Reviews

Thai Classic - Bristol Food Review

Posted on: 2015-08-26

It was a work of art on the plate and seemed a shame to demolish it, but in the name of reviewing we had to. Every item was faultless.

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Every now and again you stumble across an absolute hidden gem of a restaurant you're left dumbfounded you haven't eaten at before - and Thai Classic on Whiteladies Road in Bristol is one of those restaurants.

Having recently celebrated its 21st anniversary, Thai Classic is Bristol's oldest Thai restaurant, plating up Thai, Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine. Serving the city for such a long time should give you some hint as to the kind of quality food being dished up which has clearly been key to its popularity and longevity.

Winner of the Bristol Good Food Award in 2009, Thai Classic rests in close proximity to Planet Pizza, The Burger Joint and Wetherspoons' WG Grace. There is a small entrance garden and terrace with steps leading into the restaurant itself, which is deceptively larger than you might first think. A kind of Tardis into another Thai dimension, if you like.

The decor is quietly elegant, furnished with long-back wooden chairs, tables draped in blue table cloths and adorned with small vases of flowers and fan-shaped napkins. Nods to its cultural origins exist in the form of various pictures and sculptures on the walls and gentle music plays in the background.

But to the menu - which is, in fact, eye-poppingly massive for such a small restaurant, luring you in with its mouthwatering selection of appetizers, soups, main courses, curries, rice and noodles and set menus. We were a bit overwhelmed (though thoroughly excited) by it and had to change our minds at least four times until we finally decided on what to have. 

Our mixed starter for two people (£12.95) consisted of chicken satay, spring rolls, fish cake, chicken wings and kratong tong. It was a work of art on the plate and seemed a shame to demolish it, but in the name of reviewing we had to. Every item was faultless. The chicken satay was subtly curried, the spring rolls crispy on the outside and with perfectly seasoned fillings, the chicken wings succulent and coated with a deliciously thin, crispy skin, and the kratong tong were delightfully neat, small Thai pastry cups filled with a mix of meat and vegetables.

For main course, I plumped for the sweet and sour chicken (£7.95) - large pieces of chicken macerated in a thick, deliciously tangy sweet and sour sauce and mixed with a panoply of carrots, chillis, peas and onions. It was one of the finest examples of the dish to have blessed my ever-hungry lips. 

My partner went for the Gaeng Kiew Waan (£8.60), which was chicken cooked in coconut milk with green curry paste and aubergine. It was an exemplary Thai green curry, subtle at first but resulting in a delayed fiery kick (and watering eyes and runny nose), while the huge chunks of chicken swimming around in it were moist and tender. 

Accompanied by two small bowls of perfectly cooked, slightly sticky egg fried rice (£2.50 each), the portions were extremely generous and the balance of flavours and textures utterly exquisite. 

Service was also faultless, from the smiley, welcoming greeting to the efficient, friendly delivery of dishes to our table. Thai Classic is a truly sensational find, perhaps hidden in the shadows of the larger, more well-known, commercialised ventures. But - as always when you veer off the beaten track to explore something previously unknown and refreshingly new - what you'll find at Thai Classic are gut-busting portions of authentic, quality Thai food in a cosy, unpretentious setting.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Jamie Caddick for 365Bristol - the leading events and entertainment website for Bristol

Thai Classic is located at: 87 Whiteladies Rd, Bristol, Avon BS8 2NT

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