Chaophraya, Glasgow - Thai Restaurant

We are getting our kitchen done at the moment. This means that we can't cook and we can't store foods as the fridge/freezer is out of action. We have been eating out, relying on take-aways or microwave meals if not inviting ourselves at someone else's house for dinner!

Well, I have finally made it to Chaophraya Thai Restaurant (http://chaophraya.co.uk/venues/chaophraya-glasgow/) at The Townhouse, by Buchanan Street in Glasgow (see my earlier blog about Topolabamba).  According to their website, Glasgow restaurant was opened in 2012, set over four floors and is the largest Thai restaurant in Europe!  Wow! And, its name Chaophraya takes from the main waterway in Thailand.

It was Easter Sunday. We went there just after lunchtime. The reception are was rather clouded with people (tourists?) taking photographs, however we did not have any problems to get seated this time.

Reception area

We were taken to the upstairs restaurant. We thought that the restaurant is just on the first floor but we were wrong about that....

These chairs are really comfortable!

We were seated right next to the Champagne cabinet .... very tempting....

We decided to stick to sparking water instead ...

We also decided to try out their set lunch menu, £13.95 for a starter and main course each.
So, my husband ordered Tod Mun Khao Pode (Deep fried sweetcorn blended in red curry paste served with sweet chilli sauce) and I ordered Poh Piah Jae (Crispy golden spring rolls stuffed with white cabbage, mushrooms, carrots and vermicelli served with sweet chilli sauce).

While we were waiting for our starters to arrive, we looked around our surroundings.

Each table had a small but real cut flower, not plastic, that's a good sign....

With functional cutleries ...

When you look up, you see beautiful ceiling...

We turned around and looked up, we saw what they describe 'the romantic Buddha Balcony for two' behind the clock, which is located on level 2. Well, unfortunately the clock was behind but I guess they may be more for decor ...?

My husband also pointed out to the ornate plaster work with initials of GLC, which stands for Glasgow Liberal Club. The entire building was the Grade A listed former Liberal Club dating back to 1911, which is now a 4 story Thai restaurant!

And our starters have arrived. My husband's Tod Mun Khao Pode (Deep fried sweetcorn blended in red curry paste) are basically corn fritters with spicy chilli and peanut sauce, however with some curry flavour, combined with sweet chilli sauce with peanuts, it was quite tasty. 

Deep fried sweetcorn in Thai style ...

My Poh Piah Jae (spring rolls) were lovely too and were piping hot. What I liked about this was that vegetables inside were nice and crunchy, also they did not have that distinct Chinese spices. I prefer this spring rolls to Chinese ones.

We swapped one of ours each so that we could try each, poured over chill sauce. Lovely and yummy.
Chili sauce was rather addictively spicy but sweet.

 

We enjoyed our starters but I think my husband wants to try Pak Tod (deep fried mixed vegetables in a light batter served with sweet chili sauce) next time.

As we don't eat meat, starter selections are limited for us but if you like chicken or pork, you got other options too (http://chaophraya.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/2-course-lunch-menu.pdf).

Then our main course - I had Choo Chee Pla Tod (deep fried sea bass fillet on a bed of vegetables topped with a creamy red curry sauce, served with jasmine rice) and my husband had Pad Udon Talay (stir fried udon noodles with mussels, calamari, prawn, garlic, chilli, fine beans, onions, sweet basil and green peppercorns).

My sea bass in red curry sauce was tasty, creamy and coconutty as well as spicy, quite flavoursome. I am not sure about half sliced cherry tomato on top of the jasmine rice, which reminded me of a Japanese flag.

I tried a little bit of my husband's seafood stir fried udon noodles which were really tasty.  There were also lots of seafood in it. He really enjoyed it.

By the end of two courses, we were really full and did not have any rooms for desserts nor any tea. We did however enjoyed our lunch very much and would definitely come back and try other dishes off a la carte menu.

While waiting for a bill to arrive, I went upstairs for a toilet check. Buddha are everywhere ....

Going upstairs to the level 2 ....

and being welcomed by sacred elephants ....

turning around the corner and voila, another lounge area with big comfy looking sofas outside of toilets! Actually, level 3 has some private function rooms so I can see these comfy chairs can be quite nice for a break-away area for dining guests ....

Inside is clean, nice and spacious, but I had expected something more Oriental to keep in with the rest of the restaurant's decor .... it has passed my toilet check though.

It is a beautiful restaurant, with extensive choices on a la carte menu. I have spotted that they have Jaew Horn Ta-Lay (Thai Fisherman's Soup Shabu Shabu), which is chef's signature dish.  Sounds yummy, I want to try that! Also for main course another chef's signature dish of Pla Song Pee Nong - Chaophraya duo fish of sea bass fillet deep fried and drizzled with tamarind sauce garnished with cashew nuts and a pan-fried cod fillet drizzled with a Panang sauce. Sounds yummy too.

We shall definitely go back to this restaurant.  Sawasdee.

That's all forks!