Pre Cinema Munchings at Giggling Squid

My birthday present from the lovely Kym was dinner or lunch at wherever I fancied. This is the best kind of present because I get to eat, which is my favourite thing to do, and I get to spend time with a good friend.  A browse of places we had yet to feast occurred and Giggling Squid was decided upon. Occupying the venue which was previously vacated by a Strada, Giggling Squid is a mini chain of just over a dozen restaurants all based in the South boasting rustic and local Thai dishes.  Lunchtimes have several set menu options allowing you to have a big dish all to yourself or to sample a couple of dishes if you can't just choose one. Kym and I decided to go for a tapas set each, dishes included; salt & pepper squid, sleeping honey duck, chicken massaman curry and beef salad. The tapas sets hover around the £11-12 mark which for lunch isn't too bad. 

With some very tasty Thai spiced prawn crackers to start us off we got stuck into the mains as soon as we were able. The good stuff first. Kym's honey duck was the stand out dish, very much recommended, closely followed by the chicken massaman and the beef salad. Pretty good portion sizes considering they were smaller dishes and the flavours were very delicious and warming. I was a touch disappointed by the squid as the batter was too thick for my tastes so it masked the squid a little. However I really liked the idea of having lots of small dishes for lunch because then you get to sample more of the menu, which is perfect for someone as curious as me. 

I have heard that the evening menu is a bit more pricey than normally expected to pay for Thai food but everyone I have spoken to who has been there has been fairly impressed on the whole. I would definitely make a return trip on a lunch time but whether it is enough to coax me away from more reasonably priced Thai restaurants in the evening, the jury is still out. To find out more about Giggling Squid check out their website. 

Saturday Night at Everyday Thai

I have eaten a lot of Thai food recently, and all different places, which is good, mainly because I love Thai food but also I am always happy when new Thai restaurants open in Bristol. I recently became aware of Everyday Thai in Fishponds. I understand this opened Summer last year and as Rich's youngest sister Natalie and her boyfriend have just moved not too far away from this area, and loves Thai food, we decided to check it out. The restaurant is tiny, probably only sits about 25 people when full, but the walls are covered with lots of interesting things to look at. The other thing to note is that currently they do not have a liquor licence so all beer and wine served is alcohol free, to be honest this didn't bother me too much but I know the table next to us were not happy. 

The service here was very welcoming and friendly from the start, they want you to have a nice meal, and they actually mean it. The menu is full of a lot of the usual Thai favourites along with a couple of new things, the prices are very reasonable as well, a chicken pad Thai for example is £6.50. We decided to share two lots of mixed starters between us plus I chose the special lamb massaman curry, which came with rice, for £9.99.

mixed dips

mixed starters

For two people, a pretty substantial starters platter with assorted dips, I would personally take more two more satay over spring rolls but that is my preference. The prawn rolls were really good, extra large prawns and with a great flavour. Basically between two people it works out at just under £6 each which isn't bad for all that food. On to the mains.

lamb massaman curry

chicken Pad Thai

A huge portion of lamb massaman sat in front of me, there was a lot of lamb in this bowl and it was super tender and fell apart. This was excellent. Creamy, nutty, indulgent, I ate the whole bowl it was too good not to. Rich's pad Thai was well received and for the price the noodles seemed to go on forever, which is exactly what I want from noodles, for them to be everlasting.

Fishponds has new places opening up all the time and this is a wonderful new edition to the neighbourhood I for one will be visiting again as it's a good tasty meeting point for us and Natalie. To check out what else Everyday Thai has to offer check out their website.  They also offer a takeaway service, so you can go and collect delicious Thai treats to snaffle at home with 20% off the price.

Healing Dinner at Siam Thai

Last couple of weeks I have been a bit under the weather, the death throws of Winter sticking me with a cold wiped me out more than I expected. I needed some healing and luckily it came in the form of Thai food. Rich's parents picked us up and took us on a secret trip. We had no idea where we were headed, after about 40 minutes we arrived into Chipping Sodbury. Rich and I don't have a car so I had never been here before but as Rich grew up in Winterbourne he was pretty familiar with the area.

We strolled through the door of Siam Thai (it's sister restaurant is Bristol's Siam Thai Harbourside) and a fairly small but homely restaurant greeted me, I could smell spices in the air and it was enchanting.  We ordered some drinks and browsed the menu.  Dishes ordered included a mixed starters platter, pork jungle curry, chicken tom kha gai, chu chi pla and a stir fried beef.

mixed starters

pork jungle curry

chicken tom kha gai

Two starter platters of the first photo arrived at our table, a very generous portion and really delicious, the satay sauce was particularly delicious.  Our mains arrived shortly afterwards and were piping hot and alluringly scented. I particularly enjoyed the jungle curry, it was hot but it was a quick burn and had bags of flavour. The fried fish in the chu chi pla was another top pick of mine, but to be honest all the food was fantastic definitely some of the nicest Thai food I have had in the area so far.

