THAI GALLERY
26, Friar Street
Worcester
WR1 2LZ
Tel: 01905 745902

AS we made our way to Thai Gallery, we were surprised by how quiet Worcester city centre was on a Sunday night.

We passed several restaurants and bars which hadn’t thought it worth opening at 7pm on a winter Sunday evening – and those that were seemed to have just a handful of customers.

It was with some delight, therefore, that we walked into Thai Gallery to find it bustling.

The restaurant is in one of Worcester’s oldest timber-framed buildings set in the scenic Friar Street but once inside, it has been decorated with a Thai theme to a very high level.

We were shown to our table, one of the very few not already occupied, and set about choosing from a wide selection of dishes.

For starter, we chose the Satay Gai (£5.95) and the Khoong Tempura (£5.90). Both were delicious and generous portions.

The marinated chicken of the Satay Gai was succulent and the peanut dipping sauce rich and tasty. A generous number of lightly battered king prawns adorned my partner’s dish, accompanied by a plum sauce.

For main my partner opted for the Ped Yang Pad Ped – stir-fried roast duck in red curry paste with peppers, baby corn, onions and sweet basil (£10.90). He said it was delicious. I went for the Pou Pad Pong Ka Ree – stir-fried crab in light curry powder with onions, ginger, celery, fresh chilli and spring onions (£11.65).

Mine certainly had the wow factor, adorned as it was with the empty crab shell. It was packed with fresh crab meat, including the claws, and although in a creamy sauce the freshness of the vegetables ensured it wasn’t too rich. It was, however, more than I could manage.

We shared a Ba Mi Plao – plain fried egg noodles with light soy sauce (£3.85).

For dessert we could have chosen from a choice of gateaux or mango cheesecake but we both plumped for the ice cream – three scoops for £5.50.

It was the best ice cream we had eaten in a long time. The chocolate was crammed with real chunks of chocolate and the coconut and vanilla was creamy.

Our bill, with two soft drinks and a bottle of Magners, came to £52.53, which we felt was reflective of the quality of the food, which was also beautifully presented.

The service throughout our visit was polite and impressively efficient, but not at all friendly or welcoming, which was the only negative on an otherwise great Sunday night out in Worcester.

HOW IT RATED

Food 4
Service 3
Ambience 5
Value for money 4