Event: Launch Night of Thai Express
Location: Thai Express, Unit 36, Grand Central, New Street Station, Birmingham
Date: 14th June 2018
Me and my husband were kindly invited by Delicious PR to attend the official launch of the brand new Thai Express in Grand Central on Thursday Evening.
I’ve been to a Launch night organised by Delicious PR before and everyone always leaves incredibly happy, so I knew before entering the building that the evening was going to be a good one.
We arrived at 5:45pm (a little early) so stood outside taking photographs of the restaurant before being welcomed inside by the Delicious PR ladies.
Externally the store is eye catching. With bright and bold signage and it is easy to see where you need to queue to be served.
When entering the restaurant the design continues to be bright and bold, with a fluorescent pink sign which is where your attention goes to first…
… shortly followed by the beautiful artificial vertical garden wall at the back of the building.
Uzma (the Owner of Thai Express) pointed out some very cute pieces of art on the walls… Her two beautiful children. Uzma informed us that the other four stores within the UK also have pictures of her eldest daughter incorporated into the wall design, but this is her sons first picture as he is only 3 months old (how impressive is that! An entrepreneurial mother who opens a brand new store not long after giving birth!). Having two little girls myself, I really liked this touch and I’m pretty positive as the children grow up, they are going to be excited to tell their friends that they are on the walls of their parents restaurants.
Uzma and her husband Sachin are lovely and very down to earth (we even had a selfie together). It is evident when talking to Uzma, how much she loves what she does and how focused on giving an excellent experience for the public, she is. Uzma told me excitedly how it’s very rare to find Thai food that is also halal, so she’s ensured that all of the meat in the store is halal, catering for Muslims who often are unable to eat a Thai meal. There’s plenty of options for gluten free, vegetarian and they welcome you to tell them of any allergies you may have, so they can create a dish around your needs and requirements. It really is a restaurant set to please many appetites and customers.
Founded in Canada ten years ago, 2012 saw the first UK Thai Express restaurant open and in 2018, the 5th UK restaurant for Uzma and Sachin opened, the flagship Birmingham store situated in Grand Central (above New Street Station).
Uzma and Sachin wanted to give people a full authentic thai menu. Colourful, affordable and flavourful meals, perfect for on the go and made in under 2 minutes using traditional family recipes by specially trained Wok Chefs. And after our time at the launch party, I am happy to confirm that they have managed to achieve this. Ten times over.
The food is cooked in an open kitchen by trained Wok Chefs, giving you the chance to watch your food being prepared. I stood and watched a few meals being cooked and I have to admit I was amazed at how quickly they were cooked and how talented the chef was.
We were given a variety of foods to try and they were all of a high standard. Uzma had recommended the yellow fish curry to my husband and although we are not usually fish fans, we decided to take her recommendation. And it was so delicious that we had seconds and I’m not a hundred percent certain but I think my husband might have had thirds of it.
All of the food was great. The dishes were punchy, full of flavour and it was obvious that the produce was very fresh. My recommendations for you are the Tofu Satay Sticks (vegan and gluten free too), Sweet and Sour Chicken, Fish Yellow Curry and the Prawn Pad Thai. And if you need a recommendation for a drink, the Organic Bec Cola was delicious.
The food was served for the launch party by three incredibly well mannered waitresses, dressed in traditional Thai outfits. It really added to the night and they definitely deserve recognition for helping the launch party go so well. They didn’t seem to stop all evening, constantly ensuring all of the guests had everything that they might need or want.
My favourite waitress was this lady who really did give service with a smile.
Overall it was a truly fantastic evening and we look forward to coming back with our two daughters to give a sit down family meal a review.
Whether you’re in a rush about to catch a train and want to run off with some lunch or if you have plenty of free time and want to sit down and enjoy your meal in the restaurant. This is the place to go. Authentic Thai food with the ability to tingle your taste buds.
Come and give Thai Express a try.
Disclaimer: We were invited along to the Press Launch but all views are our own and not influenced in any way.
Hey, if you liked this review or maybe were inspired to try this out because of my post, you can always buy me or the kids a drink or a slice of cake on our next big trip! Just hit the button below, if you want to. 🙂
Buy me a coffee
It was a great event. The food was tasty- my favourite was the chicken starter and the papaya salad. The concept is brilliant.