Restaurants / Reviews
Brother Thai, Stokes Croft: ‘The attention to detail carries through from presentation to texture’ – restaurant review
How refreshing to go to a Thai restaurant that doesn’t offer pad thai.
Eating in the chic industrial setting of one of Stokes Crofts’ newest food offerings forced me, a stubborn eater of that very dish, to go beyond my comfort zone.
In fact, Brother Thai goes big on rotis, something you may not instantly associate with the cuisine but which are in fact staples of Thailand’s street food.
The dish is piled high with ajat slaw, fresh herbs, sriracha mayo and everything from sticky spicy beef to roasted jackfruit.
Its presentation, like with everything this restaurant serves, is thought-through and appealing.
Joining a sister site in Cardiff, Bristol’s Brother Thai is located in what was previously Hotplate in the Carriageworks
The refreshing mocktail of watermelon, ginger and spritz I was given to drink came with a coil of icy cucumber skin and the freshest of mint.
It’s an example of the detail that goes into how Brother Thai does food. The chefs could have just served it with the cucumber, but they froze it to add a temperature dimension to the experience of eating it.
They could have just chosen a random sprig of mint from the delivery, but it’s clear they found the freshest piece they could.
That attention to detail carries through into the texture of the dishes. My chicken satay combined a silky smooth, wonderfully rich peanut sauce with crispy chunks of deep-fried chicken, crunchy on the outside and the perfect amount of tender within.
The delicate glass noodles in the woon sen khaeng were contrasted against the just-right bite of the par-boiled broccoli, and the crispiness of the mushroom laab gave way to a burst of juicy flavour when bit into.
This was where my only criticism of the food comes in. The laab was beautifully bright at first, but after a few bites was too much even for my acid-loving tastebuds.
The same problem came with the cucumber ajat slaw, again beautifully presented and a fantastic pair with the savoury richness of the chicken satay. But after half the dish, the lime was just too strong.
A mocktail of watermelon, ginger and spritz was a refreshing addition to the meal
Given that this restaurant has only been open two weeks and has an almost completely new staff, it was impressive how slick the operation was. Servers were friendly and attentive, taking time to chat with me and make me feel welcome. They showed a clear passion for the food and a knowledge of what to pair with what.
The allergy information could have been a touch clearer on the menu though. Something containing a small amount of soy sauce was marked as gluten free, though staff did flag it to me after I told them I’m coeliac. Ideally, you should be able to trust that something labelled gluten free is just that.
That aside, Brother Thai is a wonderful restaurant with a varied and inventive menu produced to a high standard.
It deserves the best of luck for its new opening.
www.brotherthai.co.uk
Brother Thai, 104 Stokes Croft, BS1 3FH
All photos: Molly Pipe
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