We visited a classic Thai restaurant in Birmingham and were blown away by its magical dishes

Birmingham city centre is blessed with some of the best restaurants and popular Rosa’s Thai is among them. The fabulous restaurant group, founded by Thai chef Saiphin Moore in London, recently turned 15 and they are celebrating the occasion with a fresh menu by dipping into their archive of classic dishes.

Rosa’s Thai opposite Albert’s Schloss in Paradise, has brought back favourite recipes its decade and a half of serving hearty Thai food like fried soft shell crab, with a salad of grapefruit, from Saiphin’s first restaurant on Brick Lane in the East End, to the ultimate Thai street food - Thai fish cakes. There is also a surprising twist to the Spanish classic churros along with a selection of bubble teas and Thai cocktails such as a Lychee Ginger Spritz and a Kopiko Espresso Martini.

With so many amazing dishes on offer, we couldn’t resist grabbing a bite there on a weeknight for an early dinner. My partner and I headed to Chamberlain Square after our days at the office. The casual vibe of the restaurant is great for putting diners at ease. The big windows bring in ample light and if you want to eat outdoors, they have some table out front.

We sat inside by a window and after scanning the old and new menu, chose a sharing platter and Chicken satay skewers from the old menu; Pandan chicken and Sriracha sauce, Thai churros, and Lychee ginger spritz from the new. Rosa’s recommends that the lychee & coconut-infused Spritz is the perfect pair with noodles or stir-fries.

The first of my senses that fell in love with the food was smell. The herby frangrances from the dishes make it very hard to chomp down on everything at the same time. The second of my senses to fall in love was sight. The amazing reds, yellows and greens from all of them make it that much more appealing.

The next senses to lay down its defences were taste and touch because the herby and fruity tastes along with the soft textures keep you wanting for more.

We chomped down on the sharing platter - which had a selection of seafood, pork and chicken - before digging into the Pandan chicken - which is a must try. It’s marinated chicken thigh - the best part of a chicken, in my opinion - wrapped in fragrant pandan leaves, served with our homemade spicy Sriracha dip. The wrapping keeps the chicken moist and juicy.

After my dessert arrived, I realised that the Churros was a very different take on the Spanish classic, and if you have a sweettooth - don’t miss it. All in all, it was a great meal and there’s a lot more to try at Rosa’s that also serves a great selection of noodles, curries and rice. However, if you are looking for small bites - there’s a whole range to choose from.