Douglas Williams/ Shanghai Daily News 

The findings of a straw-poll recently conducted by www.yourstruly.research-honest.com, involving almost half a dozen respondents, concluded that Thai food is probably the most popular in the world.

Steve, Cherry, Debs and Toby didn't hesitate when the question of which is the best food in the world was put to them. "Thai," came their answer. Jon required a little prompting but concurred that: "Yeah, I suppose it isn't." The sixth person, who shall remain nameless, didn't understand the question.

Some less recent and more official research carried out in the Jinqiao area asked local residents which of the Puxi restaurants they would most like to see setting up shop near them.

Top of the pops was Simply Thai. Unfortunately for Jinqiao residents, and a lesson for all market researchers, the latest Simply Thai opened last Friday not in Pudong but out West in Hongqiao instead.

The third Simply Thai restaurant, Simply Thai Hong Mei, is on the Hong Mei Entertainment Street in Hongqiao. This street is so named as there is nothing but entertainment to be had its entire length.

Pubs, patisseries, restaurants and even a spa offer an abundance of quality, mostly family oriented entertainment options. That said, having endured a rush hour cab from downtown out to Hongqiao, it's more than simply entertainment that's required - medication, even therapy, may be more appropriate.

Thai food opens up the taste buds in a way few other foods manage and in a way that creates if not an addiction then a terrible yearning for.

It was this yearning that led to the creation of Simply Thai by the two founders Choon Guo and Richard Lim back in 1999 with the original restaurant on Dongping Road. Back then there were no Thai restaurants in Shanghai, excluding the three Simply Thais, there are now 15; read into that what you will.

Guo said: "I have always asked myself what cuisine I could eat every day, 365 days a year and still enjoy it - inevitably Thai food was always the answer."

Only the best

The recipe Guo used when creating Simply Thai was very simple: employ actual Thai chefs, trained in Bangkok, who cook 100 percent genuine Thai food. Use the very best of ingredients many of which must be flown in. Blend in boutique designer furnishings and staff who have actually undergone some training.

The results speak for themselves. The original restaurant was so popular that a second was opened in Xintiandi in 2003.

The furnishings in the restaurant were so popular that a furniture boutique, Simply Life, was then opened next door on Dongping Road. Simply Life has proved so popular that a second was also opened again in Xintiandi. This will be replaced in February by a much bigger shop above the restaurant. Beneath the Simply Group's vibrant umbrella, there's also Simply Flowers, a florist, and Party People, a catering and events planning company.

In the beginning, the vast majority of Simply Thai's customers were western, but with the growing number of Chinese visiting Thailand and the increasing popularity amongst Shanghainese of Sichuan and Hunan cuisine, both famously spicy, the balance is now greatly redressed. Much of the menu is available in three degrees of spicy: the smoldering nibble; a scorching bite and the fully fledged furnace.

The latest Simply Thai is also the biggest with two floors encompassing some 450 square meters and thus allowing Hongqiao residents to give their taste buds a work out closer to home.

Meng Phang, finance director of Simply Thai explained one of his theories behind the success of Simply Thai: "Thai food has a universal appeal and we have refused to dumb down the food that we serve. Our chefs are Thai and they will not cook anything in anyway other than exactly how it's cooked in Thailand." The Thai chefs, Amorn and Sukit, who came to cook in the first Simply Thai restaurant, are still working for the organization seven years later.

Staffing features as Phang's number one issue when it comes to running the business.

"We are lucky, our staff turnover is low. Staff turnover creates big problems so we try to ensure it doesn't happen. We offer our staff more than just a job. With the Simply Life organization, our staff can actually think about a career with the possibility of progressing and growing with the company. I really enjoy watching our staff develop."

If booking a table for a Monday, remember to mention this little phrase "Monday Blues," and in so doing slash your bill by half.

Simply Thai Hong Mei

Address: 28 Lane 3338, Hong Mei Entertainment Street, Hongmei Road.

Call 6465 8955 to book.