When it comes to Thai food, my love knows no bounds. So, when I was asked to visit Giggling Squid in Horsham to write a review, it’s safe to say I was pretty excited – as was my best friend/ date for the evening.
In fact, as soon as we knew the time and place, our entire day was planned around dinner – and by that I mean, we went to see The Grinch and didn’t eat all day…
By the time Saturday 7pm rolled around I was so, so ready for Thai food. And, as expected, Giggling Squid didn’t disappoint. Once we were safely seated in pride of place and the window table and done admiring the flower-covered trellises everywhere, the only challenge was deciding what to eat.
Having been to various Giggling Squids around Sussex before, I knew my favourites, but, this being a special occasion, I decided to branch out (for me, anyway – my choices may not be that adventurous for some!)
I decided to follow the menu‘s advice and picked the house favourite Salt and Pepper Squid for my starter. Predictably, Lucy had the Chicken Satay – an oldie but a goodie. I guess there’s a reason the squid’s the house favourite though. As Lucy observed, it’s not super chewy like many other calamari-esque dishes and it’s just salty enough to be tasty without making you feel the need down any drinks going. Long story short, starters were a hit. I would definitely go back and opt for a tapas-style starters-only meal because there’s definitely enough on the menu to keep you going.
Starters demolished and we were onto our main courses. Again, predictably, Lucy had the chicken Thai red curry, her tried-and-tested favourite, while I went for a chicken massaman, something I’ve never tried before but heard good things about. On the side, I went for a sticky rice and Lucy went for a jasmine rice. To be honest, I think I’ve found a new favourite in the massaman curry; it’s pretty much like a red curry – mild and coconut-y – but with a definite cinnamon-y flavour. My spice of choice as known by anyone who knows me… Whilst I think the starters were my favourite for sheer amount of choice, the mains, again were super tasty.
Half a bottle of wine down, and ready to roll out the door, we found room for pudding (shocker). I’ve never been massive on desserts in Asian cuisine, so this was a whole new ball game for me. In the end, I decided to play it safe-ish and go with the Lychee Yogurt Ice Cream, with Lucy pushing the boat out slightly further to sample the Jasmine and Rice Ice Cream. As far as presentation goes, the puddings get a 12 out of 10 and whilst everything was presented beautifully, this was by far my favourite in terms of aesthetics (but that might be the ice cream fan in me talking…) The desserts were the perfect end to quite a heavy meal. They were very light and not too rich – something that can be the downfall of many amazing desserts (chocolate fondant, I’m looking at you).
Throughout the whole meal, we were really well taken care of and all the staff were so friendly. Whilst obviously the food is important when you’re eating out, I really do think it’s the experience that makes it special and I really think Giggling Squid lives up to that. The restaurants that I’ve been in are always beautifully presented and spotless and I’ve yet to encounter unfriendly staff.
In other words, a massive thank you for Giggling Squid Horsham for having us! I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes beautifully presented and amazing tasting food and is willing to get adventurous with their food.
Food adventures in mind, I’ve seen that a load of Giggling Squid branches (including Horsham) are open for Christmas Day with a special Christmas menu – if I’m ever stuck for a Christmas dinner, I know where I’ll be going!
*This blog was sponsored by Giggling Squid with Thai food, but thoughts and words are all my own (I just really love Thai food).
Just Emma Things 