Land of Smiles: Restaurants with a fictional story behind the concept are gaining traction in Hong Kong. The latest example? My Tai Tai, inspired by a posh Thai lady who loves fine food and great adventures. In reality, the Thai restaurant serves dishes from regions across the country, rather than focusing on a single type of Thai cuisine — all in a casual setting. It’s one of the four new ventures from ZS Hospitality Group, which also runs Ee Da Le upstairs.

Look & Feel: A sprawling, colorful space with the inevitable industrial-chic touches thrown in, My Tai Tai seems laidback and unpretentious.

Meet the Chef: Executive chef Amphon Phoomphookieo grew up in Isaan, the northeastern region of Thailand known for healthful foods that place an emphasis on fresh ingredients. After a few years in Bangkok, he moved to Hong Kong in the 90s and worked closely with Harlan Goldstein — who was previously involved with the four projects — and also headed the Thai cuisine department at Hotel Icon.

On the Menu: Start with small bites and salads to share, like crispy tiger prawn and vegetable spring rolls ($128), charcoal grill marinated pork neck ($98) and of course, green papaya salad ($108). Then move on to hearty seafood and meat dishes as well as curries — think slow-cooked and roasted marinated chicken, Isaan-style ($328); yellow egg lobster curry ($388) and wagyu beef brisket in panang curry ($168). Although food is on the expensive side, signature cocktails — which are mostly light, fruity affairs — are $118.

Great For: Group outings, dinner before heading out for a night on the tiles.

FYI: My Tai Tai is staffed by Thai natives who really know their stuff.

Check out Hong Kong’s newest restaurants here.

This writeup is a news piece and was not based on a restaurant visit. The Loop will update this post once we’ve visited in person.