THAI Trading Rooms is an authentic Thai restaurant at 71 Beach Rd in Akaroa, on Banks Peninsula, holding a 4.1 rating from 616 Google reviews. A good Thai restaurant lives by balance: the sweet, sour, salty and hot in a curry or tom yum should sit in harmony rather than one note drowning the rest. Freshness shows most in the curry paste, where freshly pounded chilli, lemongrass and galangal taste brighter than a jarred shortcut. Heat is the other thing worth negotiating: kitchens outside Thailand often temper the chilli for local palates, so if you want a dish as it would arrive in Bangkok, say so when ordering. Regulars often order a curry and a noodle dish with rice to share, which gives the fairest read on a kitchen. Set on Beach Road, a short stroll from Akaroa's waterfront, it makes an easy stop after a day on the harbour.