the great British public has to say.

One of the many websites that allows customers to critique food gives Royal Siam 3.0 out of 5, rating it as the 30th best of 53 restaurants in the wider area. That's pretty much where I'd place it.

The restaurant has its fair share of fans but there's also a significant minority of people who are nonplussed. A small number are disaffected, awarding Royal Siam the lowest possible marks and posting such warnings as 'terrible' and 'avoid at all costs'.

Right, to the review. Royal Siam was reasonably busy when we arrived on a midweek evening for dinner. There was a healthy mix of couples, friends out to catch up and those who seemed to be celebrating special occasions.

The menu was reasonably straightforward, with a selection of Thai classics and dishes more familiar to Western palates. We opted for a platter-for-two, which comprised prawn toasts, barbecue spare ribs, spring rolls, fish cakes, chicken satay and a selection of dips.

The ribs were too fatty but otherwise, all components were enjoyable, if unspectacular. The dips were the most enjoyable element, with wonderfully fresh and fragrant flavours being used to season the platter.

My wife opted for a sweet and sour fish course as her main while I went for the chicken with basil and chilli. The sweet and sour was straight forward and pleasant while my chicken and basil was underwhelming. While the chilli had been added in moderation, the chicken was tenderly cooked and the basil added to give body and fragrance; the dish was too greasy and the chef had failed to remove the woody basil stalks. A bowl of jasmine rice completed our mains.

We skipped desserts, underwhelmed by the choice on offer and also not having been wowed by the starter or mains. The moody Thai waitress had, midway through the dinner, been replaced by a charming, polite and attentive Thai man whose skill and professionalism improved the quality of our evening.

So, back to those vicious internet reviewers – who can be far less forgiving, it seems, than your humble newspaper correspondents? 'Avoid at all costs?', I'd stop someway short of that. Our dinner was £40, the waiter was an asset to Royal Siam and we were replete when we left.

'Terrible?' No, that's unfair. But the general public's rating of three out of five is a point on which I would agree.

Were I posting an internet review that required a one-word summary, I'd pick 'Average' – because that's precisely what it is.

ADDRESS

Royal Siam, Butcher Row, Shrewsbury SY1 1UW

Telephone 01743 351188

MENU SAMPLE

STARTERS

Chicken satay £5.45; Gai Bai Tuey (chicken in Thai spices in pandan leaves) £5.45

MAIN COURSES

Pad Gra Poaw (stir fried meat with holy basil and chilli) £8.95; Kaen Dang Ped (roasted duck red curry with pineapple and tomato) £9.95; Pla Sam Rode (baked sea bass with sweet and sour sauce) £15.95 SIDES Kaow Pad (egg fried rice) £3.25; Pad Thai Gung (noddles with prawns and peanut) £6.95

DESSERTS

Banana in coconut milk

ATMOSPHERE Sociable

SERVICE Hit and miss (the male waiter being a hit, the female being a miss)

DISABLED FACILITIES Not good. The restaurant is accessed via a steep set of stairs.