Named after the enormous river which runs through Thailand, Chaophraya in Leeds is one of three extremely high-end Thai food restaurants across the north of England, the other two being located in Manchester and Liverpool.
I have visited Chaophraya a number of times but my first visit was something of an event with a few friends to celebrate a birthday. We went on a Saturday night and the first thing you notice is how bustling the atmosphere is; with staff working very hard to meet the needs of their customers and with the constant scent and sizzles of oriental delicacies around you, you can always feel a buzz!
As with most restaurants of this calibre, the staff members are very friendly and welcoming. They are more than happy to go the extra mile to tend to your needs and act very quickly should anything go wrong. As for the food, it is simply incredible. For my starter I had pork ribs which were probably the best I had ever tasted – succulent meat falling off the bone, and lots of it too! For my main I had a classic Thai green curry with beef and a side of noodles. Again, this was extremely well cooked and delivered in a timely fashion.
There were a couple of negatives to dining at Chaophraya however. My biggest gripe is the prices – yes the food is absolutely fantastic but this is not somewhere you could go on a regular basis. You need to spend at least £8 just for an appetiser and with main courses costing up to £30, including drinks (£3+) and dessert this adds up to a hefty bill even if there are only two of you dining. Chaophraya is probably going to be reserved for special occasions (or the super rich!).