Detecting Macromedia Flash, please wait... I really hadn't realised the number of ways in which the word "ordnance" might be spelt - and we are talking here about weapons, guns and so on. According to my dictionary there is also "ordinance" - an authoritative order - and "ordonnance" which is to do with art and architecture. When I asked directory inquiries for the "The Ordnance Arms" they suggested it was spelt "ordinance" which appears to be incorrect. The pub sign was right, but my credit card voucher added a new twist: "The Ordanance Arms" - definitely wrong! So what has all this to do with food? Well, the Ordnance Arms is a pub, needless to say. It is a quite typical pub with a couple of bars and a pool table. It is situated on the A1067 near the village of Guist about 15 miles from Norwich. It is, however, a pub with an unusual twist: at the rear is a separate entrance that leads into a Thai restaurant; yes, a Thai restaurant! This is certainly not the sort of territory that you would normally go in search of Oriental food. We were greeted by Thai staff and could see through the open kitchen door that the lady chefs were of that nationality too. Thais are noted for their hospitality and friendliness and the greeting did not disappoint. On being seated, we all commented immediately on the delightful silk tablecloth covering the ample table. The room is small with about 30 covers and we were by no means alone on a Thursday evening. A valiant effort has been made to create an Eastern ambience by wall tapestries, parasol and artefacts such as elephants and religious statuettes.Ê Whether or not all this will succeed in making you feel you are in the suburbs of Bangkok rather than the wilds of Norfolk is a moot point, but I am confident that you will enjoy the cosy atmosphere. By now you must be wondering about the food, so let me introduce you to the menu. Chinese and Thai food menus tend to be long and this was no exception, although it is well set out to guide you through. A good selection of starters are priced around £3.50 to £4 but why not do as we did and take the easy option of the "Royal Starter Platter" at £4 per person, which included spicy fishcakes, prawn pancakes, crispy noodles, spare ribs, spring rolls and steamed prawn and crabmeat dumplings. The dumplings and the ribs were fabulous but everyone enjoyed all the items presented on our very adequate platter. I must admit that I was a little nervous concerning the main courses.Ê I had been apprehensive from the start about the likelihood of finding a good Thai restaurant in this out-of-the-way place and, after such excellent starters, would the standard be maintained? We chose king prawns in sweet and sour chilli sauce (£11.95); chicken salad with lemon grass, lime leaves and basil (£7.50); beef green curry (£6.95); pork stir fry with ginger, spring onions and garlic (£6.95); traditional Nasi Goreng, which is rice with chicken, prawns, egg and vegetables (£7.50) and coconut rice (£2). I need not have been concerned. All of these dishes were first rate, especially the green curry and the chicken salad. A positive feature of this menu is that meat courses offer a choice of beef, chicken or pork to accompany each style of dish or sauce, so that our beef green curry could have been pork or chicken, if we had so preferred. We shared one dessert at £2.95, a dish of banana with coconut milk ice cream and concluded with coffee at £1 per person. Thai food is very popular at present. There is a belief that it is all hot which deters some would-be diners, but this is a misconception. There are many mild, excellent flavours to be enjoyed plus, for those who want them, hotter options such as green curry or the more fiery, red curry. The wine list is about the right length and, unusually, contains only one bottle from France. Pricing is good with much choice under £10. In the interests of research, we tried two whites! A Montana Marlborough Chardonnay from New Zealand (£9.20) had sufficient body to go well with the food. A Spanish Faustino V white Rioja (£12.50) was smooth but perhaps a little too light for this cuisine. No problems, though, with a South African Pieters Drift red Cabernet (£6.80) which stood up to the flavours very well - a bargain at this price. A three-course meal for two with a bottle of wine and coffee should come in under £50 and for that you will have dined well and differently.