Local Thai Food in Manchester – Thai Smiles Cafe

A hidden authentic Thai restaurant that you surely can’t miss!

S would never have known about this place if her colleagues hasn’t recommended it. Apparently they were originally in China Town but they changed the location due to the rent being too high. The restaurant is now located in the Great Northern Warehouse; on the upper level on the plaza leading to the entrance of the main building. However, since there’s no obvious sign outside the restaurant, you might need to check the menu on the window first before you find this place.

The restaurant is not big but you can feel the Thai vibe the second you walk through the door. The restaurant was empty when S arrived, yet it got very busy just before S left. The staff were lovely and efficient. You can bring your own booze here, however, they also have some Thai beer and soft drinks too.

As you can see on the menu below, the prices are all very reasonable. Yam Moo Grob (£7.95), Khao NhaPhed Moogrob(£9.5) and Pad Thai Goong(£8.95) were the dishes S had that day. After few weeks, S went back again to try some different dishes; Khang Kiew Waan Gai (£8.5) and Cab Nam Tok (£7.95).

Yam Moo Grob was recommended by the staff, it was a salad dish which contained belly pork with Thai herbs. The flavour of this dish was the typical flavour when you think of Thai food; sour and spicy. This salad was definitely a good appetiser which made S want to eat more after having a few bites. Moreover, the portion of the belly pork was pretty generous, and it mixed perfectly with the sauce.

The Cab Nam Tok is grilled pork salad with mixed Thai herb. The flavour is totally different compared to Yam Moo Grob, yet it’s still super delicious. You can wrap the grilled pork and the mixed herbs with the lettuce, and eat it with the salad sauce like how Koreans eat their BBQ.

Pad Thai is the most common dish in Thai cuisine. Pad Thai Goong is stir fried rice noodles and king prawns with sweet and sour sauce. The flavour was a bit different compared to the one S had from the Jarern Kitchen. The flavour was milder and there wasn’t as strong a peanut flavour as some other places.

S wasn’t too sure before she ordered Khao NhaPhed Moogrob since she didn’t know what to expect. A small bowl of white radish soup came with the main dish, which is pretty common in Asia. Even the soup was just a side dish, it brought S back to Asia the second S had a sip of it. Khao NhaPhed Moogrob is roasted duck breast and belly pork with home-made gravy. The taste of gravy was quite distinct and you can tell it definitely is a Thai gravy when you taste it.

The Khang Kiew Waan Gai is green curry chicken with rice, and S has to say this is the best green curry she has had in Manchester. The green curry here has a good kick of spice and that’s why S loves it so much. Moreover, the portion of the ingredients in the curry were generous as you can see in the photos – S had to order another bowl of rice to mop up the rest of the curry.

There are so many reasons to make this place a regular on S’s list. Not only because of the great food, but also the convenient location which is just right next to the Deansgate tram station. Moreover, this type of restaurant is the main reason why S is doing this blog. S loves to blog about unnoticed restaurants with great food more than the ones which have already gotten their name out there. If you are around the neighbourhood, you should really stop by and give it a try!

Restaurant info:
Address: G, Great Northern Warehouse, 253 Deansgate, Manchester M3 4EN
Phone: 07702 741759
Opening hours: Tue.-Thur. 12-3pm; 5-7:30pm/Fri. 12-3pm; 5-9:30pm/Sat. 12-9:30pm/Sun. 12-7pm
Site: https://www.thegreatnorthern.com/unit/thai-smiles/