Despite being pretty full the lure of fried bananas was too much for Rich and so we ordered two portions to share between the four of us and the portions were enormous. Really crunchy breadcrumb coating and hot banana it was pretty moreish so we polished off the lot.

So if you do fancy venturing further afield for Thai food or find yourself in Chipping Sodbury head to Siam Thai, they have an excellent set lunch deal for £8.95. To find out a bit more about their menu check out their website.

A Monday Night at Bangkok House

Monday we met Rich's parents for dinner, deciding on treating Rich to something full of flavour, that wouldn't hurt his jaw too much and something that he could actually taste through the side affects, Rich's dad decided Thai food would be a good bet for all these things.  As I had heard good things about Bangkok House, mainly from Jamie, I suggested it might be a good place to go to.  We didn't book as we thought at 7.45 on a Monday evening we would be alright to walk on in.

The restaurant is a lot smaller than I expected but We sat down to beautiful carved tables and ordered some Changs and an iced tea for me.  Rich's dad is something of a Thai food expert, having lived over there, so we decided to let him order a number of dishes for us all to share.  I think this is often a good way to go as then you get to try more dishes than normal, which for a food fanatic, more is better.  We ordered the mix starter platter for 4, plus; chicken green curry, some stir fried vegetables, stir fried pork with Thai basil, pad Thai and some chicken tom khar soup, which is one of my personal Thai favourites.

mixed starters

barbecuing our satay

Beautiful mixed starter, the mini barbecue with which to sear your chicken satay on before dunking it in peanut sauce was a really nice touch.  Everything was well flavoured I especially enjoyed the aforementioned satay. fish cakes and the deep fried chicken, which was so crispy I was sad there was only one apiece. Having warmed our appetites nicely with the starters I was eager for the mains, luckily they didn't take too long to appear.

chicken Thai green curry

chicken pad Thai

chicken tom khar soup

The food was great.  Perfectly balanced spices and flavours.  Easily the best Thai green curry and Tom Khar soup I've ever had so far, a complete match made in heaven of sharp, creamy and fragrant, nothing dominating the other, it was absolutely perfect.  Everything went down very nicely it tasted really fresh and cleansing which is how Thai food really should be, not stodgy like I have had in some other restaurants. The only real disappointment for me was that they did not have the fish to make choo chee which is my current favourite Thai dish.  But everything we ordered was really tasty, Bangkok House may well be the best Thai restaurant in Bristol, I just need to go and thoroughly test all the others I haven't tried yet!

Next blog post coming up is the new Spanish menu at Harvey's Cellars, which contains some authentic dishes and not just your usual patatas bravas. To find out more about Bangkok House check out their website.

Friday Night at Koh Thai Tapas

Last Friday some of the core, pun intended, Jolates crew had planned an after class visit to Koh Thai Tapas. Situated on the Triangle and previously occupied by a Zizzi's, Koh is a mini chain of 5 restaurants based around the South/South West.  Glad to get out of the cold we were greeted by a rush of warm air mixed with the scent of spices, Koh was pretty busy and so I was glad that we had booked a table.  Drinks ordered we settled into the long decision making process of what to eat.  The menu is clearly labeled for vegetarians and also for gluten free so it is easy to see what options are available to you if you have certain requirements.

Service was friendly even though we had to slightly strain our ears to hear them above the busy tables and music, in the end we decided to go for their group option of spending £20 each and getting a selection of starters and mains to share between the 6 of us. This is a great option for groups because it can be a total surprise but the staff will also ask what you like and what you don't and what spice level you can handle. The other thing to note is that some of the dishes are from all over Asia but with a Thai twist, like the 'dim sum', read siu mai dumplings but with coriander and a hot chili dressing over them. 

crispy beef

spring rolls

vegetable tempura

We were brought about 7-8 starters to dig through the portions were pretty generous, they make a point of having enough on each starter plate so everyone gets to taste which is good because a lot of places do set sized portions. I have to say I was really impressed, fresh flavours, everything was really well cooked and tasted great, definitely better than a lot of Thai food I have had in Bristol.  The mains were just as good, particularly the lamb massamann curry, slow cooked and fragrant with plenty of star anise it melted in the mouth and the tamarind duck was perfectly cooked, zingy and I could have eaten more. 

vegetable rice

chicken pad Thai

They are obviously proud of the food they serve, making a point of telling tables how their chefs are Thai and the food unless you specify will come out pretty hot. Rich and I are looking forward to our next visit to the Bristol branch.  I went to the Bath one last night with my parents and the service was even better, really intuitive and friendly staff who gave great customer service, plus the Summer Daze cocktail, if you like gin, is a winner.  I can't believe how impressed I was, we weren't sure what to expect from this restaurant but was pleasantly surprised.  So if your interested is piqued I would give Koh Thai Tapas a go you can find more about them on their website.

