Rosa’s Thai is a small chain of Thai restaurants that laid its roots in London’s East End in 2008, ostensibly retaining the Rosa’s name from the previous occupant as a nod to the site’s heritage, though more truthfully one suspects that the cost of rebranding might have informed that priority too. The following few years saw the Rosa’s team, led by Chef Saiphin, take the opportunity to open a few more sites around London and they’ve since ridden that momentum to around two dozen sites, the latest of which is Rosa’s Thai York. The Coney Street site that it now occupies has been vacant for some time but has been sympathetically turned into a light and welcoming casual dining space that isn’t afraid to make a feature of the wooden beamed walls which give this building its identity.

The menu at Rosa’s Thai York features plenty of Thai staples centred around curries, noodles and salads and doesn’t stray far from tradition, and there’s no arguing about value with main dishes hardly breaching £15 when augmented with a portion of rice. Dining on a Tuesday lunch time, things were relatively quiet, but with the steady stream of delivery riders collecting their payloads and an increasing number of lunch guests throughout our visit, one got the impression that it won’t take long for Rosa’s to gain a foothold. With a table by the window and a cold Thai beer for company, we’d have been happy killing time people-watching, but service was brisk without being pressured and soon enough the table was groaning under the weight of the dishes we’d ordered.

First up was a starter platter comprised of prawn crackers, spring rolls, calamari, pork and chicken skewers and a few dipping sauces. At £15 this would have made a pleasant lunch for one to graze on but the quantities were well judged to give a couple of diners a decent exploration of the starters. Everything hit the spot and particularly noteworthy were the crisp, well-seasoned prawn crackers and dipping sauces with an unusual depth flavour. A touch more marinade on the skewers would have further elevated things but this opening salvo was warmly received.

As our mains accumulated on the table, the extent of our over-ordering really became apparent with Pad-Thai, marinated aubergine, red curry and a side of rice, all looking increasingly like they would, in part at least, be accompanying us home. Pad Thai can easily degenerate into an over-sweetened and generic dish but, topped here with a fried egg, this example had a neat savoury note and enough breadth of flavour to make it a comfort worth repeat order. Marinated aubergine lived up to their 3 chilli billing with a bold stab of heat that required overwhelming with cold beer to counter my low tolerance for spice, but it still delivered nuance with sweet basil, soy and yellow bean all apparent. Our final main of red curry did everything I hoped it would with an undercurrent of fish sauce underpinning a well developed dish with plenty of chilli and tender chicken thigh.

There’s a lot of competition for Thai food in the York casual dining market that can make it tricky for a new entrant to distinguish itself, but with a strong sense of value underpinning quality dishes, Rosa’s Thai has done just that. This site on Coney St has been looking rather sorry for itself since the closure of Joe’s Kitchen so the tasteful going over that Rosa’s Thai has given it really feels like it represents more green shoots of growth, improving the visual appeal from St Helen’s square and adding a new dining experience to the city.

(disclaimer – pr visit)

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Rosa’s Thai started as a market stall on London’s Brick Lane in 2007, where Thai chef Saiphin Moore served up family recipes to hungry lunchtime crowds. A year later, Saiphin and her entrepreneur husband Alex opened the first Rosa’s Thai restaurant in Spitalfields, just around the corner from the market stall.

The launch of Rosa’s Thai York marks the 29th opening for the group. The restaurant will be headed up by long-standing Rosa’s team members – and husband and wife duo – GM Mumu and head chef Moi, who have been an integral part of the Rosa’s Thai family since its launch in Leeds back in 2019.

Rosa’s Thai’s signature dishes are made using the best of Thai produce, including chilli pastes from a husband and wife team in the Huai Yod district and rice noodles from a 3rd generation family business that has made noodles for over 80 years. Menu highlights include familiar Thai dishes including fan-favourite pad Thai and comforting green curry, as well as Rosa’s cult favourites from drunken noodles to stir-fried aubergine with yellow bean sauce, chilli, soy sauce & sweet basil. 

The menu offers plenty of meat-free options for vegetarian and vegan diners, from fluffy sweetcorn cakes with kaffir lime to rich butternut red curry with sweet basil. Rosa’s Thai also offers a dedicated children’s menu and a varied selection of halal and gluten-free dishes which, complete with Rosa’s signature Thai hospitality, makes the restaurant a welcoming, go-to environment for all dietary requirements. 

To celebrate the launch Rosa’s Thai is offering diners 50% off their food bill on 30 and 31 May, giving York guests the opportunity to enjoy founder Saiphin Moore’s signature Thai dishes before the restaurant officially opens its doors. Bookings are highly recommended.

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