Thiou, Apiradee Thirakomen's Thai restaurant back at the Norman hotel

TheHotel Norman opened its doors a stone's throw from Place de l'Etoile last autumn. And a new hotel means a new hotel restaurant! At the Hotel Norman, the cuisine will be Thai or not, with the inauguration of the Thiou restaurant.

If you're not familiar with the name, that's perfectly normal: this was one of the emblematic addresses of Paris in the 2000s, opened in the 7th arrondissement by chef Thiou, whose real name is Apiradee Thirakomen. This semi-gastronomic restaurant has moved to the rive Droite, but retains its contemporary Thai-style cuisine, which blends Thai flavours with French produce.

On the menu at this new address are 10 starters, 10 main courses and 8 desserts, all of which will evolve with the seasons and the chef's whims. Among Thiou's signature dishes is the famous crying tiger (€41), a fat-free, marinated and grilled sirloin fillet served with a carrot and papaya salad and a sauce for which the chef carefully guards the recipe. For many years, this was the chef's flagship dish and one of the first specialties to democratize Thai cuisine in Paris.

To discover other dishes, we opt instead for the shrimp ravioli and coconut cream flavored with lemongrass (24€), another of Thiou's cult dishes (rightly so, they're all sweetness and comfort) and the crispy maki with salmon and Tobik's roe, spiked with sriracha mayonnaise (17€), original.

Next up, calamari and octopus sautéed with sriracha (32€), crunchy vegetables and Thai sausage with lemongrass, a dish that sends out its dose of flavor and heat, and pad thaï (30€) with shrimp, finer than in most Parisian Thai restaurants. To extinguish the small fire in your taste buds, the sticky rice with coconut milk and fresh mango (18€) may be a good solution.

If the prices are representative of the neighborhood and will, in any case, find takers, Thiou also offers a lunch menu that's a little more affordable: €36 starter/main course or main course/dessert, €44 starter/main course/dessert, to choose from 3 starters, 3 main courses and 2 desserts.

• To be read
• Thai restaurants in Paris, our best addresses
• Maison Kapunka, a Thai bistro combining tradition and modernity
• Baanbeck, the trendy Lao-Thai bistro and wine bar a stone's throw from the quays of the Seine

Ready to tantalize your taste buds?