It’s quite strange that nothing reminds me more of my North Yorkshire home than My Thai takeaway. It’s the restaurant I turn to when things are getting me down at university and the first takeaway I ask for when I get home. A trip to their restaurants, Northern Quarter or Albert Square, always lifts the spirits. They are bustling and cheerful with bright graffiti and street food inspired decor of low benches and corrugated iron. I’ll take the bus back to Fallowfield with a little bag filled to bursting with cartons of food. My dad once told me that when tripping and falling as a child, I flung my hands over my head to save my ice cream. I severely hope I’m never in an accident on the 142, because I’m pretty sure my immediate instinct would be to protect the curry.
I’ve tried many of My Thai’s offerings, from their chicken satay to their pad thai, but my order always remains the same. I start with their pork dumplings and spring onions. They almost taste pickled from their swim in sharp fish sauce, a glinting deep copper colour. I’ll often pour the dregs over my main, duck green curry with jasmine rice. Although it certainly doesn’t need any adornment, it’s just that I’m loathe to waste any of the starter. The green curry is restorative enough to chase away fresher’s flu, quail egg colour freckled with coconut milk. Tender pieces of bamboo, courgette, carrot and pepper bob within. Gentle heat radiates throughout, with an extra flash when you bite down on a red chilli. Just enough to jumpstart your sinuses.
My Thai is pretty cheap for a restaurant which creates its food with such loving care. The pork dumplings, green curry and jasmine rice come to £10, and you’ll find that’s more than enough food for one. Though its execution is far more sophisticated, its spirit reminds me of Took Lae Dee, a restaurant crammed into a convenience store called Foodland, with which I fell in love in Pattaya. Took Lae Dee charged barely a pound for all its dishes. You get your money’s worth at both places.
For those of you who aren’t a creature of habit like me, My Thai does have an extensive menu. There is even a ‘Foodie’ menu section. I’ve only tried the yellow and red curries, but I’d vouch for the rest of it on the spot. It’s probably the closest you can get to the comfort of a family meal while living away from home.
4/5
