insideKENT Magazine Issue 89 - August 2019 | Page 98
FOOD+DRINK
THE GIGGLING SQUID
HITS ALL THE RIGHT NOTES
THAI IS MY FAVOURITE FOOD, WHICH MAKES ME A BIT OF A DISCERNING DINER WHEN EATING AT
THAI RESTAURANTS. SADLY, SO MANY SEEM TO THROW ALL OF THE RIGHT ADJECTIVES AT YOU -
‘AUTHENTIC’, ‘MODERN’, ‘FRAGRANT’ - RAMPING UP YOUR HOPES, ONLY FOR YOU TO SEE THOSE
HOPES RAPIDLY DASHED BY A GREASY SPRING ROLL, OR WORSE STILL, AN APPARENTLY SPICY CURRY
THAT FAILS TO EXCITE A SINGLE TASTE BUD. NOT SO AT THE GIGGLING SQUID – A CHAIN THAT’S
NOW EXPANDED TO 32 RESTAURANTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND DELIVERS DISH AFTER DISH THAT’S
PACKED WITH FLAVOUR. BY POLLY HUMPHRIS
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The interior here gets a firm thumbs up for starters
and is a look that’s shared by each restaurant; like
a stamp of quality and authenticity. Think sleek dark
wood flooring, hints of bamboo, deep green plants
that add a sense of life while looking stylish, and soft
lighting tucked away behind modern wall motifs
made from wood in neutral shades. It looks Thai
without screaming an identity at you, which is the
welcome sign of a thoughtful interior as opposed to
one that looks too dressed or, worse still, themed. broken down into individual Thai tapas, two-dish
‘combis’, ‘one big dish’ options and Thai tapas sets
of four slightly smaller dishes served on one large
plate, has always made me happy. My go-to order
has always been Thai ‘old faithful’, the green curry,
which is creamy with coconut milk, generous with
vegetables and buzzing with classic Thai herbs and
spices like lemongrass and galangal; it’s definitely
the best Thai green curry I’ve tasted and isn’t shy
with punchy chilli either.
Before we move onto the actual starters, I should
probably admit I’m a Giggling Squid devotee and
have eaten at the Brighton-based restaurants (as well
as Sevenoaks) weekly for years. The menu therefore, So, when I was asked to come and sample the new
menu, my heart sank a little. Why change what isn’t
broken, I thought? I’m happy to admit I was way
off the mark. The lunchtime menu still sings with
Thai classics such as chicken satay, spring rolls and
Giggling Squid show-stopper, salt and pepper squid,
which is an insanely delicious combination of soft,
fresh squid encased in crunchy, salt-and-pepper
tempura batter, but has been further enhanced by
the addition of authentic dishes such as mah kwan
pepper pork belly, which is made with a rare pepper
that grows wild in Northern Thailand and has a
distinct hint of mandarin about its flavour, and
mushroom larb, a specialty from the Esan Province
combining juicy mushrooms with a power-punch of
mint, chilli and shallot.
The evening menu has received quite the overhaul
however, and absolutely not to its detriment. Carefully