Knutsford Thai

The service was efficient and the staff were lovely. BUT… I’m a big fan of Thai food and this didn’t really blow my skirt up.
First of all, the place is rather shabby and needs redecorating– wires were gaffer taped everywhere and plaster was hanging off the walls– not great unless you think an ‘authentic’ Thai experience lies in the ‘make shift’ look. It could also do with getting central heating installed (during our visit they made do with a rotating plugged in heater) I definitely went along to EAT chilies, not to BE chilly.
So for starters I had my usual (Tom Yum Soup) but it didn’t have that good old kick and those rich thai flavours it’s so recognised for– it just tasted like they’d whipped up some chicken stock with a dash of fish sauce– oh and they only gave me 2 prawns :(My mum on the other hand had the Thai salad which looked and tasted rather limp and soggy. The meat/​salad ratio was also disappointing.
Moving onto the mains, (Pad Thai & Thai Green Curry) we were pleasantly surprised– nice big portions and the sauces were lovely and rich! Wow!
Our total bill came to £25 (this was part of a set lunch menu) including 2 soft drinks and some Thai crackers before our starters. I’m glad I didn’t fork out too much for this one…
It’s places like this that frustrate me– you know they’re trying hard but when the meal is so up and down, it doesn’t encourage you to return! I really hope this was just a one off, but I won’t be back in a hurry.