Out For Dinner At Tom Yum Thai Restaurant in Belper

Sunday 14 Jul 2024 by Sticky Beak
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Tucked away in Strutts’ North Mill in Belper is a rather lovely Thai restaurant called Tom Yum Thai Kitchen. It has a cave-like feel to it, almost like a secret hideaway, thanks to the just-below ground level position it occupies. Thick stone walls and red brick, multi-arched ceiling create an intimate feel to the space, and I loved the coloured parasols and fairy lights that festooned the ceiling. Every Thai restaurant we’ve been in has been elaborately decorated with wall hangings and gilded statues of Deities, and Tom Yum is no different. The large, central sculpture had incense sticks laid upon the altar and the rich aroma perfumed the entire restaurant.

The menu is extensive at Tom Yum, and we really couldn’t decide what we fancied, vacillating from one dish to another! In the end, we went for the set menu, ‘Taste By Tom Yum’ at £29.90 per person; this option begins with a mixed platter for two, a trio of main course dishes and a bowl of Thai Jamine Rice to share. We also added some Thai, pan-fried Roti Breads (£3.90), figuring that we’d be mopping up the remaining sauces.

Whilst we waited for our starter platter, one of the team brought over a bowl of Thai Prawn Crackers for us to nibble on, as well as a glass of Thai Red Wine (£6.90) for me and a large bottle of Singha Lager (£7) for The Man.

Carrot Flowers, shredded White Cabbage, and Pea Shoots provided a very pretty garnish and some colour against the mainly neutral toned food. A trio of dips - Satay, Sweet Chilli and Tamarind - came on a separate, rectangular platter and as soon as the photos had been taken, we eagerly dived in. Chicken Breast had been skewered and grilled, and the flesh was deliciously soft and juicy in the mouth; paired with a good old dunk in the spicy, peanutty satay sauce, this was a great starting point for our meal. We both remarked on the generous size of the Crispy Spring Rolls – they were large by anyone’s standards and packed full of crunchy vegetables.

The Steamed Chicken and Prawn Dumplings each came in their own dinky glass bowl with just a splash of piquant sauce to anchor them in place. The dumpling pastry was super-soft and slightly glutinous to the bite, extending the ‘chew time’ in the mouth, and the delicate Prawn and Chicken meats had been mashed. Everyone knows the taste of Sweet Chilli dipping sauce, it’s a store cupboard staple, so I won’t wang on about that! Our first encounter with Gyoza was in a Nepalese establishment and we love these half-moon, fluted edge morsels. They’re not dissimilar to ‘ordinary’ dumplings, other than being pan-fried to give them a crispier outer, but the filling was just as delicious as its peer.

Our lovely server had checked that we were enjoying our mixed platter and was happy to be clearing away clean plates and dishes, replenishing cutlery and napkins at the same time, in readiness for our mains.

One thing that really impressed me at Tom Yum was that two of the team came to bring the food to diners; this meant that more could be carried, and multiple dishes served in quick succession. Rich Massaman Beef Curry, Sukhothai Chilli Duck and Stir-Fry Chicken in Oyster Sauce were all carefully placed on the table, joined by a beautiful, blue-and-white, lidded pot that housed the fragrant, fluffy Jasmine Rice. There’d been a slight mis-communication in the kitchen, so our Roti breads were a couple of minutes later in arriving…not that it mattered, because they were going to be deployed later on in the meal anyway.

All the main course dishes were excellent, though the subtler Chicken and Vegetables in Oyster Sauce did get swept away by the bolder chill-containing offerings. Without exception, the meats and poultry were tender and flavoursome and the vegetables retained all their crunch and bounce in the mouth. The only vegetable that was soft and comforting was the Potato in the Massaman Curry, and this was delicate and floury against the punchy curry liquor. Contrasting with the spuds’ softness were the whole, crunchy peanuts, and these paired really nicely with the Coconut in this dish.

On the menu, the Sukhothai Chilli dishes had been given a 2-Chilli rating and we both definitely got a bit of lip-tingling action with this particular morsel. Balancing the fieriness was the gentler note of Sweet Basil, accompanied by the earthiness of white Mushrooms. Duck was the meat in this particular offering, and its deeper flavour was the perfect choice here, though you can also have it with Chicken if you’re going a la carte.

It might be a minor item on the menu, but good Rice can make all the difference to an Oriental meal; soggy, sorry grains are a damp squib, but fluffy ones help soak up excess sauce and impart a creamy note to the flavour profile. Likewise with Roti Breads; they were soft and buttery but not soggy and they provided the perfect means with which to scoop up more liquid.

His Nibs does love a fried fruit fritter (try saying that when you’ve had a few!!), and the Coconut Banana Fritter (£6) proved an irresistible temptress; on the other hand, I couldn’t quite muster enough room for a sweet treat, so I went for Floater Coffee (£5.80) to conclude my meal. The Fritter was everything you’d want: sweet, soft and sumptuously fruity. A rich batter encased the warmed, softened Banana and Coconut Ice Cream provided a beautiful temperature contrast to stimulate the senses. Needless to say, there wasn’t a scrap of dessert left! My coffee was a nice medium roast that absorbed the silky note of the fresh cream so that it wasn’t just a bland drink.

Our servers had been keeping a discreet eye on us all evening, appearing swiftly to clear things away when needed and to refresh drinks as well. Nothing had been too much trouble, and a smile accompanied their every move. Hot Wings happily given to this wonderful Belper restaurant! To book a table ring 01773 750922 or visit the website www.tomyum.co.uk and hit the ‘book a table’ button. To order a takeout online hit the ‘order now’ button.

Tom Yum is closed on Monday, open Tues-Thurs 5-9pm, Fri-Sat 5-10.30pm, and Sunday 5-9pm. Parking is free for customers – just enter your vehicle registration number on arrival.