Nothing can compare to the feeling of utter joy when invited along to a new restaurant after being subjected to, or rather self inflicted with a 'new year, new me' diet. Ten days into my weight loss regime I found myself sharing a meal with some good friends at Sukhothai Leeds. Wanting nothing more than to eat the world deep fried and dripping with exotic spices.I was pleased to find, like most good restaurants in the city centre, Sukhothai was busy, filled with happy chatter and the sound of sizzling hot platters. Which meant a half an hour wait, however this gave us plenty of time to get started on a bottle of house red wine, before being shown to a table at the very center of the restaurant with a great view of the open kitchen.
I find the small things make a big difference & you can't put a price on great service. Our waitress was unbelievable attentive, placing our napkins on our laps & topping up our wine glasses when ever they reached a quarter full. There is nothing I dislike more than being asked if your food is ok mid bite, forcing that awkward nod of approval whilst trying not to speak with your mouth full. However the staff at Sukhothai struck a perfect balance of attentiveness and politeness.
For my starter I chose a rather unadventurous Satay Gai, a succulent board of skewered peanut sauce glazed chicken. I wasn't disappointed by my choice though, the chicken was soft and delicious with just the right amount of heat. Around the table, the presentation of the food impressed me, the wooden serving boards looked contemporary and I noticed with some of the starters, such as the Gung Chup Pang Tod - Battered tiger prawns with sweet chilli sauce were presented in miniature fryer baskets.
For the main course, I ordered the Phed Sawat, lightly battered duck breast with a mixed spice, cherry tomato and pineapple sauce. This was my favorite dish of the night, the duck was juicy and deep in flavour yet the crisp batter gave each mouthful a much welcomed bite. The richly spiced sauce however was not what I expected, after reading the menu I was anticipating a spicy tomato based sauce. But thanks to the pineapple, the sauce took on a very sweet, sweet and sour like tang.
Of course, like most women on a diet, I couldn't resist the desert menu. There is something about banana fritters that reminds me of great childhood memories eating at Asian restaurants with my Dad. And it didn't disappoint, the batter was crisp around the hot soft banana and the toffee sauce sickly sweet. Accompanied with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, I was in desert heaven.
Over all I would rate Sukhothai 5/5. The food was fantastic, the service was great & I'm intrigued by their Sunday buffet service advertised in house. It's not very often I will rave about a restaurant so boldly, but Sukhothai really is a excellent place to eat if you're looking for a change from your usual Thai/Chinese.
Have you ever visited Sukhothai?
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