The Giggling Squid, Winchester

About

Husband and wife Pranee and Andy dreamt up their first menu over 20 years ago in a tiny cottage in Brighton, hoping to bring a true Thai experience of eating meals to the UK restaurant scene, avoiding what could be called the tacky decoration of a carved wooden temple to make you think you were in Bangkok. Why call it “The Giggling Squid”? Well, that came from a childhood nickname for one of their children.

The restaurant, located in The Square and close to Winchester Cathedral, is set over two levels. It’s clean and spacious atmosphere is complemented by an enthusiastic team serving some great Thai food and an array of cocktails.

The Food

There is a large choice of food and it was difficult to choose what to eat purely on the basis that it all sounded good. I opted for the Grilled Squid and Crisped Thai Garlic for my starter. It was very well cooked with the addition of turmeric and perfectly blackened with char, giving the squid the delicious grilled flavour that can be so difficult to find. The garlic was crunchy and pungent; there could be no doubt as to what you were eating. Then there was the sauce: a bit of spice, a bit of a zing, it was like nectar and I just had to drink what was left in the bowl. Fabulous!

Inke went for the classic Som Tam, a green papaya salad, with chilli, green beans, Thai garlic and fish sauce all pounded together in a pestle and mortar. It was great to see the addition of dried shrimp too, really endorsing traditional Thai flavours.

For mains I had a stir fry called Gra Pao. I heard of Pad Kra Pao before which is served with chilli and Thai holy basil and has a taste of aniseed. I am assuming Gra Pao is The Giggling Squid’s take on this classic dish as it is also served with chilli and basil along with your choice of chicken, beef, prawn or vegetables.

Turmeric Sea Bass, slowly cooked in a banana leaf was Inke’s choice for main (it was almost mine). The cooking of the bass was perfect. The fish was flaky and translucent, golden from the turmeric and served with a stir fry of broccoli, sweetheart cabbage and Thai shallots.

For dessert Inke went for a Caramelised Mango Cake. A moist sponge with sweetness from the mango was perfectly accompanied by a Lychee Ice Cream.

Verdict

Should you go… most definitely! There are some great Thai restaurants around, some really great and some not so. From the size of the menu I was slightly worried that they may have been offering too much and should concentrate on perfecting fewer dishes. However, my initial concerns were misplaced. All the food we ate was delicious and cooked with authentic ingredients. What shone through was the chef’s passion to reflect just how good Thai food can be and the staff make a true effort to offer great Thai hospitality and service.

The Giggling Squid, 12-13 The Square, Winchester SO23 9ES

Tel: 01962 571477

We dined as guests of The Giggling Squid, but all editorial content is my own.