Thai Elephant,
4-6 London Rd,
Twyford RG10 9ER
0118 934 9651
thaielephanttwyford.co.uk
Thai cuisine is my favourite food to enjoy, from the curries to the crispy duck, so I was delighted to review the Thai Elephant in Twyford with my family last week.
The Thai Elephant celebrated their 10th anniversary last month, business owner Nikki Yomjinda told us as we were welcomed inside.
Born and raised in Thailand, Ms Yomjinda studied food and beverage at college. She started her career in the hotel industry in Bangcok where she progressed to working in the restaurants of prestigious five-star hotels.
She moved to the UK in 2002 because her son had aspirations of studying at Oxford Brookes University.
During this time, Ms Yomjinda ran and managed the Thai Orchid in Oxford.
In 2009, she took over the Thai Elephant in Twyford, which has gone from strength to strength, achieving an award-winning status and a five-star hygiene award.
We knew that deciding what to eat was always going to be a challenge, so between three of us, we chose the Thai Elephant starter, priced at £8.95.
We were presented with a gorgeously colourful array of little starters and bits to nibble on, all of which were delicious.
Clearly feeling hungry, my son chose his own starter of crispy duck pancakes which come in at £6.95. The plentiful serving of duck was accompanied by the classic pancakes and hoisin sauce, and the not so classic lettuce, carrot and radishes. This was all quickly devoured within a few minutes.
As our plates were cleared and the table re-laid, we moved onto our main courses.
I opted for the delicious king prawns with pepper, pineapple, and onion with sweet and sour sauce, priced at £12.95. The prawns were cooked to perfection and the dish had just the right amount of spice.
Also arriving at the table was a beautifully presented Thai green chicken curry with coconut milk, Thai aubergine and basil, all kept warm above a flickering tealight.
The curry came in at £10.95, and my husband described it as the best Thai green curry he had ever had. It clearly hit the spot.
My daughter chose the spicy queen scallops with Thai herbs priced at £18.95.
She described them to me as succulent and cooked to perfection. I was allowed to try one from her plate and can certainly agree, they were perfection.
The last of the main courses to arrive at the table was my son’s beef massaman curry, priced at £14.95.
This was the chef’s recommendation of the night, and it definitely lived up to expectations. Between mouthfuls, he described his dinner as food heaven, so I’m sure he’ll be asking if I can try making this at home.
Throughout our meal, we were so impressed with the restaurant and the service at the Thai Elephant. Ms Yomjinda was so kind and welcoming, her food was totally authentic – it was as though we had literally bought it off the streets of Thailand!
Thank you for having us Thai Elephant, we will be back very soon.
CLAIRE WORSFOLD
