I don't know how Sid Sehgal did it, a graduate with a degree in economics from New York University, and then editor of Look East magazine in Bangkok. Not bad for a guy in his early 20's. And then what do you know! The next thing I heard, he was planning to open a restaurant. Certainly someone in his family publishing business must have told him that a degree in economics and the experience as a magazine editor don't actually qualify to run a restaurant. But then maybe they knew something the rest of us didn't. Sid went ahead and opened his restaurant and, the next thing I heard, it was a success. It seems that his mother, Asha, not only didn't discourage him but she ended up doing much of the design of the restaurant. Her touches can be seen everywhere.

"You must come see it," Asha kept telling me. But mothers, they are all the same (their kids are the brightest on the block) so I kept finding excuses for not visiting the place. It wasn't that I didn't like Indian food, for I do, very much, but I guess I didn't want to offend the Seghals. We were old friends. What if I didn't like the place? I kept saying, "Okay, one day," and managed to put it off.

I was running out of excuses, but this time when Asha phoned I didn't need one. My nephew Robert Stedman and his wife were coming up from Singapore on a photography shoot. "Bring him along," Asha said.

"He's with his editor and he's with his wife," I said. That should do it.

"Bring them too."

What could I say? The six of us went to Indus.

I like surprises. This was a total surprise. My nephew and his friend were astounded. "Why didn't you say this was something special?" Robert said.

Even from the outside the place is striking.

The decor is the first thing to hit you. I would like to say it's like a museum but that would he incorrect. Museums are stuffy. This place is alive, more like a Maharaja's palace. Sid and his mother chose a design theme inspired by the Indus Valley Civilization (2600-1900 BC). Walls are lined with sandstone bricks, doorways framed with antique wooden tapestries, and artistic sculptures are placed aptly throughout the place. But again, it's not a museum. Sid added a modern and contemporary Indian dining concept.

We had to choose to dine inside in the main dining room, or outdoors in the lush tropical garden. Seksan Upasu, the General Manager, explained that the dining room could seat sixty guests and another fifty in the garden. There was also a VIP Floor for fifty guests upstairs, and the bar could accommodate fifty happy imbibers. This was no cosy mom-and-pop restaurant. Indus is vast.

We chose to sit in the restaurant.

When they serve at the Indus, it's part of the entertainment. Waiters bring the food so elegantly. Each course is served in individual brass cookers, and they lined up our table down the middle from end to end.

Sid knew that for the restaurant to succeed he would need a good chef and that is what Indus has, a master in the field of Indian cuisine. The focus is on Northern Indian cuisine and the chef is Sonya Sapru, author of the internationally known cookbook Zaika. For the menu she chose from her family's six generations-old recipes.

How's this for the menu: Kebab-e-Malai, boneless tender chicken marinated in yogurt, cheese, coriander, and lime. Or Chicken Tikka Kati Roll spiced chicken wrap with onion, capsicum, greens and spices in a tortilla.

Delicious were the Indie Fries, chickpeas, battered crisp okra fries.

Then what is an Indian meal without mutton? Kashmir Ki Khasiyat, a classic rich mutton curry from the northern Indian region of Kasmir.

Robert's wife chose Murgh Makhani, tender boneless chicken in a rich creamy curry. We all had Paneer Tirang, cottage cheese marinated in three different spices: Vegetable Shashlik (capsicum, onions and tomato spice), Achari Tikka (yogurt and pickled spices, and Reshmi Tikka (herb spices).

The editor and his wife went for Samandari Tikka, barbecued prawns, marinated in aromatic spices, butter, and garlic. I traded off some of my Kebab-e-Malai for a bit of theirs.

Soon we were all sampling everyone else's dish, the way it is supposed to be.

That was our night at Indus. To answer Robert's question, why did I tell him Indus was something special. Why? I didn't know but now that I do, I can pass it on.

Indus Bar hosts events on a regular basis and features live DJs, live bands, belly dancers, classical guitarists, clowns and magicians for kids, and other entertainment fare appropriate for many different types of events.

Indus is located at 71 Sukhumvit Soi 26 around the corner from the Four Wings Hotel on the Rama IV side. You can take the BTS to Phrom Phong and then get a motorcycle-taxi or a cab from the top of Soi 26.