THE Thais are coming. No sooner had the Mackie Mayor conformed that its latest food trader would be May Wakefield’s Chilli B, inspired by her childhood memories of learning to cook with her mother and well honed in the Cheshire restaurant group she created, Chilli Banana, than a new Thai on the block is taking over The Old Courthouse on Deansgate, formerly occupied by Handmade Burger Co.
Rosa’s Thai Cafe will open its first restaurant in Manchester next spring. Launched in 2008 by Saiphin Moore and her husband Alex on East London’s famous Brick Lane, the brand has built a reputation for bold, punchy flavours and dishes inspired by Saiphin’s childhood on the family farm in Northern Thailand.
Rosa’s use the best in fresh British produce alongside traditional Thai ingredients including coconut milk, jasmine rice and tamarind paste, the key ingredient in their best-selling Pad Thai, all of which are sourced directly from farmers in the old country.
The 60 cover restaurant will open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, with a range of menus, including their all day menu, weekday lunch, veggie friendly and coeliac friendly menus. The restaurant will take both advance reservations and walk-ins.
Saiphin Moore, above, told us: “We’ve spent a long time trying to find the right site to open a Rosa’s Thai Cafe in Manchester and The Old Courthouse felt like the ideal location for us. We’re really looking forward to becoming part of the city’s vibrant food and drink scene and have a lot of plans for this restaurant which will set it apart from our Rosa’s in London.”
Rosa’s Thai Cafe, The Old Courthouse, 184 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3WB.