Eating out with a large family can be somewhat of a nightmare if the restaurant or cafe aren’t particularly family friendly, so to be invited along to Thaikhun in the Metrocentre to review their new childrens menu, we had a feeling it would be a good experience!
On arrival the kids were so excited to see a Tuk Tuk parked outside and the whole restaurant set up, as I would imagine, a Thai street would look like. When you watch travel shows or movies where Thailand is portrayed there is always a bustling vibe with flags hanging in the street, a multitude of signs which of course you can’t read but imagine they are pointing you towards something you just have to try, and don’t get me started on the smells emanating from the ‘street kitchens’!
Walking in to Thaikun was like walking onto a set of a movie!
We were greeted with a very warm welcome, all of the staff were very cheery and genuinely seemed happy to see the children, making a fuss of them all the time we were there. After being shown to our seats, where there was already colouring pages and crayons waiting for the children (always a good starting point), we were given the menus and one of the staff sat down with us to explain how the new childrens menu works.
There are 3 columns and you choose a component of your meal from each column, rice or noodles, chicken or pork, then sauce, no sauce, no nuts etc. There were also options for Crispy chicken and Jasmine Rice which all 3 of our little ones chose. Starter for the children was meant to be a fruit/veg stick but it wasn’t until we left that we realised the children never got theirs….no problem though as we got double desserts but more on that later! lol
Sitting in little pots on the table were dried mealworms! Now, not sure about your children but mine looked at these like they would bite their fingers off if they dared to try them! Daddy and Scott tried them to which they said there was no flavour so nothing to be icky about! lol I tried one and that was enough for me – I’m a visual eater and these just did nothing to tingle my tastebuds! lol Amelia wanted to have a go but as a 2 year old would do she ended up with the whole tub down her dress – yes they were still falling out on the floor when i changed her nappy later that night! ICK!!
We decided to skip starters and go for the main and dessert (which is probably where the kids starters got forgotten). Daddy and Scott opted for the Nua Yang, an 8oz marinated grilled sirloin steak served with a tangy chilli and tamarind sauce accompanied with sticky rice. D wanted his well done and S, medium rare and they both came out cooked to perfection and were devoured completely! Hubby said the sticky rice was a little TOO sticky for his liking but it was all eaten so can’t have been that bad!
As soon as I saw Pad Thai on the menu I just knew that was what I was going for. I have this thing where if I see Pad Thai I simply have to have it, I don’t know if its the peanut and noodle combo or what but everything else just blurs on the menu! Delicious and very filling, definitely something I would order again and one of the nicest ones I have tried yet.
The kids meals were just big enough for them, being a plate of crispy chicken, a small bowl of jasmine rice and a little bowl of sweet chilli dipping sauce. Even Amelia ate all of hers which says a lot since she is notorious grazer! Evie kept giving us thumbs up so we know this went down well!
Their dessert was meant to be a mini milk ice lolly but they were out of stock so ice cream it was. Ethan ordered mango and the girls opted for strawberry, they were brought over quickly and we were given our dessert menus. Wanting to try 3 different ones hubby chose the banana fritters, Scott chose the Thai Bounty and I went for the Pandanus Pudding (Pandan – banana leaf – pudding).
Mine was out of stock too so I chose the Thai Bounty too and boy was I glad I did! A sticky, gooey in the middle, chocolate pudding with coconut ice cream – very yummy!!
When they brought out our desserts they brought more ice cream for the children too, the chef had gotten a little mixed and made another set which they said the kids could have anyway and giggled at the mistake! The kids were thrilled with this prospect and loved Thaikhun even more at this point! lol
Overall this was an amazing experience and definitely something you should try if looking for something a little out of the ordinary. Being inside the Metro centre means that you can spend all day shopping then relax inside an authentic Thai street style restaurant – I can vouch for the cocktails too having been on another occasion to pick up take away with a friend, so if you get the chance … have a mojito!
XOXO
Debbie
We were gifted our meals in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own and we would highly recommend Thaikhun and will most certainly be back!
