You know when everyone seems to be talking about the latest craze that seems to have passed you by, whether itâs the latest must see film that you just havenât got round to watching, or the latest fashion trend that you just canât seem to grasp, leggings anyone?
Well for me itâs restaurants. And Chaophraya is one of those restaurants.
Once youâve mastered the pronunciation of the place (Chow-pie-a) youâre half way there.
This Thai restaurant is on Chapel Walks, above Samâs Chop House. I wondered if there would be any customers willing to pass up that famous corned beef hash for something a bit more international.
It got off to a promising start when I rang to book the table for 6pm on a Friday night and was asked if I would be finished by 7.45 as they had another table booked in. As I had theatre tickets I knew it wouldnât be a problem but I was slightly disappointed by the idea of rushing. Maybe it was just a good sign that they would be busy.
The staff greeted us with the traditional Thai bow which I returned much to my partnerâs amusements.
Once at the table, we were overcome by a potent smell. Not the frying of duck or the steam of dumplings but a floral smell that made us feel like we were in a bowl of pot-pourri which was slightly overpowering.
We decided to start with the Goong Chup Pang Tod: four delicious lightly battered king prawns, enough to share. The dish was finely presented, the prawns were skewered into a piece of fresh pineapple and served with a plum sauce.
Our meal followed with the Pad Pong Galee for me and the Phed Ma Kaam for him. Mine was a mix of seafood in a curry sauce. The seafood was plentiful with mussels bigger than any American wrestler. Even if a bit spicier than anticipated and with ensured runny noses all round, it was amazing.
With the bowl of boiled rice to share that we ordered on the top of our mains, my dish was a nice size but I couldnât finish it. I was full yes, but not too full to try a bit of my partners duck breast in tamarind sauce.
Iâve never been a fan of duck and have always thought itâs a bit too fatty but his was perfect; it was served in the shape of an American meatloaf but tasted so much better.
The presentation of the food throughout was enough to make us gasp with each delivery, you almost felt like you were slicing a Stanley knife through a Picasso when you started to feed your face. We got over the guilt very quickly. The sauce was slightly tangy but the chillies with it balanced it out. My knife slice through it with ease and again the portion was too big to finish.
One thing I must point out about Chaophraya is the attentiveness of the staff. It felt like we were the most important people there and we were treated impeccably. Wherever these guys get trained I know of a few restaurants in Manchester who would benefit by sending their staff to the same training course.
A visit to the toilets gave it another star by the gorgeous Molton Brown goodies in there, it meant a second visit purely to have another go on the handwash.
The bill came to just over £40 included wine which I reckon is a decent price to pay to feel like you actually might have last got your finger on the pulse.
Gail Sullivan
Chaophraya
Chapel Walks
Above Samâs Chop House
Off Cross Street
Manchester
M2 1HN
0161 832 8342
www.chaophraya.co.uk