Husband and wife Brian and Gina are definitely a team that gets things done. Within hours of offering us our first gig at their restaurant, Java Duo were featured on Sabai's website and within a week we were singing in an intimate setting before being treated to tantalising Thai flavours.

Just off Brighton's busy North Street, Sabai with its rich colours and exotic décor feels like a sanctuary of peace and calm, worlds away from the buses and taxis of the main road. The restaurant, though a modest size has a main dining area with tables and chairs, a bar section with bar stools and a raised area with low tables and cushions, popular with groups.

Although we expected the restaurant would be quiet on a January evening, there was a steady stream of customers, obviously fans of authentic Thai cuisine (and, we like to think, live music).

We performed unplugged to an extremely warm reception. One young couple out for their three year anniversary sang along and moved to the music telling us it was the perfect way to mark the occasion. An older gentleman said he'd like us to perform at his funeral (which I'll take as a compliment, and hope won't be for a while!) and another couple didn't even face each other for their meal so they could watch us. It really was a beautiful first gig and we couldn't stop smiling!

Flattered and buzzing off the positive comments from happy diners, we sat down to eat lip-smackingly good food. 

We were treated to starters of shredded seaweed with cashews and a delicious chicken Larb (minced chicken, mint and mango salad) before mains of pad Thai and spicy soup. If Brian, as he states on his website, only serves customers food he'd be happy to eat himself, then he clearly has high standards - the tom yum gai (spicy chicken soup) I had for my main was so full of flavour I had to do my best not to drink it from the bowl! I assure you, the sophisticated jazz singer act can be a hard one to keep up when there's a table of food tempting you.

As more people defy the cold to dine out, we'll be amping up for our regular gigs at Sabai.

For more on Sabai go to www.sabaibrighton.co.uk 

You can also get updates by following them on Twitter @sabaibrighton