When you mention Thai food in Singapore, there's usually three categories that come to mind - the dinghy (but what most would consider more authentic) hole-in-the-wall small eateries ala Golden Mile Complex, the high end Yingthai, Patara and co., and the middle range of so-so but convenient eateries like Thai Express.

I was lucky enough to be invited for a sneak peek and preview of a new Thai restaurant which finds a unique niche among the three categories above - modern Thai.

Kha is tucked away at the soon-to-be-opened Hort Park at Hyderabad Road and officially opened to the public on 18 March. The sole F&B outlet in Hort Park, it's located in a real gem of a place with so much fresh air, open space, greenery and plants for sale to the green fingers among us.

So what exactly is "modern Thai"? One thing it isn't is that culinary taboo term "fusion". Kha pegs itself to the higher end of Thai outlets and offers familiar favourites but executed and presented in a modern fashion.

I started off with some pomegranate juice ice blend, topped with fresh pomegranate seeds. Very refreshing and a wonderful change from the usual fruit juice.

Next came the complimentary rice crackers with curry dip. I liked this version to the usual ones which are commonly served with minced chicken. The curry dip is very lemak, just a tad spicy and extremely addictive!

For starters, we tried no less than three items. Something one doesn't normally get in a typical Thai restaurant - Wagyu beef salad. Tender, medium-done slices of smooth beef piled high and served with a dollop of creamy mayo-like sauce and sweet chilli. So good we ordered two servings!

Next up was a dish of deep-fried vermicelli wrapped prawns. Very fresh and crunchy, it was good enough on its own or with the mango-infused mayo dip.

Another dish you don't find too often in other Thai diners was the deep-fried banana flower. Lightly-battered, it was another starter that disappeared within minutes. The general consensus however was that the accompanying chilli sauce was too sweet and a tangy, spicy version would bring out the flavour of the banana flower better.

And when in any Thai restaurant, one must also try the Thai staple Tom Yun Goong. This was possibly the only dish that didn't quite pass muster. I don't eat tom yum but my dinner table guests said it was nothing spectacular, although the single giant tiger prawn in each bowl was impressive.

For mains, we shared a range of curries, pad thai, as well as a choice of jasmin or brown rice. The pad thai was extremely light both in texture and flavour, the prawns were crunchy and fresh, and the omelette shreds suitably fluffy and soft. This was one of the more finely executed pad thais I've had.

For curries, we tried the chicken massaram curry. Very tender, perfectly grilled pieces of chicken with a rich smoky flavour, chunks of stewed potatoes and a pumpkin slice made up this sweet curry. Be warned: The term "curry" is a misnomer and this dish is sweet and not in the least bit spicy so it does take some getting used to. But give it a shot, have it piping hot and the flavours will grow on you.

The star of the night was the soft shell crab green curry. Unlikely the overly-dosed coconut milk versions elsewhere, this is one curry where the spiciness is not only high, but sharp. The soft shell crab was crispy with generous juicy flesh inside and went extremely well with the green curry. When at Kha, you can also opt to have the green curry with other meats like chicken and beef, instead of the soft shell crab.

Another area where the modern element shone through was in the desserts. The black glutinous rice cake with mango ice-cream was a star. The cake was served warm and the lightness is reminiscent of our chinese steamed cakes. Soft and caramel-sweet, it's a dessert that can be polished off by one person without the often accompanying guilt of sweets. Personally, I think vanilla ice-cream would really enhance the flavours but I would probably be committing a thai cuisine faux pax!

And of course, how could we not end off with the quintessential thai dessert, mango with sticky rice? At Kha, the sticky rice comes with an interesting pandan sauce. I'm not a fan of this dessert but my dinner companions were raving about this, especially the mango, so I take it that it was good.

Kha definitely has the quality, the uniqueness of interpretation and ambience to stand out from the range of Thai places here. So if you're not a stickler for "authentic" Thai food and would like some tasty, well-executed fare, then this is it.