A Pre-Theatre Lunch at Thai Edge

Last week, my almost sister in law, Natalie had tickets to the matinee of West Side Story, but before we revelled in all things Bernstein we had to decide on where to go for lunch.  Heading down the hill to the centre we spotted Thai Edge and Natty remarked that she had never been there and loved Thai food. I hadn't been there for a good couple of years and spotted they had a £8.95 two course set lunch menu so we headed out of the cold and into the restaurant.

Thai Edge has four restaurants currently in the UK so I would class this as a mini chain it has an independent feel with the food for sure. As we entered there were a few tables that were occupied but we were ushered to a table in the window, what I think most people will remark upon when it comes to Thai Edge is the decor. It is quite clinical, with the odd dash of purple among a sea of white, it makes the restaurant feel a little lacking in warmth and atmosphere. However we were hungry and as we were handed the lunch menu I was surprised how much choice there was on their set menu. In the end I went for the Tom Kha soup followed by Choo Chee Pla, a fried fish curry, whilst Natty picked the spring rolls and the chicken red curry.

Tom Kha soup

We munched our way through the complimentary Thai prawn crackers with gusto and shortly afterwards our starters turned up. My bowl of Tom Kha soup was pretty large and had all the right flavours I expected, sharp yet creamy the only complaint I had was that the texture of the chicken was a little chewy and dry, Natty was very pleased with her spring rolls however which was lovely and crisp and stuffed full of filling.

Choo Chee Pla

I thoroughly enjoyed my main course, the portion was pretty large it had about 6 medium pieces of fried fish in it with a really moreish, lightly spiced, coconutty sauce I tried to resist polishing it all off but I failed completely.  In fact thinking about it now makes me want to eat it for dinner, it was surprisingly good. So to sum up, Thai Edge's food is mostly pretty good but it could do with a shake up in the atmosphere stakes, I shall definitely be taking up their lunch menu again as it is a total bargain.  To see what Thai Edge has to offer visit their website. 

Pre-cocktail Munch at Bauhinia

If you land in Clifton village from Victoria Square Bauhinia is one of the first places to greet you as you pass Arch House Deli. Quite a small shop front from the outside, like the tardis, inside will surprise you with the space. Bauhinia, the floral emblem on the Hong Kong flag, prides itself on serving up pan Asian cuisine that won't break the bank. Before 7pm every day you can order 2 courses from their set menu for £8.90. Jessie and I arrived after 7pm on Saturday and stepped up to the busy bar, doubtful that there would be a table free. However we were in luck and we were ushered to the lone table right by the door and the bar, not exactly ideal but beggars can't be choosers.

It took us a very short time to decide what to have, so we picked two Pad Thai's and some Thai prawn crackers with peanut satay and sweet chilli dips, not forgetting two large glasses of Pinot, it had been that kind of week. Despite feeling like were dining in a bar the service was really friendly and efficient.

Thai crackers with dips

The peanut satay dip was the king here, a perfect accompaniment to the slightly zingy prawn crackers, reminded me I need to work on making peanut satay sauce for a chicken dish, this long weekend would be the perfect time to try. The Pad Thai arrived soon after, it was a medium sized portion I was disappointed to see that only two prawns came with the dish and only a bit more chicken. I have been spoiled when it comes to Pad Thai, huge plates of tamarind pink tinged rice noodles from Hong Kong Bistro are still my favourite.

Pad Thai at Bauhinia

Close up

The noodles did need a little more zing and flavour but they were tasty enough and the prawns were well cooked. The meal only worked out at about £16 each including wine so it was perfect for a cheap treat. I was still a little hungry afterwards but I staved off my hunger with a Thai daquiri from Amoeba, round the corner, definitely one of my favourite cocktails.

Thai daquiris

Bauhinia is a good choice for a quick and cheap bite to eat but to be honest the crackers were the best thing about the meal for me, although the Pad Thai was tasty I have had much better elsewhere. It wouldn't stop me returning though and trying something else because I really liked the atmosphere and service. To see what else Bauhinia has to offer visit their website.

