Thai Esarn

You’ve probably got your favourite takeaway. We don’t necessarily look to them for great quality, more qualities of convenience and reliability – I’ve been going to the Jebu Tandoori on Evington Rd for well over 30 years and the recipes have barely changed.

But if you’re looking for a change,  give the Thai Esarn a try. I’d heard several recommendations for this humble takeaway on Hinckley Road, Leicester (near the Police Station) and eventually gave it a go. It was lovely.

Run by a group of engaging Thai ladies, they delight in traditional home cooking  from North East Thailand and produce great-tasting, authentic food in an open kitchen that  they’ll make as spicy as you want. We had terrific starters of toong torng, crispy parcels of minced chicken, prawn and sweetcorn  with plum sauce,  and  fishcakes with a sweet chilli .

Main courses were tamarind duck and the beef dish “weeping tiger” and both were excellent dishes that highlighted the sweet, sour, salty and spicy layering of flavours. The duck was tender breast meat with green vegetables and cashew nuts in that  distinctively sweet-sour tamarind sauce.

The beef was so good it had me off digging up recipes that I’ve been trying at home – strips of beef marinated in the likes of lime juice, soy, fish sauce and sugar and with additional  dipping sauce. Mine was pretty good, theirs was excellent.

Coconut rice was good sticky comfort food, while a tom sum salad of papaya and finely sliced cabbage was a maybe a bit too drowned in dressing for my tastes but again was a great combination of flavours.

Never been a huge fan of Thai food but I may not just have had very good examples – this has started to convert me.

There should be a full review in the Leicester Mercury tomorrow, Saturday 1 October.