Thai food is one of my favourite cuisines, I love the bold flavours and the diversity of the dishes and it is always a pleasure to visit Chaophraya* which has an impressively varied menu including familiar Thai favourites, as well as some more intriguing creations. This week I went along to sample the new menu, which notably includes several new Thai re-imagined dishes which blend a fusion of East meets West influences to create dishes such as Farrang sausage pad ka pow, Toulouse sausage marinated in red wine and stir fried with Thai spices and basil.
Our table was next to a pool of Koi Carp, which added to the relaxed ambience of the evening - the interior design is sleek and contemporary with polished dark wood and Thai inspired decorative items. I sipped a Siam Smile as we perused the menu and this refreshingly tropical cocktail of Absolut vanilla vodka, pineapple, passionfruit and a shot of prosecco made a pleasant start to the meal. There is a good range of drinks on the menu at Chaophraya including gin serves, signature cocktails, sharing cocktails and classics alongside beer and wine.
We chose a selection of appetisers to share, vegetable spring rolls, red curry battered prawns and chicken Thai tacos. We sampled the tacos on a previous occasion at Chaophraya and I love the street food inspiration behind this dish of red curried chicken with coconut milk, served on pan seared rice flour tacos. These tacos packed in a wealth of delicate flavours and they paired well with the cocktail.
The red curry battered prawns were succulent and the tempura style batter was so light - I will be ordering these next time as I love prawn dishes.
We were intrigued by the new Thai re-imagined dishes, so we decided on a couple to sample. The tom yum roast duck wings marinated and roasted in tom yum paste and served with a sweet tomato dipping sauce were so tender and the richness of the meat was complemented by the marinade.
Ceviche is such a tasty dish when done well, and my choice of ceviche scallop with chilli and dressing nasturtiums was an elegant creation with precise favours. The scallops were cured in lime juice and the burst of citrus offset the heat of the chilli perfectly, while the presentation on a nasturtium leaf was a nice touch.
Curry is one of my favourite dishes and I am a lover of spicy food, so when I saw the prawn jungle curry on the menu I had to try it. This fiery dish inspired by a recipe from northern Thailand packed a punch with bamboo, papaya, green beans, Kra Chai and basil. Accompaniments of coconut rice, sticky rice and Thai prawn crackers with sweet chilli sauce rounded off our meal.
Sweet and sour chicken is a classic and it was good to see a new spin on this at Chaophraya, their sweet and sour chicken with dragon fruit has a tangy sauce heaped with pomegranate, peppers, pineapple, tomato, onion and Thai dragon fruit and it was served in dragon fruit too which made it a feast for the eyes.
Dining at Chaophraya again reminded me why I love Thai food - the choice of dishes and satisfying flavours make a meal here an enjoyable way to spend an evening. We were so full that we politely declined the dessert menu , but I know from past experience that the chocolate bombe with warm salted caramel sauce is hard to resist. Chaophraya have restaurants around the U.K. and we dined at the Liverpool restaurant.
What do you all think, do you like the sound of inventive Thai food and expertly blended cocktails? As always I cannot wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post.
Until next time,
Camille
xo
*I was a guest of Chaophraya to sample the new menu, this meal was complimentary. All opinions stated herein are my own and honest.