Bargain Refuel at Thai Pepper

Rich gives the low down on our visit to Thai Pepper before our night of guilty pleasures at The Gallimaufry, which was sing-a-long enjoyable fun.

Thai Pepper is one of many Thai restaurants now peppering Bristol, and which is widely accepted by most as being a good ‘cheap and cheerful’ dining experience. Situated on Cheltenham Road and armed with a slightly basic and dated website, ‘cheap and cheerful’ does undersell the venue somewhat.

Very Pretty Crockery

A small restaurant, and light on decoration it offers a ‘bring your own’ alcohol policy that it puts down to religious reasons, and happily only charges a small corkage fee of £2 per person. The menu is also large and varied (without being too much so) and offers a good selection of vegetarian options.

Prawn Cracker Boat

Owing to the cheap prices on offer, and wanting to have a decent amount to review, we picked a selection of starters to share, taking in Thai prawn crackers, Ka Nom Pung Na Gung (prawn toast) and Taow Hoo Tord (fried bean curd). Off to a good start, the crackers had flavour (as let’s face it, most don’t) the prawn toast was light, non-greasy and very meaty, while the fried bean curd was just delicious.

Prawn Toast

Fried Bean Curd

What though was particularly nice with each of these starters was the sweet chilli dip that came with all of them. Where too many chilli dips have a thick cloying syrupy texture and are more sweet than chilli, this one had a lightness to it and a nice clean and sharp tang to it, that just added to each of the dishes. Whether it was a home made or bought sauce we don’t know, but I’d really love it if more restaurants used this sauce instead of the usual bought chilli syrups you normally find.

Gai Path Ma Muang Him Ma Parn (chicken & cashew)

Mu Path Pick (pork with ginger)

On to the mains, and my lady dining companions opted for Mu Path Pick pork and Gai Path Ma Muang Him Ma Parn, or to be more helpful, pork stir fried with fresh ginger, spring onion and mushroom, and chicken with cashew nuts, spring onion and mushrooms. Both of which got a positive double thumbs up. I went for the Paht Pick Khing pork, which is medium-to-hot red paste stir fried pork dish usually served with green beans, and having had a fair few in my time, of varying quality, I was very surprised with just how good this one was. A very moreish chilli flavour was complemented brilliantly with the infusion from citrus leaves.

Paht Pick Khing

Food then, good , and the drinks (in this case our own white wine acquired from Corks Of Cotham) also very good. ‘Cheap and cheerful’ does it a disservice, as while not 5-star dining , it does do very good and nicely presented Thai food for a very good price, and on those standards it does very well. The service was perhaps a little slow, and stuck behind a plant and pillar we were in a fairly bad position to get anyone's attention, but overall no complaints and the food was very tasty. So if you are feeling the pinch but still fancy a treat, two courses with wine worked out at about £14 each but mains are under the £7 mark if you wanted to tighten the belt even more. To check out the menu visit their website.

Mini Blog on Thai Green Curry

So last night I made chicken Thai green curry. First and foremost do not get your curry pastes from a supermarket, I have previously made this rookie mistake myself. The supermarket pastes are just not strong or hot enough for the corresponding curry, I found them pretty synthetic to be honest. Luckily my closest Chinese supermarket is on Denmark Street, Wah Yan Hong. It is next to Wongs and on my route home so perfect for impromptu dinner plans. Chinese supermarkets really excite me I love finding new things to try it is like the Aladdin's cave of food shopping. Having visited a few times with Jamie she has pointed out all the best brands and deals for your money and for that I am very thankful to have such knowledge at my fingertips.

For roughly 0.65p of your Earth money you can buy sachets of many different curry and soup pastes. I have tried making red, yellow and now green Thai curry so far, and their are a couple of others next on the list.

Thai Green Curry Paste I use

There are very easy instructions on the back which you can follow directly or go a bit off piste as I did.

Recipe on the Back

I used about two thirds of the paste as I know how hot green curry can be so wanted to test the water before adding more. This turned out to be pretty much perfect for us as it was pretty spicy but not burningly hot. I also used chicken thighs, I always use thighs in dishes like this because the flavour is much better than chicken breast and it doesn't dry out at all with cooking. Once I had added the chicken to the coconut milk and paste I also popped in some chopped potato. The recipe does suggest adding aubergine but seeing as I am not it's biggest fan I decided against it.

I did however add some green beans right at the end along with the kaffir lime leaves, a few drops of fish sauce and a dash of lime. I left the extra chillis this time.

Completed Chicken Thai Green Curry

Chicken Thai Green Curry

Thai Green Curry

So there you have it super satisfying curry to warm you on a cold evening, yes I am aware that it is June and it should not be cold now.